unusual job for women

Yesterday I watched an interview of Maryam Abdullah Al-Mutairi on the KTV 1 women’s show Heya wa Akhawateha.

Maryam Al-Mutairi works in the Kuwait Ports Authority (KPA) and she was on the program to discuss her job as a certified ports crane and forklift operator. She used to work in the KPA finance department but jumped at the opportunity to train as a gantry container crane operator in the port and eventually became the first Kuwaiti woman to earn a certificate as a forklift operator from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) in Alexandria Egypt. She’s involved in training others now to become crane operators.

One of the first questions she was asked was how she coped in a job which was in a mainly male environment. Was she taken seriously? Did male employees offer to help out and do the job for her?

Maryam mentioned the importance of a serious, professional demeanour on the job and during her interactions with male empoyees of all levels. She also stressed the importance of appearance that suited the kind of work she was doing which means non-fitted worksuits and light make-up, if any.

Her appearance she stressed, was different off the job and she is a woman who loves fashion, make-up, and looking good. They asked her about her non-traditional appearance (as her family is of tribal descent) and she mentioned that her mother is Egyptian and her maternal grandmother was Turkish. She attributed the strength in her personality to her Kuwaiti father. Although her job is not usual for an Arab woman, she says she does respect her family customs and local culture otherwise. She is comfortable with her femininity and her role of nurturer in the home as a mother and as a good cook.

She spoke about her children and how she encourages independent thought and equality in the way they interact with both other males and females. She pointed out the importance of instilling within them a love of work and ambition and how they were the ones responsible for choosing their own careers without any manipulation from her as a parent.

is dedicated to her work which she stresses has made her love life because she enjoys her job so much. It is important for a person, she said, to be happy in the work they do and to feel challenged and inspired. She loves being next to the sea and working in such a rewarding environment.