Firefighting is commonly considered a “manly” job. It is seen as odd for a woman to be a firefighter, especially in places like the Middle East. Sheyma Rashidi, 25, is the only female firefighter in Ahwaz. By choosing this dangerous career, she has proved that women are capable of doing challenging jobs, just like men.
The 25 years old Ahwazi woman has worked for three years as a firefighter, a job that requires her to wear clothes that does not suit her as they are designed for men. Sheyma, who does her job with great passion, asked herself a question: “What have women not got?” She thought to herself that if a man can do something, why can’t a woman?
Dealing with fire is not a firefighter’s only job, as many believe. Rescuing people in trouble, such as being stuck in an elevator, and preventing suicide are part of what firefighters are also part of the profession. Many such roles suit women more than men.
In an interview, Rashidi said: “It is certainly a difficult job. As a firefighter, your life is at risk all the time. It is not as if firefighters go to get straight into fire, however. There are a series of safety issues that they have to follow. Firefighting is a group activity where everyone has a defined task and knows what he or she has to be doing. One can be the driver, the other the commander and so on, and women can participate and have a role in these different activities. ”
Rashidi also educates orphans under the age of 12 about firefighting for free, so that in the future they may enter the profession of firefighting.
