The Cairo metro has hired Egypt’s first female train drivers, a novelty in a nation where few women hold formal professions as it prepares to grow to serve a population of nearly 20 million.
According to the two trailblazers, commuters on the network’s newest line have noticed women taking the wheel in the driver’s cab since April, and their reactions have ranged from raised eyebrows to open disgust.
One of the first female conductors on the Cairo metro is Suzan Mohamed.
“I have a mixed feeling between happiness and responsibility as I should transport thousands of passengers every day. It is a big responsibility, I am happy but afraid at the same time,” she said.
Business graduate and mother of two Hind Omar said she had rushed to apply to be a train driver, eager to be a pioneer in a country where only 14.3 percent of women are in formal employment, according to 2020 figures.
Omar was one of two women accepted for the training programme run by Egypt’s National Authority for Tunnels in cooperation with RATP-Dev.
“You should have emotional stability and pass all the tests, they put you under pressure in the tests to see your stamina and stability. It is a very sensitive job and needs specific requirements.”
The Cairo metro system was established in 1987, making it the oldest in the Arab world, although it has lagged behind other Arab nations in offering work options for women.
In 1999, Moroccan Saida Abad became the first woman to operate a train in both Africa and the Arab world.
