ABU DHABI, 8 April 2007 — Emirati women are increasingly venturing into jobs that have traditionally been reserved for men. Twenty-four-year-old Fatima Inaizi is a good example. In an interview recently with Al-Khaleej newspaper, Inaizi said that entering the field of airplane mechanics has had an influence on her views about gender. She feels that the time has come for women to cast aside traditional beliefs that prevent them from studying some subjects or working in certain jobs. Inaizi is a hard-working young woman who is doing a job that even in the West is usually done by men.

Talking to Al-Khaleej, she denied that being a flight mechanic had affected her femininity. “Here I am in front of you. Am I different? Work is work and when I am working, I do my best. Being a woman is no reason to do less work. Equality controls the environment, and I deal with my male colleagues naturally and they sometimes even forget that I am a girl,” she said, adding that she is like most other Emirati girls, taking care of her looks and wearing an abaya when she goes out.

Inaizi said that she wanted to become a flight engineer soon after graduation from high school. “When I registered (at the Emirates Aviation College) I did not know that I was the first woman to register for the flight mechanic’s course. There was another girl who registered but she dropped out so I became the only one,” she said.

Inaizi added that she did not care much about being known as the first woman flight mechanic. “I care a great deal about doing my job properly and correctly. I am proud of my job and I hope to become a flight engineer,” she said.

When asked about her family’s reaction to what is surely an unusual job for a woman, she said, “It was not hard to convince them. In fact, they played an important role in encouraging me and pushing me forward. They allowed me to choose what suited me as long as I did not forget our customs and traditions.”

Talking about the college curriculum, she said that Emirates had designed a five-year program. The division is 60 percent practical and 40 percent theoretical. “Within the first year, students get the international license that allows them to practice the job of repairing planes. Emirates considers students as staff immediately after registration.”

Inaizi said that though she is exhausted by the work and the study, it is interesting and she enjoys it. “I am happy as I prove myself both in my studies and at job. When it comes to applying what you have studied, you just feel the pleasure of having learned it. She added, “I work from six in the morning to six in the evening but that does not worry me. I must prove that I am qualified and fit for the job and sometimes that makes me uneasy and afraid.”

She admitted that her job had taken her away from her family. “However, my mother understands. I get time to be with my family and hang out with friends during breaks and vacations.”

Khalid Jasim, the director of engineer training at Emirates, praised Iniazi’s efforts and admired her qualifications. “She started with 10 men students. It was normal that they would feel her presence weird. Fatima has proved herself and showed that she is responsible. Further she passed all the tests and proved that there is no difference between her and her male classmates.”

He pointed out that not many women have shown interest in this particular job. “We have also refused to accept some men who have applied because we felt they were not up to the job and the training. We encourage women to join us but we are always careful to explain the nature of the job and the difficulties involved. Now we have three new women students who look to Fatima as their role model.”