Turkey’s most populated and most famous city Istanbul is late to the party in hiring female firefighters. The municipality took its first step on Monday, however, to start a new tradition. In recruitment trials for the city’s fire department, 50 women competed against 200 men.
Rolling water hoses and weights and carrying dummies posing as victims to safety, the women showed off their skills while working to secure a job.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu watched the firefighter test at the Avrasya Show and Arts Center. “This is a very exciting development for us. We selected a quota of 50 women for firefighter recruitment. We plan to hire 500 more staff this year,” he told reporters.
Though their number still lags behind men, women are increasingly finding a place in male-dominated fire departments across the country. The female employment rate is around 32% in Turkey and the government is working to boost employment opportunities for women, with incentives and funds for entrepreneurs and workers.
