The World of Stewardesses [Archives:1999/34/Culture]

Ahlam Al-khawlani & 
Abdu Al-Hakeem Hashim 
Yemen Times 

Since the first days of Islam, woman has been given the freedom that she had been deprived of in the pre-Islamic period. She has stood by man in wars, where she worked as a cupbearer and a nurse while even fighting alongside him. In the course of time, as education become accessible to everybody, she got educated to hold high ranking positions in society. Now, woman is recognized as an active member that has proved her success in various fields such as teaching, medicine, engineering, journalism. The introduction above breaks the ice for a number of interviews I have had with women working as stewardesses to know what do they think about their career, how the people and their male colleagues perceive them and what the problems they face are. 
Wafa Assaid Saleh 
I have chosen this career because it is the best in the world. I don’t care what the people say about us and I am not bound to please them. They envy us, unlike our colleagues who respect us. We, like other women in their careers, have our own problems. One of the problems we face is the passengers misunderstanding of the nature of our work. I am not married or engaged at the moment. I prefer my life-long partner to be educated and broad-minded. 
Saniah Anwar 
I have chosen this work because I want to represent my country in the world. I don’t pay any attention to what others say about us. We live in a male-chauvinist society that regards women as the second sex. I work with respectable stewards and stewardesses and we respect each other. Many girls like this job because it enables them to know about many other countries. Regarding the problems we meet, they are few. The main one is the passengers’ complaints about everything. 
Noor Sinan 
I always wanted to travel to see the world and to know more about the traditions and cultures of nations. Air-hosting is like the other jobs. Unfortunately, people are unable or unwilling to understand this. All the stewards and stewardesses respect themselves and each other and this is enough for us. Girls are preferred for this position because of their grace and flexibility. This, of course, is not enough. Besides this, they should be educated, in order to know how to deal with the passengers. One of our problems is the way people look at us. They don’t want to give us the chance to represent our country. 
Waheedah 
It has been always my hope to represent my country. There are two different attitudes towards us. One of them reflects the opinion of the educated sector in our society. The other reflects the opinion of the ignorant. We don’t care about what they say. We are confident and know what we are doing. When I get married, I hope that I will be able to strike a balance between my duty as a wife and my job as a stewardess. If it happens and I get proposals, I will think of a sincere and faithful person. As far as air-hosting is concerned, it needs talented people because it is not an easy job. The most outstanding problem we face is the passengers’ disdain for safety measures. 
Naeemah Qahwi 
I have chosen this work because I like traveling to see the features of the other countries. The people’s attitude towards stewardesses differ from one social sector to another. Regarding my colleagues, they all respect each other. One of the problems we face is the teasing of passengers. I am married. My husband is a businessman and he respects my career very much. 
Majid Saleh 
Many people think that the most suitable work for women includes temptation and attraction. This is why they see women’ s availability in the work place as a necessity. Although I respect all the stewardesses, I don’t want my fiance or relative to be a stewardess. I am an Eastern man who believes that woman must be in a position that is consistent with our culture and traditions. If I fall in love with a stewardess, I will persuade her to give it up. There are different attitudes towards stewardesses. Personally, I believe that the most suitable place for woman is home. 
Mohammed Al-Aleemy 
Air-hosting attracts not only women, but men also. As a steward, I respect all my colleagues. In my opinion, air-hosting is not different from the other kinds of jobs and woman has to prove herself in this field. I have no objection to marring a stewardess. If I marry a stewardess, I will not ask her to stop. On the contrary, I will encourage her to go on. This might be objected to by many people who look at the work of the stewardess as something against our culture and traditions but I shouldn’t let them take charge of my own attitude. 
Ossamah Ali Ahmad Al-Jaawy 
I will not allow my fiance to work as a stewardess. Marrying a stewardess can never be a successful marriage. A successful marriage needs a wife whose only concern is her home!
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