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A job advertisement to hire 30 female train drivers in Saudi Arabia has attracted the interest of 28,000 applicants, an indication of pent-up demand as the conservative kingdom offers more opportunities for women.
Spanish railway company Renfe said today that an online assessment it conducted on academic background and English language skills had helped it reduce the number of applicants by around 50% and it will review the remaining CVs by mid-March.
The 30 women selected will drive supertrucks between the cities of Mecca and Medina, after a year of paid training.
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Renfe currently employs 80 men as train drivers in Saudi Arabia and is training another 50.
Employment opportunities for women in Saudi Arabia have until recently been limited to roles such as teachers and health workers, and they have been required to adhere to strict segregation rules. Women were not even allowed to drive in the kingdom until 2018.
Women's participation in the workforce has almost doubled in the last 5 years, to 33%, following the authorities' decision to "open up" the kingdom and expand economic activity. Now, women are taking up positions once restricted to men and migrant workers.
However, the proportion of women working in the kingdom remained about 50% lower than men in the third quarter of 2021, at 34.1%, and the unemployment rate for women was three times that of men, at 21.9%.
Source: protothema.gr
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