Women ready to face challenges

Kuwaiti women are all set to take up challenging positions at various government and private sector establishments, says Al Seyassah daily.

In what is considered to be one of the most challenging opportunities, Kuwaiti women have now been appointed at the Tracking Dogs Training Department of the Ministry of Interior.

Bashayer Mirza, the first female dog trainer, told the Arabic language newspaper yesterday that she applied for this job three times in three years before she was finally appointed after a meeting with the Interior Minister Shaikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah.

Mirza said she joined a training course to search for explosives and drugs and was a team member at the Coast Guard, State Security and Criminal Investigation departments.

Mirza remembers with pride being a member of the State Security team which raided a location looking for terrorists and explosives at an unidentified site.

Another Kuwaiti female canine trainer Ghadeer Al Eisa said she was happy with the job and appeals to women with similar interests to join the department.

Amal Al Shahmi, a new recruit at the department, said that women have set a good example during the Iraqi invasion by resisting the aggressors and gaining martyrdom for the country.

She said her breakthrough came when she helped the authorities arrest an Iranian drug smuggler.

Meanwhile, the Director of the department, Colonel Mohammad Al Banai, has lauded the efficiency of women employees.

The writer is a journalist based in Kuwait.