“Not a Woman’s Job” international exhibition highlights the distinguished experience of two Syrian working women

Marking  International Workers’ day, the UN office in Geneva held an international virtual photography exhibition titled “Not a Woman’s Job” depicting the world’s working women in recognition of women’s great role in society. The UN office has chosen many women, including two Syrian women: Safa Nawfal, a Syrian electrical engineer, and Ruba Zarqa, an international referee, as examples of working Syrian women who share with men the most difficult and dangerous professions. 

On its facebook account, the office posted a picture of engineer Safa while she was on the top of a high voltage pillar and attached the caption  saying: “Safa Nawfal is a graduate of the Collage of Electrical Engineering, who works at the General Electricity Company of Homs. Despite the difficulty and danger of working in this field, she insists on repairing the electrical grid lines devastated by the war on Syria”.

The UN office quoted Safa as saying that “what the Syrian women do stresses the ability and productivity of the Syrian women in various walks of life, despite the traditional views about professions which are exclusive to men.”

The office also posted an image for international referee Ruba Zarqa identifying her as “the first Asian woman to get two international referee badges in soccer and futsal. She was a member of women’s national football team and become a referee later. In 2017, she was awarded the international referee badge from the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA).

The images of the Syrian women displayed in the exhibition were submitted by Syria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office in Geneva and specialized institutions in Switzerland.

Hamda Mustafa