Female firefighters face challenges including ill-fitting protective gear designed for men, gender discrimination, and sexual harassment. Women also struggle with the physical demands of lifting heavy equipment and meeting weight restrictions. Reports show that sexual harassment is more frequent for women firefighters than men.
A female firefighter may face the challenge of making protective gear for men and experience gender discrimination or sexual harassment. In addition, it is difficult for women to meet the weightlifting challenges set by many firefighters, a challenge many men fail at each year. Getting proper protective equipment is an important issue because many firefighting equipment is designed with the majority of users in mind, who are usually men. Gender discrimination and sexual harassment occur both accidentally and on purpose, sometimes making a firefighter’s workplace a hostile and abusive one.
Protective gear is an important part of being a firefighter. However, a female firefighter generally cannot wear equipment designed for men, because women tend to be slower and shaped differently. It is also not an option to wear very inadequate protective equipment, as this can increase the likelihood of severe burns or even death. Ill-fitting gloves, boots and coats are some of the challenges reported by firefighters. A woman sometimes cannot reach certain pockets or hooks and may struggle to keep her face in the correct position.
Firefighting was once an exclusive field for men, but more women are joining in as time passes and stereotypes are forgotten or set aside. Yet research indicates that women do not receive promotions or training based on their gender. For example, one survey polled nearly 250 women and 45% responded that they were treated differently and denied opportunities given to their male colleagues at least once. About half of the 45% said the issue is ongoing. The importance of gender equality tends to differ by region; however, issues like these may occur more or less frequently depending on location.
Reports of sexual harassment occur more frequently for women firefighters than men. For example, one survey noted that 88% of more than 500 female firefighters said they had experienced sexual harassment. Some surveyed events were not illegal, but generally still not acceptable by other workplace standards. Others include typically illegal acts, such as unwanted physical contact and demands, and blackmail for sexual favors.
Lifting and pulling heavy objects is yet another special challenge faced by a female firefighter. A potential firefighter can train for months and still not build up the muscles needed to run on extremely heavy equipment, lift special firefighting ladders and do 75 push-ups on a bad day. Bulkier men sometimes drop out of firefighting training programs because of how difficult they are. Weight restrictions make it even more difficult for women because they can sometimes require a potential firefighter to gain muscle weight.
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