Metrorail jobs get lukewarm response from women

The newly-introduced Metro Rail, the country's first ever sophisticated urban train communication system, has become a dream-come-true project to many young job seekers. But it has yet to attract woman professionals that much.
The Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has so far recruited 325 people in various positions. Of them, 207 people have joined after training. However, only five of them are women. Four of them are serving as station controllers and one as a train operator.
The four women are among 60 station controllers. On the other hand, the only woman train operator is among a total of 24 of them.
DMTCL Managing Director MAN Siddique said the company offered women the full scope to work either at the front desk or in the back office. But so far it received very few applications from the women.
He said the DMTCL was following the cent per cent government recruitment policy when advertising for hiring officials or engineers of different grades.
The FE, however, found that the advertisement did not carry the clause 'women are encouraged to apply' as mentioned in many other advertisements.
The MD in this regard said the government guidelines set quotas in the starting grades. Women are given priority in this quota system.
"But DMTCL has given a good working environment and facilities for women. This is to make sure that they work in their comfort zone as required for them in a job,' he told the FE.
He was talking to the FE in an interview on the occasion of International Women's Day. A Gender Policy for the DMTCL was formulated, he added.
According to the DMTCL website, the five women, already recruited by the company, were hired in the last few grades.
The 100 per cent state-owned company, the salary structure and facilities of which are like corporate offices, have five other women hired for the MRT 6, MRT 1 and MRT 5 North projects.
The lone woman who is serving as additional project director for MRT 1 was brought on deputation from the Bangladesh Railway. There are other women working at the joint and deputy secretary level.
One of the project officials said all MRT projects were facing a lack of manpower as they were hired on deputation. Those who were recruited for MRT 6 at the entry level will be accommodated as permanent staff of the DMTCL.
He also said he requested many government officials having technical knowledge -- both male and female -- to join this project. But they did not show much interest as they cited their experience that a woman engineer was always discouraged.
However, one woman working for the project said that surprisingly they did not find any woman in the foreign consultancy and contractor firms.
A consultant working for the MRT projects on condition of anonymity said the MRT operation is very much similar to train operation but it is run fully on electricity with no engine but has a modern track system. The Bangladesh Railway (BR) has a good number of women recruits including locomotive drivers.
He said women could work in all positions of the MRT where all stages have challenges. The toughest challenges lie at the computer-based training control and depot control centre which requires full attention and constant monitoring.

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