‘More women should join forces’

This news has been read 7295 times!

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 19: The widespread circulation of a picture of Al-Anood Al-Abdali, a female Kuwaiti military officer, on social media has made her an Internet sensation in the Gulf region, reports Al-Seyassah daily. Al-Anood was a Physical Education teacher for five years before she joined Ministry of Interior and successfully passed all tests to become an officer in the Operations Sector in 2012.

The main reason behind her sudden popularity is the realization of the growing role of Gulf women in the armed forces, which is considered as the epitome of a male-dominated establishment.

According to discussions of Internet users, she is among the military officers from 20 countries including Kuwait and fellow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members, which are Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who are participating in the joint operations of the Northern Thunder maneuvers, the largest in the region, carried out in North Saudi Arabia.

Most online users supported the presence of women within the armed forces. They insisted that women deserve the chance to serve their countries in a new capacity and that their prowess and skills could make a difference.

The few who opposed their participation said women are not fit for such operations and should not be involved in dangerous or risky actions. After Major Mariam Al-Mansouri, the first female fighter pilot from the United Arab Emirates, Al-Anood Al-Abdali has become the second woman from the Gulf region to attract outstanding attention.

Known on social media as ‘Lady Liberty’ and ‘DAESH’s Nightmare’, Major Mariam Al-Mansouri made international headlines for her airstrikes against the DAESH terrorist group in Syria and Yemen from the cockpit of an F-16 jet. Both Mariam and Al-Anood had spent years waiting for the opportunity to see women being recruited in the armed forces and to realize their dreams.

This news has been read 7295 times!