Women excelling in challenging work environments

XIAMEN, March 8 (Xinhua) -- In China, some professions are traditionally dominated by men. However, nowadays more and more women have not only joined in, but are also doing well in such roles.

ALWAYS LOOKING UP

Zhang Zhiduo remembered that her husband had told her to always "look up," no matter whether at work or in life.

The 28-year-old woman from southwest China's Yunnan Province, who is a tower crane operator with China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd, started working in 2020 after graduating from college.

It took her three months to complete the training, and the work is proving more challenging than she initially expected.

Each time Zhang has to climb dozens of meters to get into the operating room. Her first task was to operate at a height of 103 meters.

"I was so scared at the beginning, and my husband, who was behind me, encouraged me the whole time," she recalled. Her husband is also a tower crane operator. "He told me not to look down, but to look up, hold tight and walk up one step after another."

Zhang has always remembered what her husband said: "It was not only for work, but also for life."

In the small operating room, which is only about two square meters in size, the woman has to work for up to 10 hours a day. "I never feel lonely, because I am always too busy to think of anything else," she said.

The tower crane shakes when the wind is strong, and the operating room drops lower when heavy loads are lifted, but Zhang has gotten used to everything.

She noted that compared with male operators, women do offer at least one advantage: they tend to be more careful.

After work, she always makes video calls to chat with her parents. At the beginning, her parents were against her decision to be a tower crane operator because they saw it as "dangerous," but Zhang managed to persuade them to accept her choice.

Her next plan is to learn more about tower crane maintenance.

Zhang believes that she derives a sense of achievement from her work. "When I arrive, a place is just flat ground. But when I leave, tall buildings are standing on that ground. I feel honored to be involved in the process," she said poetically.

DREAMING BIG, FLYING HIGH

Ten years ago, Luo Danyi was fascinated by a TV drama about pilots. Now she has become the heroine she admired on TV.

From Chengdu, capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province, Luo watched the TV drama "Triumph in the Skies" at the age of 12. The TV drama was about the lives and jobs of a group of aviation workers.

"At that time, I felt that the pilots in the TV drama were cool, and I longed to become one of them myself," the 30-year-old recalled.

Her dream took a big step towards reality several years later when she enrolled at the Civil Aviation Flight University of China. There she studied for four years, before becoming a pilot in 2014 with Xiamen Airlines.

"Apart from the basic knowledge, flying skills and the ability to identify and control risks, one also needs to cooperate with other crew members and communicate with dispatchers. At this time, the carefulness and discernment of females can be helpful," said Luo. She also noted that there have been a number of successful female pilots in China.

A new TV drama about female pilots was released late last year, and Luo worked as a consultant for its filming. She saw online that many girls left messages after watching, in which they expressed their wishes to become pilots. "This is awesome," said Luo. "It is a job which you can be proud of, and I hope that their dreams will come true."

She admitted that behind the glamour of the job there is also hardship, as pilots tend to get up early and work until late, while they often work during holidays when other people are enjoying family reunions. "But whenever you fly passengers safely to their destination, and see them walk out of the aircraft, you feel that everything is worthwhile."

Luo remembered that once she had a special task requiring her to take a donated heart, which needed to be transplanted urgently, from Fuzhou in east China to Wuhan in central China.

"I was touched by the donor who, before leaving this world, gave hope to another person who had been waiting in despair," she said emotionally. "As a pilot, I was fortunate to escort this gift of love. This was wonderful."

BE STRONG

Kuang Xiaoyu used to be the only delivery woman at her workplace. Now there are five female delivery persons at that express station.

"The work is hard and some of my colleagues resigned, but I must be strong for my daughter," said the 32-year-old woman, who has been working for the S.F. Holding Co., Ltd. in Xiamen City of east China's Fujian Province for more than five years.

In 2017 when Kuang's daughter was about 4 years old, she wanted to find a part-time job. After being accepted as a delivery woman, however, she decided to work full-time.

Her day normally starts at 6 a.m. On average she handles about 100 packages daily and her work usually ends at 7 p.m.

In the area where she works, many buildings are old and without elevators, which means that sometimes she needs to walk up the stairs carrying packages weighing up to 20 kg.

"At the beginning, I had to rest several times when taking a heavy package to the fifth floor," Kuang recalled. After years of exercise, she can handle it easily now.

In her opinion, compared with males, delivery women are normally more amiable and careful. "The most important job of a delivery person is to serve customers with heart," she said.

"Your sincerity should be felt by the customers," Kuang continued. "Many of the packages to be delivered are needed urgently, and some are very expensive. It is our responsibility to safely take them to where they are supposed to go."

With continuous improvement of the working environment, welfare and social recognition, Kuang has seen more women doing this job, and it is a job which brings her happiness.

"When I complete an urgent delivery and the customer expresses gratitude, I feel so happy, because I know that by doing my job well, I am able to help other people."