Anabtawi: Jordanian women success in tourism's professions

The Jordanian tourist guide, Maha Anabtawi, managed to overcome societal difficulties and continue her career to be one of the top nine women in this area.

Anabtawi, who joined the profession of tourist guiding since 1994, has four sons, was elected for a four-times as a member of an administrative body in the tour guides association, but she was unlucky in the elections for the presidency of the association.

She believes that the reason for her loss the lack of acceptance by her male colleagues to be led by a woman. In addition, she works with approval of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities as a lecturer in the Faculty of Ammon hotel to give lectures related to the skills and techniques of the profession since 2010.

Anabtawi said, in an interview with Arabs Today, that the difficulties faced by the Jordanian Women are societal problems that the Jordanian society is a conservative society, in addition to the culture of shame and lack of conviction of families in this profession for girls. In addition, marriage and family responsibilities make girls leave this profession because the tourist guide needs often several days to accompany the tourist delegations.

According to Anabtawi, there are many Jordanian women are employed in the tourism sector and have proven their success, there are women possess tourist and travel offices, there are ladies contribute in organizing exhibitions and conferences inside and outside Jordan, in addition to employees in senior grades in the Ministry of Tourism and the Tourism Promotion Authority. 

She refers that the political will in Jordan towards looking for appointing women in advanced positions in the field, pointing out that the state appointed more than minister from the jordanian women as minister of tourism, most recently, Minister of Tourism ,Lina Enab.

Anabtawi indicated the existence of 20 female tourist guides in Jordan of the total 1100 tourist guide, pointing out that they speak English, French, Indonesian, Spanish and Russian.