South Sudan Gale Roseline Khalifa Idris
Even though my job can be challenging, I’m proof that women can have a successful career in mine action.
I usually wake up very early in the morning to travel long distances for the field activities. I conduct quality assurance/inspection on the mine clearance teams to make sure they are doing quality work as per the standards required. The most challenging part of my job is being the only woman among a team of men. Sometimes I have to drive long distances where there is no cellphone coverage. This is even harder during the rainy seasons as it becomes very difficult to reach other locations — sometimes it takes all day to reach a location.
Even though my job can be challenging, I’m proof that women can have a successful career in mine action. My job contributes towards mine eradication and works toward a goal of no victims of landmines. Eventually South Sudan will be free from explosive remnants of war.
We work with the most vulnerable people in insecure and challenging environments — our work in Quality Assurance (QA) is to build hope for the communities affected, which are mostly women and children. Women shouldn’t feel like they can’t do this job, all they need is the right qualifications and skills, and to be able to work in different environments and understand and respect the different cultures and traditions of the communities they work in.
I worked with NMAA for 8 years and I’m proud to see my country a step closer to getting rid of explosive remnants of war and mines. I am happy and extremely proud that I can continue being a part of this journey through CTG.
CTG supports me in many areas, such as facilitating my field trips and duty of care. If there are ever any incidents, accidents, sickness, or emergencies of any kind, CTG is always quick to respond — and they have professionals available to provide moral, emotional, and psychological support should there be a need.