- Title: Girls fight fires and stereotypes in female dominated Polish village
- Date: 13th August 2019
- Summary: MIEJSCE ODRZANSKIE, POLAND (AUGUST 10, 2019) (REUTERS) YOUNG GIRL FIREFIGHTERS STANDING IN LINE GROUP TURNING AROUND ON ORDER AND WALKING AWAY GIRLS WALKING TOWARDS FIRE STATION GIRLS PUTTING ON HELMETS AND FIREFIGHTING GEAR GIRLS GETTING INTO FIRE TRUCK FIRE TRUCK DRIVING GIRLS TAKING STRETCHER OFF FIRE TRUCK GIRLS WALKING WITH STRETCHER GIRLS PREPARING STRETCHER GIRLS GATHERED AROUND STRETCHER WITH HUMAN DUMMY ON IT, YOUNGER PEOPLE IN GROUP TRAINING ON TEDDY BEAR VARIOUS OF GIRLS PERFORMING CPR ON EMERGENCY TRAINING MANNEQUIN GIRLS PRACTISING FIRST AID ON TEDDY BEAR (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) FIREFIGHTER, OLIWIA FILIPCZAK, SAYING: "There are no boys, so the women need to do the job". (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) FIREFIGHTER, KAROLINA KIRCHNIAWY, SAYING: "We normally do rescue operations, putting out fires, helping out with various accidents. If there are storms, we also try to help." VARIOUS OF GIRLS PRACTISING PUTTING OUT FIRE GIRLS CARRYING STRETCHER WITH PERSON ON IT (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) FIREFIGHTER, SABINA BLAMA, SAYING (ASKED DOES SHE DREAM OF BEING MARRIED?): "One of my dreams is, of course, having a husband, but our main dream is to get a new fire engine because this one is forty-four years old. We care for it as much as we can but we are afraid that one day we will be called to action and the car will simply prevent us from doing it." VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS INSIDE FIRE TRUCK DRIVING THROUGH VILLAGE STEERING WHEEL (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) CHIEF OF VOLUNTARY FIRE BRIGADE IN MIEJSCE ODRZANSKIE, TOMASZ GOLASZ, SAYING: "I am very proud of the women who are in my fire department. They are really determined people who put a lot of heart into what they do. And it bears fruits. The fact that we can be on alert, we help our residents and these are, of course, the most important things." (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) TWO-YEAR-OLD FIREFIGHTER IN TRAINING, MAJA GOLASZ, SAYING: "(My name is) Maja (I am) two years old." TWO-YEAR-OLD FIREFIGHTER IN TRAINING, MAJA GOLASZ, WALKING HOME WITH HER SISTER AND FRIEND MAJA AND HER MOTHER, ALDONA GOLASZ, WALKING AT HOME MAJA LOOKING AS HER MOTHER SETS UP TABLE ALDONA GOLASZ SETTING UP TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) MOTHER OF TWO GIRL FIREFIGHTERS, ALDONA GOLASZ, SAYING: "My father was a fireman, my husband is a fireman, so my daughters can be as well." TRACTOR PASSING BY VILLAGE ENTRANCE SIGN TRACTOR DRIVING THROUGH FIELD (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) MAYOR OF CISEK VILLAGE, RAJMUND FRISCHKO, SAYING: "I thought it would be a very nice surprise when I offer (a prize) to the parents of the first boy who will be born here, after nine years (of not having a boy being born in the village) and that will incentivise parents in this village". VARIOUS OF POLISH FLAG WAVING OUTSIDE FIRE STATION
- Embargoed: 27th August 2019 18:02
- Keywords: fire fighting girls fire brigade stereotypes girls train to be fire fighters girls feminism gender Polish village all women
- Location: MIEJSCE ODRZANSKIE, POLAND
- City: MIEJSCE ODRZANSKIE, POLAND
- Country: Poland
- Topics: Living / Lifestyle,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001AS6VBYX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A trainee volunteer fire brigade in Miejsce Odrzanskie Village is made up of only girls. This is not uncommon in the Southern Polish village which is experiencing a demographic mystery - no boys have been born there in almost a decade.
With women greatly outnumbering men, the village's females are being trained at young ages to do what are traditionally perceived as male roles in Poland.
Maja Golasz is the youngest member of the fire fighting team at just two and a half years old. Her mother, Aldona Golasz told Reuters her father and husband both fought fires for a living and so would her daughter.
During their training drills, the girls learn how to fight fires and perform first aid - often using teddy bears as their props.
"There are no boys, so the women need to do the job," said volunteer firefighter Oliwia Filipczak.
The village has less than 300 residents and no boys have been born there since 2010, according to county mayor Rajmund Frischko. He is now offering a prize to parents who have a son.
The girls, however, aren't letting the lack of men stand in their way of achieving their goals - "One of my dreams is, of course, getting a husband, but our main dream is to get a new fire engine," said teenage volunteer firefighter Sabina Blama.
(Production: Janusz Chmielewski, Malgorzata Wojtunik, Louisa Naks) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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