More women apply for job with Brussels fire brigade

The latest recruitment campaign by the Brussels fire brigade reeled in 409 applications from women, an increase of about 62% since the last recruitment campaign in 2012, which resulted in 252 female candidates, writes Bruzz. "We are pleased that our efforts to promote diversity within the fire service are paying off,” spokesperson Malika Abbad told the news website. “But there's still a lot of room for improvement.”

In total, about 3,809 candidates responded to the last recruitment campaign launched by the Brussels fire brigade. Four years later, that number rose to 4,250 candidates, an increase of about 12%.

The number of female candidates rose sharply in the same period, thanks in part to a number of targeted promotional campaigns, including a meet-and-greet for women interested in learning more about becoming a firefighter in the capital.

In spite of the noticeable positive trend compared to four years ago, the number of female candidates still only represents about one-tenth of the total number of applicants. At present there are eight female firefighters active in Brussels, in a corps of about 1,000 workers. "But we will certainly not rest on our laurels," Abbad assures.