09/01/2023 14:35 (act. 09/01/2023 17:27)
During an application process in Madrid, participants were harassed. © Symbol photo: APA; Canvas
In Spain, several women were harassed during a job interview at an airline.
Around 60 women and three men applied to the Meccti company for a position as flight attendants. In November 2022 they were invited for an interview at a hotel in Madrid.
“You have a body like a rollercoaster”
They were looking for flight attendants for Kuwait Airways. The conversation with the men was already over after a few minutes. The reason: the airline would not hire foreign flight attendants. Conversation with women also ended very unpleasantly. One candidate was rejected even though she spoke fluent English – on the grounds that she was too old! The woman was only 37 years old. Another woman was sent home despite speaking seven languages - the reason: a small scar on her eyebrow. Another woman had a mole on her face. Explanations such as “we don’t like her smile” or “her body is like a roller coaster” would have been used.
Women were forced to wear only their underwear.
Spanish online outlet “El Diario” reported wild scenes during the submission process. The women who remained were summoned into a room one by one. “The first girl came out crying and told us that she was forced to take off almost all her clothes, except for her panties. It was her first interview. The others came out and said the same thing”, a candidate told El Diario “, told.
“She pulled the dress down to my panties”
In addition, women would have been asked to lift their dress. “I pulled it up a little bit, just below my knees, and it pulled down to my underwear,” continued one candidate. Women also had to pull their tops down to their waists. Supposedly to see if there were any scars, birthmarks or tattoos underneath. A degrading process for applicants. “El Diario” asked for a statement from Meccti, but received none.