"British Council workers, including two female teachers, spent 5 hours in a safe room" (BBC)

[TotallyUnheardOf]

I had to do a long journey yesterday, in the course of which I heard the Radio 4 news several times over. Every time, the report on the attack on the British Council in Kabul used the sentence in the thread title.

My question: Why is it relevant that two of the teachers were female?

[AliceWyrld]

Cos they're feeble and weak and need protecting, and all women need reminding of the danger that awaits them should they step outside of the home?

[SpeedyGonzalez]

It's because wimmin don't have the brains to be teachers so these two are exceptional and worthy of special mention.

[Malificence]

Erm, because it makes a good meeja story for the gullible masses?
Brave ex-Gurkhas ( which theyreally are - you wouldn't want anyone else protecting you in a situation like that) courageously defending the honour of two British women.
It's like when they go gaga over female bomb disposal personell, despite the fact that there have been women armourers and bomb disposal experts for donkeys years, my DH's first boss in the RAF was one back in 1985, but of course she had to be twice as good as a male equivalent.