She chose a battle against the constraints of traditions, suspicions and mockery to pursue her dream career in one of many fields still labeled as “a men-only zone” in Egyptian culture. This year, Ingy Abdekarim, 24, became the first woman marine engineer to graduate from the Arab Academy of Science and Technology (AAST) in Egypt. “The idea of a girl in this field freaked many people out and they started doubting my abilities,” Abdelkarim tells Egyptian Streets, as she recalls how she worked her way into what has been a male dominated industry for quite some time. Abdelkarim has faced a multitude of obstacles from the moment she articulated her decision. “The common remark was that I was wasting my time and meant to fail,” she said. Even her father, a captain himself and aware of the challenge, was not very welcoming of the idea and advised her to go to business school instead. “My dad, today, introduces me to the people with a great sparkle in his eye and tells them ‘this is my daughter, the first [woman] marine engineer,’” she says proudly. Abdelkarim’s first step into the marine…
Egypt’s First Woman Marine Engineer Breaks into a ‘Men-Only Industry’
August 20, 2016
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