“Somehow, when you’re a girl that’s living by herself, everyone knows. People take liberties that they shouldn’t be taking,” says 24-year old Marwa Khaled.* Khaled is not the only woman in Egypt who decided to move out of her childhood home, in the hopes of building a life for herself and pursuing her dreams. The semblance of independence that comes with moving out is accompanied by the trials and tribulations of navigating life as a single woman in Egypt. The issue with independence is that it often translates to defiance of societal expectations and cultural norms. Khaled, who moved to Cairo to pursue her Bachelor’s degree, tells Egyptian Streets that she was warned, before her move, about mentioning that she was living by herself, both for her security and for the cultural associations. She explains that when people find out that a woman is living on her own, their perception of her changes, assuming corrupt morals. Bags Packed: Ready to Leave Although living independently is not a common practice in Egypt for men or women, women are more marginalized due to cultural stigmas. The only realm that leaves room for…
