“People in the village would mock me and say, why is she leaving her responsibilities at home to become a teacher? Why is she neglecting both her husband and children?” Ekram Abdel Baset tells Egyptian Streets, “but it was my husband that supported me. We both moved together step by step until we created a secure livelihood for ourselves and our children.” The stories we tell today determines our future tomorrow. Abdel Baset’s story is not just one to be told, but to be shared and documented. Stories that explore how they can break traditions, stereotypes, and create a new narrative on women in Upper Egypt that can be the foundation for other women in the future. Located in the small village of Al Boghdadi in Luxor, Abdel Baset is one of the many of women who have been striving to change the narrative for women, from one that is too focused on their role as mothers and housewives to one that also includes their role in the labor force and transforming society as a whole. In partnership with the World Food Programme and the Ministry of Agriculture, Egypt’s Ministry…
