Egypt at work

Woman of the month

Woman of the month: Sohair Heikal
June 2010
Sohair Heikal, 50 yrs old, has been working as a barber ever since she was 16. Sohair, who works at one of Cairo’s down town oldest barber shops, is the first woman in Egypt to work in this profession that is traditionally only taken by men. more
Woman of the Month: Selima El Gabaly
May 2010
Selima Gabaly Awad, is the owner of Fan Sina Bedouin Handicrafts in Saint Catherine. Selima started her project 11 years ago, with the establishment of the St. Catherine national park, to preserve the heritage of Sinai and to provide a source of income for poor bedouin women. more
Woman of the Month: Niveen, 30 years, is a driving instructor
April 2010
Niveen, 30, works as a driving instructor. Niveen started this job eight years ago by coincidence, when her manager in the driving school that she worked in asked her whether she would be interested to instruct women. more
Woman of the Month: Rokaya Farouk, 50 years, is Running for Mayor
March 2010
Rokaya Farouk Abdel Sattar, 50 yrs, is the first woman to run for mayor in the delta region and also the second woman to run for the post of mayor in Egypt. “For the first time in its history due to administrative changes, El Sorsok village will have a mayor” says Rokaya who has the support of her family and most members of her community. “ more
Von Marwa Abdelfattah
Woman of the month: Hebba Bakri - Business woman and hotel owner in Cairo
February 2010
Hebba Bakri is the owner of the hotel Longchamps, a three star hotel in Cairo, which was originally built by her parents in 1953. In 1992, after spending nearly twenty years in Europe, Hebba returned to Egypt, and armed with a thorough knowledge and experience of the hotel industry, she took charge of her parents’ old hotel, and started rebuilding it almost from scratch. more
Von Marwa Abdelfattah
Woman of the month: Dina, a freelance contractor in Cairo
December 2009
Dina, 27, is a freelance contractor. Dina started working in construction ever since she was 23, when she asked her father to allow her to construct a three floor residential building on a piece of land that he owned ,but never had the time to invest. more
Von Marwa Abdelfattah
Woman of the month: Hanan, car-parking attendant in Cairo
November 2009
Hanan is a car-parking attendant, age 37; she took the job after her grandmother died. She is satisfied with her life because she is an independent woman. more
Woman of the month: Om Walid, cab driver in Cairo
October 2009
Om Walid has been a cab driver for over 30 years and expects to follow this career to “the last day of my life?. more
Woman of the month: Om Bassem, plumber in Cairo
August - September 2009
Om Bassem is a successful plumber. At over 50, she has established an enviable reputation and, in the face of considerable derision from her male counterparts and astonishment from clients, she now runs a successful business more