Marwa Elselehdar, Egypt’s first female captain, accused of blockade of the Suez Canal

Just three days ago, the Arab News newspaper published an article on the career of Marwa Elselehdar, the first female ship captain Egypt; when the huge cargo ship Ever Given ran aground in the Suez Canal. Shortly after, an image began circulating on the networks that left her stunned: it was the news of the Arab newspaper with a title manipulated who blamed him for causing the accident. The same one that blocked one of the main maritime trade routes for ten days.

Twitter and Facebook were filled with messages combining mockery, criticism and machismo, in addition to fake profiles who usurped their identity to spread rumors.

Elselehdar, who at the time of the Suez accident was the ship’s first captain Aida IV, hundreds of kilometers to Alexandria; he was worried.

All the effort put into making a name for herself, securing the longed-for title and making her way as the only woman in an industry dominated male, it could go to hell. The 29-year-old captain feared it would affect her career.

A world of men

Elselehdar, passionate about the sea from a young age, has been in the maritime sector for ten years. Attracted by her brother’s example, she wanted to study maritime transport and technology in Egypt, her native country. Studies were limited to male students, but his application was ultimately accepted.

There were also hurdles when she ran for captain: Being the country’s first female candidate, the academy president wanted to make sure before the law allowed it. There was no limitation.

Elselehdar passed all admission tests and joined the department. “I started my journey as the only woman among 1200 students. I had difficulty adjusting, especially in the first year, but encouragement from those around me and my own ability to believe in my dream helped me overcome these challenges and I graduated in 2013 “, He explained in the interview with Arab News.

After graduating, Elselehdar joined the crew of the ship Aida IV, with the rank of second officer. The vessel, owned by the Egyptian Maritime Safety Authority, is transporting supplies to a lighthouse in the Red Sea. It is also used to train cadets at the Arab Academy of Science, Technology and Navigation, the regional university where the captain studied.

During the Suez Canal Expansion Ceremony, which the then President of Egypt, Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, organized with excellent packaging in 2015; Elselehdar commanded the Aida IV and became the youngest and youngest Egyptian captain the first to cross theto a new navigation route.

Thus, the Ever Donné lie tarnished the accomplishments of a decade in a day. “This bogus article was in English so it spread to other countries,” Elselehdar told the BBC.

“I tried many ways to deny what the article said because it affected my reputation and all my efforts to get to where I am now,” he continues.

However, the news had the opposite effect, and while the scale of the lies was terrible, the support received from colleagues and industry figures had a greater impact.

Plus, it motivated people to talk about her and her career. Elselehdar exchanged his anger at Recognition and that’s what he expressed in a video posted on his Instagram.

Elselehdar does not rule out the idea that he was the target of rumors because it’s a woman. In fact, throughout her career, she has often encountered machismo in an industry historically dominated by men – women represent only 2% of sailors around the world, according to data from the International Maritime Organization – and where in Egypt she is the exception.

Aware of the obstacles she had to overcome, the striped shirt sent a message of empowerment to women a few weeks ago. “Don’t let your past or the opinions of others stop you from pursuing what you really want. You are the captain of your ship, so head in the direction of your dreams,” she wrote on Instagram.

Gina Tosas, the avant-garde