Marwa Elselehdar has become the first woman to work as a sea captain in Egypt.
As a little girl, Elselehdar always loved the sea and enjoyed swimming.
She enrolled in the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in Egypt and joined the International Transport and Logistics Department, but she was more drawn to the curriculum that was being taught to her brother in the Department of Maritime Transport and Technology.
The department was limited to men, but she still submitted an application to join and was eventually accepted, becoming the first Egyptian woman to study in this department.
Elselehdar’s brother and mother supported her dream of becoming the first female captain in Egypt. Her father, while more apprehensive because of the difficulties in the field, did not object to her studies. She thus began the formalities to join the department, and her unique request was submitted to the president of the academy for consideration.
The president called for research in maritime law to verify the possibility of issuing a captain’s license to her, since it was the first case of its kind. After making sure that the law did not pose restrictions, examinations began.
Elselehdar passed the physical and medical tests, as well as personal interviews, proving her ability to be in control and manage diverse situations, and she joined the department like any other student.
At the time of the opening ceremony of the new Suez Canal, she applied to register as part of the crew that would lead the AIDA IV in the celebrations. Her request was accepted, and she prepared with her colleagues for the ceremony.
On the day of the ceremony, she led the AIDA IV — the first ship to cross the new shipping route — as the youngest and first Egyptian female captain to cross the Suez Canal.
Elselehdar has been working in the field for 10 years. She explained that the percentage of women in similar maritime positions does not exceed 2 percent worldwide, adding that being the first Egyptian woman in this regard was a great honor for her and noting that many girls followed her example and entered the field after her.
In 2017, Elselehdar was honored on Women’s Day by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
