'I was falsely accused of blocking the Suez Canal': Marwa Elselehdar, Egypt's first female ship captain
Marwa Elselehdar was Egypt's first female ship captain
Last month, Marwa Elselehdar noticed something strange.
Word spread that a huge freighter, Ever Given, had been trapped in the Suez Canal, blocking one of the main shipping routes in the world.
But while checking her phone, she started reading several rumors on the internet that she was to blame for the block.
"I was surprised," says Marwa, who is Egypt's first female ship captain.
Ever Given is now in a safe zone and awaiting investigation
The ship Marwa works on, owned by Egypt's maritime safety authority, carries supplies to a lighthouse in the Red Sea.
It is also used to train cadets at the Arab Academy of Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT), a regional university run by the Arab League.
False rumors
Rumors about Marwa Elselehdar's role in the Ever Given incident were largely fueled by images of a fake headline, allegedly published by the Arab News website, which said she was involved in the Suez incident.
The manipulated image appears to have come from an actual article published by Arab News on March 22, which describes Marwa's success as Egypt's first ship captain. The image has been shared dozens of times on Twitter and Facebook.
Hundreds of Twitter accounts using her name also spread false claims that Marwa was involved in the Ever Given incident.
In an interview with the BBC, Marwa Elselehdar, 29, says she has no idea who was the first to spread the story or why.
"I felt that I was the target of these rumors, perhaps because I am a successful woman in this field or because I am an Egyptian, but I am not sure," she says.
Sexism
This is not the first time that Marwa has faced challenges in an industry historically dominated by men.
Currently, women represent only 2% of the world's sailors, according to data from the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Marwa Elselehdar says she was happy for the support she received after fake news
Marwa says that she has always loved the sea and that it was her brother who inspired her to join the merchant navy after signing up for AASTMT.
Although the academy only accepted men at the time, she signed up anyway and obtained permission to join after a legal review by the then President of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak.
During his studies, Elselehdar said that he has always been a victim of sexism.
"On board, they were all older men with different mindsets. There were no people with whom I could exchange ideas," he says. "It was a challenge to go through this alone without my mental health being affected."
"People in our society still do not accept the idea that women work at sea far from their families for a long time," he adds. "But when you do what you love, you don't have to seek everyone's approval."
Pioneer
After graduation, Marwa rose to the rank of first officer and captain of Aida IV when it became the first ship to sail the Suez Canal after its expansion in 2015.
At that time, she became the youngest Egyptian captain and the first woman to cross that route.
In 2017, she was also honored by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during Women's Day celebrations in Egypt.
When rumors emerged about his role in the Suez blockade, he feared the impact it would have on his work.
"This fake article was in English, so it spread to other countries," says Elselehdar. "I tried in several ways to deny what was in the article because it was affecting my reputation and all the efforts I made to get to where I am now."
Freighter blocking of the Suez canal affected global maritime trade
But now she says she is happy for the support she has received.
"The comments on the article were very negative and harsh, but there were many others of support, both from ordinary people and those I work with," he says. "I decided to focus on all the support and love that I am receiving, and my anger turned to thanks."
"In addition, it is worth mentioning that I have become even more famous than before," she adds.
Egypt's Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean to the Red Sea
Next month, Marwa Elselehdar will take her final exam to reach the full post of captain and hopes to continue to be a role model for women in her area.
"My message to women who want to be in this career is to fight for what they love and not to be affected by negativity," she says.
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