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How this Egyptian woman overcame roadblocks to become a mechanic

Can Luxor-based auto mechanic Lekaa El Kholy help fix the status of women in Egyptian society?
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Despite living in the highly conservative society of Upper Egypt, Lekaa El Kholy has managed to shatter social norms, making her way into an unconventional and male-dominated career — car maintenance. Being the first female auto mechanic in Upper Egypt, Kholy has blazed the trail for Egyptian women, smashing the myth of traditional female jobs.

Actually, Egyptian females who have pursued and succeeded in unusual jobs are increasing in number. Nowadays, there are female police officers, bodyguards, pilots, taxi drivers and mechanics — the list goes on. They have managed to enter taboo career fields, proving that both genders are equally suitable to perform any job. Fixing cars in Upper Egypt, for instance, used to be solely a man's job until the Luxor-based Kholy, who is in her early twenties, broke the taboo.

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