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.

Like many girls who accompany their fathers to the workplace, Kholy used to go with her father to his auto repair shop after school. "The first time I entered an auto workshop was 10 years ago. I was just 11 years old. At first, I merely wanted to see and observe how my father was fixing cars. But, after accompanying him on a daily basis, I have discovered myself, my genuine passion for car maintenance. Since then, I have decided to turn my passion into a career," said Kholy, who has a commercial secondary school certificate.

Luckily, Kholy's family, particularly her father, supported her decision and showed her the ropes of the profession. "I was learning something new every day. My father taught me how to accurately detect and diagnose car faults. I started practically fixing cars four years ago," she said.