#AppreciationMonday: Carol Ofori cheers on a female car mechanic in the Middle East!
In a country where female car mechanics are rarely seen, Huda al-Matroushi, an Emirati, owns her own car repair shop - and loves it!
Huda al-Matroushi, an Emirati from Sharjah (one of the seven emirates in the United Arab Emirates), says that she has been passionate about cars since she was a child.
In an industry that is predominantly male, Huda says that she enjoys it and feels like she belongs. According to an article on Autoblog, Huda said: "I like cars and their models and their details. I like sports cars, I like luxurious cars, even normal non-luxurious cars, I love them all."
Her story leaves us feeling invigorated and grateful, that women can take a stand for what they want, even if they come from a world that tells them what they can and cannot do.
Huda spoke about how her family was nervous about her taking on a job in car mechanics, but she pushed on and asked her dad to "take a leap of faith with her."
"I said: 'Dad, please trust me and you will see what I will do.' He said: 'OK, OK!'. Most of my family are surprised ... because this project, this business, it's not easy for ladies," she said.
Well, someone once told us that when you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. We take that to mean that passion outweighs everything.
Read more: "Lockdown took me from panicked to mechanic"
We would like to dedicate this #AppreciationMonday to Huda al-Matroushi and her conviction in doing what she loves regardless of her circumstances.
Carol Ofori shared some words of wisdom: "It’s nice to see women taking up space. We can do so much when we break the mould.”
The article also revealed some inspiring news for gender equality, "The UAE stipulates under new legislation that came into effect last month that UAE-based companies must have at least one woman on their board of directors." It may not be where it should be, but it's a step in a better direction.
Image Courtesy of iStock.