- Marwa Elselehdar is Egypt’s first ship captain.
- Online rumors and fake news headlines blamed her for Ever Given’s punishment, she told the BBC.
- Elselehdar was actually 320 kilometers away from the incident when it occurred.
- See more stories on the Insider business page.
Egypt’s first ship captain was guilty of blocking the Suez Canal, despite being hundreds of kilometers away from the incident, she told BBC News.
Marwa Elselehdar said she saw rumors online accusing her of being responsible for the grounding of the container ship Ever Given, the media reported.
At the time of the congestion, Elselehdar worked as a mate on Aida IV. This ship was in Alexandria – more than 200 miles away from the crash site.
An investigation is underway to explain Ever Given’s rationale, but it is clear that the 29-year-old was not to blame.
Read More: The 4 biggest losers of the Suez Canal fiasco – and 4 amazing winners
Rumors circulating online about Elselehdar’s alleged culpability have been exacerbated by sharing images of fake news headlines, BBC News reported.
Several social media accounts have also gone through it and spread false allegations placing the blame on it, the media said.
“I felt I could be the target perhaps because I am a successful woman in this field or because I am an Egyptian, but I am not sure,” Elselehdar told the BBC.
The young woman described how she was “shocked” when she first saw the baseless accusations on her phone.
The rumors worried her. “I tried so hard to deny what was in the article because it was affecting my reputation and all my efforts to be where I am now,” she said in an interview with the BBC.
Elselehdar is one of the few women in the naval industry heavily dominated by men.
In 2016, she became the first Egyptian captain to cross the Suez Canal. A year later, she was honored by the President of Egypt during the Women’s Day celebrations in Egypt, the BBC said.
She hopes that her career, despite this unfortunate setback, will inspire other women to enter the industry.
“My message to women who want to be in the maritime field is to fight for what you love and not to allow any negativity to affect you,” she told the BBC.