Egyptian grandmothers raise the slogan “Retirement ignites the flame of life”
While some women see that life is almost over with reaching retirement age, getting their children married, and obtaining the title of “grandmother,” Egyptian women discover themselves after reaching retirement age and devoting themselves to their lives away from the pressures of routine life.
Recently, elderly Egyptian women were able to win awards, certificates of honor, and sports medals after the age of eighty due to movement, determination, and will. This prompted the social media audience and the local and Arab media to celebrate their journey and remarkable success.
The most recent of these examples was Egyptian swimmer Nagwa Ghorab (81 years old), who won the silver medal in the 50-meter Masters race at the World Aquatics Championships, which was held in Qatar a few days ago, and for her excellence and determination to practice sports. The World Health Organization (WHO) chose her as a Goodwill Ambassador for the Middle East.
Egyptian swimmer Najwa Ghorab wins the silver medal at the World Aquatics Championships in Qatar 2024 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Najwa Ghorab told Asharq Al-Awsat: “I was surprised that I was chosen as an ambassador for the World Health Organization at the age of eighty, and when they called me I thought they were selling a commodity, and I told them I did not want to buy anything, and when they addressed me on WhatsApp and told me that I had been chosen as their ambassador, I cried.”
Egyptian swimming refused to let age be an obstacle for a person to practice sports, and gave advice to everyone who is getting older: “Do not stop moving and being active, as they are the secret of health and the key to life.”
The field of swimming witnessed the brilliance of Egyptian swimmer Suheir Al-Attar (79 years old), who won 5 medals at the World Aquatics Championships in Qatar in the 100-meter backstroke race for the Masters.
Al-Attar, who worked as a doctor all her life and reached the position of department head at the university, decided to return to what she loved, which was sports.
Suhair believed that “age is just a number, and as long as I am able to do something, I do not put age as an obstacle,” stressing the importance of “having determination, will, and organizing time to achieve what we want and hope for.”
Egyptian champion Soheir Al-Attar at the World Aquatics Championships in Qatar (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The advice that the world champion gave to everyone is to “find something you love and devote your time to doing it.” “If you love anything, you will do it well.”
The number of women in Egypt is about 48.5 million out of a total population of 104 million, with a population ratio of 106 males for every 100 females, according to official statistics issued in March 2023, and the percentage of women obtaining ministerial positions reached 24 percent in 2021.
From sports to literature, the journalist Afaf Tabala, the first president of the Nile Drama Channel, presented an inspiring model after retiring from her work on Egyptian television in 2001. She turned to writing for children.
It may have started with stories she told her grandchildren, but the first story she wrote won major awards and a mention from the “Bologna Children’s Literature Exhibition.” It also won 7 major awards in this field at the level of the Arab world, and was nominated more than once for the “Hans Anderson” International Prize in Literature. Child.
Tabala began writing novels at the age of 81, presenting her first novel for adults, entitled “A Tear on the First Death.” Regarding this experience, she told Asharq Al-Awsat: “I started writing by chance, and I was dreaming that there would be five books bearing my name, but now I have 21 books for children, in addition to a collection of short stories and novels for adults.
Writer Afaf Tabala and her novel “A Tear for the First Death” (the writer’s Facebook page)
She points out the obstacles she may face, explaining: “Although my mental acuity declines with age, I enjoy writing, and I find myself in what I write.”
What is noteworthy is that the last story Tabbala wrote for children was in August 2023, entitled “Two Pictures,” about Egypt’s relationship with Palestine throughout history, and she notes: “Two months later came the Battle of (Al-Aqsa Flood) and the book became at the forefront of all book fairs.”
Last year, Mrs. Amal Ismail (81 years old), the grandmother who lives in Mansoura (Delta Egypt), occupied public opinion in Egypt after she decided to complete her education and obtain a master’s degree in sociology, at the age of eighty, and she was honored by the wife of the Egyptian President, As one of the “inspirational women.”
The National Council for Women in Egypt issued a strategic plan to empower women in 2030, within the framework of achieving sustainable development goals, and the United Nations stated that Egypt is the first country in the world to launch a national strategy in this framework, according to the website of the Egyptian State Information Service.
Journalist and writer Afaf Tabala (Arab Book Forum)
Another inspiring Egyptian role model is Mecca Abdullah Abdul Mawla, the oldest rural pioneer in Egypt. She mentioned that “she used to work in sewing and tailoring clothes, until the people of her town chose her to start a public service project.” She has been involved in community service in Aswan (southern Egypt) since 1984.
“Haja Mecca” is the nickname by which she is famous. She is now over seventy years old, and she has been able to stand out as one of the models whose activity does not get in the way of age. She roams the villages and hamlets, providing services and organizing projects for the people of Aswan.
She was selected for membership in the National Council for Women (the official governmental institution concerned with women’s affairs and issues in Egypt), and was honored by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in 2022.
2024-03-07 15:08:27
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