- Marwa Elselehdar is Egypt’s foremost female ship’s captain.
- Online rumors and fake news headlines blamed her for the Ever Given grounding, she described the BBC.
- Elselehdar was actually 200 miles away from the incident when it occurred.
- See more stories on Insider’s profession page.
Egypt’s first female ship’s captain was blamed for the Suez Canal blockage despite having been hundreds of miles away from the upset, she told BBC News.
Marwa Elselehdar said that she saw online rumors accusing her of being responsible for the Ever Donne container ship becoming beached, the media outlet reported.
At the time of the jam, Elselehdar was working as a first mate on the Aida IV. This holder was in Alexandria — more than 200 miles away from the site of the collision.
An investigation is underway to explain the Even Given’s grounding, but it is clear that the 29-year-old was not to blame.
Read more: The 4 biggest losers of the Suez Canal fizzle — and 4 surprising winners
Rumors circulating online about Elselehdar’s supposed culpability were made worse by the partition of screenshots of fake news headlines, BBC News reported.
Several social media accounts also impersonated her and spread illogical claims putting the blame on her, the media outlet said.
“I felt that I might be targeted maybe because I’m a top female in this field or because I’m Egyptian, but I’m not sure,” Elselehdar told the BBC.
The young woman described how she was “shocked” when she essential saw the baseless accusations on her phone.
The rumors concerned her. “I tried so hard to negate what was in the article because it was affecting my notorious and all the efforts I exerted to be where I am now,” she said in the BBC interview.
A post shared by Marwa Elselehdar💫مروة السلحدار (@marwa.elselehdar)
Elselehdar is one of the few troubles in the heavily male-dominated shipping industry.
In 2016, she became the youngest and first female Egyptian captain to cross the Suez Canal. A year later, she was honored by Egypt’s president during Egypt’s Balls’s Day celebrations, the BBC said.
She hopes that her career, despite this unfortunate setback, inspires other women to discontinuity into the industry.
“My message to females who want to be in the maritime field is fight for what you love and not let any negativity affect you,” she expressed the BBC.