This is the thrid instalment in our series of seven feature stories published in the framework of the International Women’s Day to highlight women who have succeeded in breaking stereotypes in their community also through their participation in ENI CBC Med funded projects.

Since the beginning, Amira was looking for challenge

Amira Shawky is a 47-year-old Egyptian woman. She is the CEO of L.I.O.N.S (Logistics International Outsourcing Networking Services) in the city of Alexandria. She is a member of the administrative board of the international transport and logistics department of the Chamber of Commerce of Alexandria and head of the training and traineeship department. She is a lecturer at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport and also a consultant for a number of companies. She has been working in this field for 26 years. She studied accounting and started her career in a bank. She soon found out that she needed something more challenging in her professional life. She saw that most of the people working in the sector of international transport and logistics were men and she thought, why not trying so she moved to this sector. 

Her second challenge was to be more prepared to work in this field, so she studied hard and got a diploma and then a master’s degree in marketing and freight forwarding. She received the best mark. She is about to finish her PhD in supply chain and marketing. She believes in skills and quality of education in order to climb the ladder of success. In her company, there are 8 women and 4 men. 


Amira working in the field

Working in the field is probably the most striking stereotype she breaks

In the logistics sector, there are both office tasks and field work. A woman doing office tasks is totally fine but starting to go to the port and follow up the operations is breaking a stereotype in Egypt. In the port, there is an internal regulation not allowing women to enter the port facilities after 5 p.m. for security reasons.

Ports are usually located in remoted areas and therefore it is not safe for women, Amira says. Once, she had to go to an electrical station located in Aswan (in the south of Egypt, in a remote and desert area) and she could not go alone as this is not accepted by the Egyptian society. Her father came with her so she could do the work.

Twice, Amira emphasized on the fact that above all we are human regardless our gender and this should not prevent us from doing our jobs. What matters is the will of the person to develop his/her work and life. However, she also believes that women cannot do all types of work such as dockers which require more physical strength while women are more patient and multitasking, two qualities highly appreciated in this sector. To reach management position, she believes that we should work smart and not work based on the strength. 

The age is a barrier

When asking her about the barriers she had to face during her career, she remembers the fact of being young at the beginning would make her life harder as men colleagues would not take her seriously. She also experienced this when she became the head of a team whose members were older than her. 

What has changed in a generation?

Compared to 25 years ago, there are more and more sectors opened to women and women holding management positions in Egypt. Girls nowadays seem hungrier for success. They want to be someone and not anyone. 

Angela Merkel is a role model

Amira sees in Angela Merkel a model in the way she led Germany and influenced the EU and the world. She never took advantage of her position and everything she achieved was thanks to her efforts and hardworking. Her actions are much bigger than her words. 

The YEP MED project and how she sets an example for the new generation

Amira is involved in the YEP MED project which deals with youth employment. This project trains young people in the international trade and logistics in the port sector. The project works with port authorities, training centres and companies of this sector. Amira represents a real example of success for young women who want to start their career in this field.