Egypt honors mother who dressed as man for 43 years to provide for family | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Wednesday 18 March 2015

Egypt honors mother who dressed as man for 43 years to provide for family

A 64yr old widowed Egyptian woman, Abu Daooh (yeah, that's a woman pictured above) has been honored by a Local government in Egypt with the 'woman breadwinner' award after it was discovered she disguised as a man for 43 years so she could operate as a shoemaker and fend for her family.

Daooh lost her husband 43 years ago while she was pregnant with her only child, a girl. She said she decided to disguise because her community frowned at women who work. Daooh who wore a “jilbab” and a male hat known as a “Taqiyah” and black masculine shoes around, said she decided to disguise as a man so she could work and earn a decent living rather than beg on the streets.
"I preferred working in hard labor like lifting bricks and cement bags and cleaning shoes to begging in the streets in order to earn a living for myself and for my daughter and her children. So as to protect myself from men and the harshness of their looks and being targeted by them due to traditions, I decided to be a man … and dressed in their clothes and worked alongside them in other villages where no one knows me.”she said
She said she had at some point stopped working and married off her daughter to a man but that the man took ill and she had to continue working so she could fend for her daughter and grandchildren.

103 comments:

AbokiDaWarriBoy said...

Omg..... mum is d best gift ever,

Anonymous said...

Ma sha Allah


meenah_wakil on instagram

AbokiDaWarriBoy said...

Awww I am really touched, #ShoutOutToAllTheGoodMotthersOutThere

APPLE said...

WOW! Great woman. This Arabs and their culture. I thank God for Nigeria.

Anonymous said...

SHE RILI LUK LYK A MAN....TOMJERRYSWIT

BONARIO NNAGS said...

Awww! So thoughtful of them.

~BONARIO~says so via NOKIA LUMIA

kace said...

Ehyaaaaa* ur indeed a MOTHER

www.glowyshoe.com said...

Awwww the heart of a mother..this is a lessons to us..its better to work with ur your hand#teamindependent

www.glowyshoe.blogspot.com

chikaezez.blogspot.com said...

may God bless her hustle.

Anonymous said...

"the man took ill and u had to fend for your daughter and grand children".. Na talk be dat.. Ur daughter no fit work while u stay @ home with ur grand kids, anyways dats Egypt, I trust naija women..

juli peterson said...

chia! women dey suffer o... wat a strong woman.

Unknown said...

Awwww !!! A mother's love..may God continue to strengthen her..

Anonymous said...

WOW WHAT A GREAT WOMAN WITH A GREAT VIRTUE.

ary said...

She must not have had big bosoms cos it would have being hard to cover up! But her bravery should not be looked down on and that award is well deserved.

ary said...

She must not have had big bosoms cos it would have being hard to cover up! But her bravery should not be looked down on and that award is well deserved.

Unknown said...

awwwwwww...She deserve d award and even more.......What a brave heart.....May God in His own way lift her up above poverty......










Moye says so via BB Passport...Courtesy LIB....

Anonymous said...

What a great woman with a great Virtue

MADE IN NIGERIA said...

Awwwww....chai!!! Can u imagine??? So inspiring.

Anonymous said...

What a great woman with a great Virtue

Unknown said...

Well deserved, I admire her courage. Not many women can do what she did. Linda take note!

Unknown said...

Well deserved, I admire her courage. Not many women can do what she did. Linda take note!

Unknown said...

Well deserved, I admire her courage. Not many women can do what she did. Linda take note!

Unknown said...

Well deserved, I admire her courage. Not many women can do what she did. Linda take note!

Unknown said...

that is what i call a hard working woman. God has finally bless her hustle

Peejay said...

Wow! Mother of the year award. She deserves to be on the cover of TIME magazine.

Unknown said...

The things a good mother would do for her children. ----C21

Davido's driver said...

Oh wow! Lindaobserve

OSINANL said...

Supermom...

Anonymous said...

There is dignity in hard work. Brave woman who does not want to be a burden to other people. Indeed, she deserve the honour. This is a lesson to others who would prefer to
to be beggers. Bravo!

Tri. said...

Such stories are an inspiration to me. Phenomenal woman.

Chuks Bruno said...

an epitome of a virtues woman

Anonymous said...

Your labor was not in vain, God has remembered you. Good woman.

Lifematters-Mattersoflife(PEOPLE AND SOCIETY) said...

If she were in Lagos or Ibadan, she will be begging by luxurious and interstate buses, Hardworker,more power to your elbow mama

Carina Kikelomo Jacob said...

Wow! Good. So proud when women work hard to fend for themselves. I'm female and gratified to be one.

Carina Kikelomo Jacob said...

Wow! Good. So proud when women work hard to fend for themselves. I'm female and gratified to be one.

Unknown said...

Wow! God bless her abundantly and she wil reap d fruits of her wrk. Thumbs up to her and more power to her elbows.

Unknown said...

Wow!!!!!!

Unknown said...

God bless mothers.

Trish Baby said...

Wow, she truly deserves the award. Such a hard worker and an example of a homemaker. May God bless and keep her to reap the fruits of her labour.

Unknown said...

Things mothers do to keep the family going

Unknown said...

so what in Gods name has the daughter been doing?

SMURF said...

Or she is living as a crossed dresser or identifies more as a man than a woman!! This is 2015 sha

Oskirin said...

infact,she should b given an international award...like Mo ibrahim n co....

Unknown said...

Wow.....i love the spirit

Davido's driver said...

And the ones that are witches?

Unknown said...

Chai!!!
She try jare
She deserves it

Unknown said...

Love the spirit.....

DADDYSWIFE said...

Chai.wht a sweet mother, women r born great!!am so proud to b a mother
#nothankyoui'llratherbeselfmade

Anonymous said...

Reminds me of the novel fortune is a woman

Unknown said...

Chai, she really deserves that award

Unknown said...

She really deserves the honor

Unknown said...

She really deserves the honor

Unknown said...

omg, this is rare

Unknown said...

God bless our mothers.


OKORO UPGRADED**

Ogechi@ afakos@yahoo.com said...

Great woman indeed. She is brave and deserves the award. Congrats ma.I hail.

Anonymous said...

Nigeria is becoming a full blown islamic state. Wit thes muslim South west and north dat feel nigeria is their birthright

Unknown said...

Dude jst develop a soft spot 4 this GENIUS Woman.

Anonymous said...

My mother would have done just that or anything even more that this to put food on the table! RIP mum! Your family misses you so bad!

yawanow said...

a honor well deserved..

Deviant said...

A mother is mankind's best unappreciated gift

Anonymous said...

Ode!

Anonymous said...

Exactly my tots. Watyn do her dota hand wey she no fit work?

Subomi said...

I don't get it.. women cant work in Egypt?

Julie Mama said...

Kudos to d good mothers

Olaide Davies. said...

Supermom indeed. God bless her and her family.

Olaide Davies. said...

Virtuous woman.

Unknown said...

Lol. Someone must see the opposite .You cracked me up!

Unknown said...

@Iwkwd_naija -follow on Instagram u are a big fool men too can be witches haven't u heard of some who kill their children. If my mum is a witch but provides for me I will love her and not call her/ anybody call her witch na man dey make women turn to witch

Unknown said...

Wow...I love this woman, she's just too much.

Tsafe said...

OMG! No love like a mother's. God bless all the good moms out there.

Me said...

Guess u didn't read the write up well. Women are not allowed to work in Egypt. Hence her disguising as a man

Unknown said...

May God strengthen her. More grease to her elbow

Anonymous said...

Egypt honors her for treating women like second class citizens? It should be ashamed of itself.

mzmaris said...

Dumbass read d post again....lemme break it down for you."They frown on women working"...by "they" I mean Egypt b4 u change that one too......so she lsacrificed" herself for her daughter and grand kids......that means...she did the unthinkable so her daughter wouldn't....because u never know what can happen if a woman is caught doing exactly what she did.......understood?.....if not,...well na u know

Unknown said...

She's masculine tho, dats mothers love dat can never b compare wt any oda love, d only original n genuine love in d life of children. Blessed r we mothers. #amsoblessed2bateamwomanblessedmotherngr8wife#

Unknown said...

Wow, awesome mum

Unknown said...

Awwwwwwww! What a great mother....I aadmire her courage. She really deserves the honor

Anonymous said...

Oh my!!! What's wrong with her children and husband? 43years? Weren't they old enough and ashamed of themselves. Anyways, she deserves to be honoured.

Anonymous said...

Block head, didn't u read "women r not meant to work" I wonder if sum lib readers read b4 commenting...

Chop Chop said...

Sweet mother. .

pearls said...

U no dey udastnd simpl sentence. Her dauta canot wrk bcoz dey Dnt allow women to wrk.

Vero O. said...

She deserve the award. She is a brave woman, God bless her.

Unknown said...

Wow!

Unknown said...

she deserves more awards. this is a real virtuous woman!

Reina said...

So u didn't read the entire thing...oshi

Amy said...

Very honorable. Well deserved award.

miz bonita said...

wow a mothers love, cant be bought with the finest rubies cos it is priceless.

Unknown said...

low key transgender......

Unknown said...

low key transgender......

Unknown said...

low key transgender......

Anonymous said...

Anon 2.07 can't you just read the story and stop saying rubbish

Anonymous said...

YOU are the problem with Nigeria. Read you cannot read and you'll join them to laugh at Patience. Smh

Unknown said...

Awww... A mother indeed! God bless her beyond this honoor.

Anonymous said...

You have an habit of "stalking" Bonario recently and commenting on his post.... Bonario is taken... Lol.

Elodie O. Mbape said...

Bravo madam. A mother's love is unconditional.

ifechukwu said...

Wonderful woman. God bless her. She's strong

Unknown said...

God bless our mothers all over the world who put us first before themselves

Buhari 2015 said...

Loooollll. Afi low key transgender

Unknown said...

She's a super woman, mothers are priceless...

Juleslouis said...

Wow! Honour well deserved.

Anonymous said...

Lol, problem with people, they dont read and end up judging with their smelling mouth . anonymous 2:07 u be mumu iti bori bo.....

Hefner said...

And people will say they engage in vices for what again? Unemployment, bad govt, social or cultural hindrances? Abeg. Hustle well and one day, god will bless u.

Unknown said...

What a strong woman. God has blessed your hustle.....weldone

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