First Nubian Female Marriage Official “No job for men only”

CAIRO - 05 October 2017: Um Kulthum, 67, is the first Nubian female marriage official.

Neither customs, social constraints, nor her age were an impediment for "Umm Kulthum" to achieve her aspiration and become the first female marriage official in Aswan. The 67-year-old embodies a lesson for every woman who wanted to live in a small society that limited the role of women to domesticity and was able to present a model as the first Nubian woman to take up her duties in the western province of Aswan.



She was the first Senior Instructor appointed to teach religion at the Aswan Educational Administration. After two years, she was able to win her battle and snatch the title of two men applying for the position. "I have tried to win this title after two years of determination and perseverance," said Um Kulthum proudly.





"I submitted my papers to a position on the West Aswan region in 2015, but I was not lucky and faced some routine procedures that hindered my progress, but I insisted on getting prepared and I have reapplied for the post. After I found an announcement on the Internet, I got enthusiastic for the idea, especially after divorce became a phenomenon and spread among newly-married couples, I realized that it will become my duty to help as an authorized marriage official to reduce this phenomenon among the people of my village," said Um Kulthum.

"When I first took the exams, we were about nine people, two women and seven men, who were accepted in the automated tests. The applicants were turned down till they counted three people. One of them was my cousin and the other was a graduate of Al-Azhar University, and it was to my surprise that I won the first title in the province."

Speaking of her family stance towards a male-dominated job, Um Kulthum emphasized, "My husband was so supportive ever since I made up my mind and applied for this job, he gave no ear for criticism and never stood against my ambition, he even helped me to complete papers submission, and I personally was surprised by his happiness after I won the post."

Um Kulthum added that there is more duty and social responsibility to this job function than business given the increasing rates of divorce nowadays. She confirmed that she must try over and over and spare no effort to seek reconciliation between spouses before the completion of divorce proceedings.