Women in Egypt have invaded the workspace: they are everywhere, they are successful, and they often make it to the top of the corporate ladder. However, it happens that a lot of these women are single. Although they may have succeeded professionally, at a certain stage, the boredom does set in, and the need to escape the Egyptian corporate world, as well as escape society, is there. As a result, women at that stage consider leaving Egypt. Women consider leaving Egypt for many reasons, and they all depend on the individual: the financial, social and professional status of each woman. Among these reasons are: to look for another job, looking for better pay, to escape society and its rules and restrictions, to escape the pressures of society on women to get married and, another possible reason, for adventure--to explore the world. The personal status of these women is usually either single or divorced, as married women are naturally tied to the fates of their husbands. The options open for consideration as exits from Egypt are usually the Gulf, specifically Dubai, followed recently by Qatar, and occasionally some women consider Kuwait. This mainly depends on the job opportunities available at the time. Dubai's appeal is mainly because of the liberal society, and the fact that it is filled mostly with expatriates from all over the world. Another popular option for women is immigration either to Canada, the US or Australia. The women choosing to go to the west are usually hesitant to travel to the Gulf in fear of possible bad treatment or harassment of single women, or possible abuse or exploitation of Egyptians in general (whether men or women). The single woman considering leaving Egypt has to consider the repercussions of her decision to travel. To start off with, the benefits of leaving Egypt--and one has to admit there are many, especially in a restrained society with relatively limited career choices. Whether the woman is travelling to the west or to the Gulf, she breaks the chains handcuffing her by society in Egypt. She gains independence, freedom from social rules and the invasion of privacy that the over-protective family and friends impose. The woman also escapes the pressure from marriage, just for the sake of marriage simply to appease those who surround her, and to please her family. Also, by travelling alone and leaving Egypt, the woman has confirmed that she is not conventional, and has deviated from the family norm. As a result, expectations of marriage and children, and the constant reminder of the need to get married, are relatively minimized. Moving on, if one is travelling to the Gulf, usually financial packages are much better than in Egypt, which is a plus one can get from leaving the local corporate jungle in return for better pay. In terms of activities to be done, there is a bigger variety of activities to accommodate all lifestyles. To add to that, one gets to meet people from all over the world, be introduced to new cultures, new encounters and the possibility of meeting a non-Egyptian husband-to-be. The thrill and exhilaration of knowing that the possibilities are endless in terms of happiness, love and money and freedom from rules lures a lot of women in Egypt to leave the country. However, life outside for the single girl is not without risk or consequences. For starters, despite the claims to equality and security everywhere in the world, a woman walking alone anywhere late at night poses a risk to her personal safety. The Gulf, although more progressive than before, and open to single women expatriates living there, still occasionally can be a little harsh to a single Arab female expat living there in comparison to a European female, for example. The attitude can range from direct sexual harassment in the workplace to a landlord attempting to be a little “too friendly.” This does not necessarily happen to all women, but the possibility is there. While these things can happen right here in Egypt, women here are in a better position to defend themselves at home, if we compare it, to getting into a dispute or an argument with one of the locals of the Gulf, where Egyptian expats are more often than not at a major disadvantage. Then there is the loneliness--leaving friends and family behind at home. While the Internet has enabled people to communicate across long distances more often, at less or zero cost, it is still not like living at home--sharing sad moments, happy moments and being there for the people you love whenever they need you. Living outside, even for a short period, can take away time from a woman and her family and friends. Another issue to be considered is that if one leaves to the West or to the Gulf, and then decides to relocate back to Egypt, there will be many challenges. There is the main challenge of having to adjust to work, traffic, social rules and chaos back in Egypt, which could have been forgotten for a while, and replaced with a more relaxed and organized ambiance, which provides one with general peace of mind. This change in itself could be very irritating and leads to frustration with the country even more. Then there is the challenge of having to deal with the social stigma placed on the woman who has travelled and lived on her own. But while Egypt has become extremely progressive and liberal, the core of society is still conservative when it comes to women and the expectations from women. By travelling abroad, a woman has in one or another rebelled against the rules, resulting in the general misconception that she does not want to get married and that she is too independent. Theoretically speaking, this minimizes her chances of getting married, unless she meets someone who is truly open minded and confident, who is not intimidated by her independence. To conclude, the decision to leave Egypt or not has to be thought out carefully after honestly sitting with oneself and assessing one's priorities, e.g., what is more important, my career or my social life? Can I tolerate the constraining social rules of Egyptian society for the sake of living near my family? If I do travel, and decide to come back, can I face the consequences? All thought provoking questions, which have to be answered, before considering leaving Egypt.
