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It is a strange sight for people in Gaza
A woman, wearing a head cover climbing into a truck
And embarking on a career as a truck driver
But Lina Ibrahim took on the challenge
And became the first female truck driver in the Gaza Strip
The young woman is also a student of optometry
She says her attempt at gaining further qualifications
That it opens doors, and most importantly
It embodies a larger quest to realize her rights as a woman
Honestly, I chose this field because looking around
Women have entered into so many new fields
I feel like now I can do any kind of work
This field shouldn’t be confined to men
It is like supplementary courses for university students
Who take courses in computer science, web development, or anything outside of class
Those courses, like this one, open up opportunities for them
Several attempts were made to dissuade Lina
from getting her truck drivers license
The primary argument was that the job required
the physical strength of a man
But nothing worked, Lina said there was no reason she should not drive a truck
I tried personally to dissuade her
She is not strong, not to mention other requirements she lacked
She had never even driven a car before
And I told her she would need to show them
that she had previous experience
And for a girl, it is hard to just walk in
and say she wants to be a truck driver
But she insisted
She went in for the first appointment
And she passed the theoretical test
From the start my father supported me and he registered me for a license
My brothers opposed the idea that I - as a woman - would be driving a truck
They opposed that I learn driving with men together in the same truck
But they finally agreed to let me join
And so I started lessons to become a truck driver
Many found the idea of a woman driving a truck strange, given the strict norms in Gaza
But Lina did not pay attention
As long as she had the support of her family
She felt she could surpass all of the obstacles before her
Society will eventually accept anything
As long as you aren't being indecent or violating essential moral standards
It isn't harming anyone, so no one can stop you
We created these social regulations,
so we must be the ones to surpass them
I am not calling for revolution against social traditions
Really, it will not take anything like that
We just need to confront what makes women shy away from their goals
Lina faces confrontation with a positive attitude
Her first teacher was shocked when she walked into the office to register for class
But her peers say determination and consistent success quickly relaxed concerns of the school
First of all, Lina was a woman who was sure of herself
But the whole school was surprised she wanted to drive a truck
I admit we were hesitant, we did not know if she should continue
We asked her several times if she thought it a good idea, but she was insistent
So a profession once restricted to men
was opened because a woman proved
That truck driving was not about physical strength
And that success was about determination and a positive attitude
Lina proves that women are serious competitors in all fields
This is Ibrahim Qannan, with This is our Country in the Gaza Strip