Since picking up a wrench as one of the first female car mechanics in conservative Pakistan, Uzma Nawaz has faced two common reactions: shock and surprise. The 24-year-old spent years overcoming entrenched gender stereotypes and financial hurdles en route to earning a mechanical engineering degree and netting a job with an auto repairs garage in the eastern city of Multan. “I took it up as a challenge against all odds and the meager financial resources of my family,” Nawaz told AFP. “I was shocked to see a young girl lifting heavy spare tires and then putting them back on vehicles after repairs,” customer Arshad Ahmad told AFP. “Whatever task we give her she does it like a man with hard work and dedication,” said coworker M. Attaullah.

Source: Egypt Independent October 16, 2018 10:30 UTC