Sudanese refugee defies all odds as female mechanic in Libya

22-year-old Sudanese refugee, Asawar Mustafa, inspects an oil filter in the women-only section of a garage in Misrata, Libya. In the African nation, a mechanic is considered a male role.That didn't stop Mustafa, who had survived fleeing her war-torn home country.

The women’s only section of the garage is where Mustafa honed her skills, even though she was afraid of damaging her customers’ cars. People told her that she belonged in the kitchen, but she turned that criticism into motivation rather than letting it become an obstacle.

Although she was initially drawn to pharmacy, she now finds joy in mechanics, discovering a connection between the precision of pharmaceuticals and hands-on-problem-solving of car repairs. She's the garage's only female employee, backed by her supportive employer, Abdelsalam Shagib, who wants to diversify his team.

The then 21-year-old Mustafa, along with her four sisters, mother and brother, fled the war in Sudan, which took them 10 days through the desert. They arrived in Kufra, where more than 40,000 Sudanese refugees live. The town is around 1,200 kilometers away from Misrata, where Mustafa finally found the job.

She now attracts a number of female drivers, who feel at ease with a female mechanic. "More and more women are driving in Libya and need to feel comfortable in a place where they are dealing with women, whereas if they were dealing with men, they would feel intimidated," said a female customer.

The Mustafas fled Sudan in October 2023. The country's war between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has left thousands dead and more than 10.7 million displaced internally. 2.3 million people have fled to neighbouring countries, like Libya.

In 2022, an estimated 37% of women were part of the labor force in Libya. Under the rule of the Gaddafi regime, women struggled to seek financial independence and emancipation. Women like Mustafa who defy all odds make other women feel more comfortable, even in industries that were seemingly not meant for them.