Amazon ladyguards protect the Egyptian elite
When you have a modern capitalist society sandwiched to a traditional Islamic culture some solutions have to be creative. Such is the case for successful Egyptian women from fields such as business, entertainment and society who need protection while maintaining an image of decorum. This has created a demand for ladyguards, females trained in conflict resolution, martial arts and security procedures to protect their high profile charges.
All the high-profile rich elite are wary of the risk, but the elite Egyptian women need to be doubly careful in a male dominated traditional culture. Ladyguards are a new phenomenon, and some also term them Amazons, but only behind their backs of course. The greatest demand is for English speaking Ladyguards who can more easily accompany their charges on international jet-setting trips. It just goes to show that when there is a demand someone will find a way to supply it.
The black-clad “ladyguards” provide a niche service to women who have broken through the Arab world’s glass ceiling and achieved fame and fortune, but who feel they cannot use male protection out of deference to the region's conservative mores.
The leader of neighbouring Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, is famous for his female bodyguards, who are dubbed Amazons.
But clients of the “ladyguards” include Egyptian actresses and pop divas, as well as princesses and wealthy businesswomen from the oil-rich Gulf.
“We were the first to create a service of ladyguards, for several reasons,” said Cherif Khaled, managing director of Falcon group which introduced the service three years ago.
“Women in Egypt now have been able to break into different fields. They have become businesswomen, lawyers, judges, even marriage officials,” he said.
“When given the opportunity, Egyptian women are able to succeed.”
But Khaled added that even when women do break through, they ignore the conservative traditions of a male-dominated society like Egypt at their peril.
“At the end of the day, we are a Middle Eastern society. When a woman passes through a security check, she prefers to be searched by a woman rather than by a man,” he said.
“When you are dealing lady to lady, things are much easier.”
The women who guard other women in the Islamic world – Telegraph
