Native name زينب العبيد يوسف Occupation Aircraft Engineer Died 14 March 2016 | Nationality Sudanese/British Years active 1978 to 2002 | |
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Full Name Zeinab Elobeid Yousif Born 1952 Khartoum, Sudan Known for 1st Arab, African and Sudanese female Aircraft Engineer Notable work Avionic communication / navigation / & radar | ||
Zeinab Elobeid Yousif (1952 – 19 March 2016) (Arabic: زينب العبيد يوسف), was A Sudanese aircraft engineer. She was the first Sudanese female to be licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom). She worked with Sudan Airways from July 1973 until May 1992, after which she relocated to the United Kingdom. During the 1960s, Sudanese culture was considered patriarchal and hostile for women wanting to study and work in fields such as engineering.
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Yousif studied and worked in the fields of Electronics, Avionic Communication, navigation and radar. She worked on diverse aircraft such as the Boeing 707 / Boeing 737 / 347 / Fokker 50 and Fokker F27 at Sudan Airways and on Cessna 402 / 404 / 208 & Beach craft 1900 at London South-end Airport.
Early life
Yousif was born in Khartoum, Sudan on June 13, 1952. She was the oldest daughter of Elobeid Yousif Ahmed Shidwan, a well-known and respected businessman of the town, and Asma Elobeid Ahmed Shidwan. Both her parents came from religious backgrounds. Yousif grew up in the village of Umdawwanban (Arabic: أم ضوّاً بان) known for Alma-seed, a big religious school for boys where people from across Sudan and sub-Saharan Africa send their children to study and learn the Quran. Yousif graduated from high school thanks to her father's encouragement. It was typical for Sudanese girls her age to wed and abandon their education. Yousif studied Electronic engineering at Khartoum Polytechnic from 1970 to 1973.
Career
She worked as an Aircraft Engineer in the radio workshop on maintenance and repair. From 1983 to 1986 she studied Avionics and Aerospace Engineering at Brunel Technical College in Bristol, UK, where she received her license from the Civil Aviation Authority. In the 1990s, she earned a Master of Science degree in Advanced Manufacturing Systems from Kingston University, London.