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In this March 30, 2019 photo, Umm Yasser, center, leads women on a trek in the mountains, near Wadi Sahw, Abu Zenima, in South Sinai, Egypt. Umm Yasser is breaking new ground among the deeply conservative Bedouin of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Women among the Bedouin almost never work outside the home, and even more rarely do they interact with outsiders. But Umm Yasser is one of four women from the community who for the first time are working as tour guides. “It is against our culture, but women need jobs”, the 47-year-old Umm Yasser said. “People will make fun of us, but I don't care. I'm a strong woman”. They are part of Sinai Trail, a unique project in which local Bedouin tribes came together aiming to develop their own tourism. Founded in 2015, the project has set up a 550-kilometer (330-mile) trail through the remote mountains of the peninsula, a42-day trek through the lands of eight different tribes, each of which contributes guides. The project has been successful in bringing some income to the tribes, who often complain of being left out of the major tourism development of the southern Sinai, home to beach resorts and desert safaris. Until now, all the project's guides were men. There are some conditions. The tourists can only be women, and the tours can't go overnight. Each day before the sun sets, the group returns to the Hamada's home village in Wadi Sahu, a narrow desert valley. The organizers also urge the tourists to photograph the guides only when they are wearing a full veil over the face that covers even the eyes with mesh. (Photo by Nariman El-Mofty/AP Photo)
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