Yes, there are a lot of us single women in Egypt these days. In my personal observations of the types of single women around, in terms of attitude and approach towards their marital status, I have come across the following types of single women:
The Optimist
Usually, she is at peace with herself and life, enjoying it to the fullest. These women or girls look to the future with hope, seeking love, or a companion, and not willing to simply accept any marriage proposal to get rid of the title of “Miss”. They pursue life with full zest and hope, that there is definitely someone out there for everyone, and there is bound to be someone for them.
The Pessimist
The complainers, believing that there is no one there for them; everyone is going to get married and fall in love except for them. They whine claiming that all the good men they meet are married, whereas the single men they meet are all losers, ugly or just simply not good enough for them. They think, it is a matter of luck, and they don’t have any of it. The result of it, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. These girls usually project negative energy and do end up staying single, because of their pessimism.
The Feminist
Most of these girls, do not want to get married in the first place. They have seen so many failed marriages and unhappy women locked with lousy husbands. As a result, they channel all the energy into their careers, or community work. They are usually quite successful professionally and content with what they have achieved in life.
Some might even resort to adapting children – in orphanages or acquiring pets to channel their untapped emotions into. Some of these feminists though, do end up falling in love, and end up getting married. These women usually get married to very open minded, modern and older men, or men who were raised abroad or to non-Arab mothers. However, to the feminists, whether married or single, one’s independence, individuality and career carry high significance in their lives.
The Desperate
These are girls who simply want to get married- by any means and to anyone. They are usually girls who to a large extents have been subjected to the local social pressure to- the – “When are you going to get married” – question. They view any man they meet, as a potential husband, and some of them, do not object to being a second wife. These desperate women, usually put too much effort to attract males whether be physically or through female tactics that are being reinvented frequently (usually as soon as the gullible men figure these tricks out). Men avoid these men, make fun of them and do not even consider them as an option, as usually they do not make them feel special, since, with desperate women, any human with physical male attributes will do.
The Dreamer
The dreamer dreams of romance, utopian love and prince charming. She is usually innocent and untainted by the world, or negative experiences around her. You can tell from her face and her approach she is a dreamer. She is almost naïve. However, they type of women are usually great company despite them being unrealistic; they too radiate positive energy that is contagious to everyone around them, and do inspire hope.
The Practical
This type of women, does want to get married, but does not approach the issue of marriage, with a lot of romance. She is out to look for a spouse, a partner, love is usually not in the equation, but she acknowledges that love can come after marriage. She agrees to arranged marriages or blind dates, with clear intentions and goals in mind. This type of girl is culturally confirming, and realistic in her aspirations of a husband.