The first jail sentence in egypt for sexual harassment came in 2008 after a man molested a woman in the street from his car. Harassmap conducted this research in collaboration with. Mapping sexual harassment in egypt charting change. Street harassment is a underresearched and written about topic, particularly as far as why men harass women, how widespread the problem is, and how it intersects with other forms of oppression, such as racism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, and ableism. The percentage of girls and women subjected to harassment through this study we are able to confirm the spread of sexual harassment in egypt to unprecedented levels. The role of nongovernmental organizations in policy. Distributed to mosques throughout egypt several years ago, it suggests that some women may be asking for harassment. Egyptian center for womens rights ecwr for more than. Jun, 2014 in egypt, 99 percent of women have been sexually harassed the government recently moved to criminalize sexual harassment.
Antisexual harrassment campaign in egypt request pdf. The quota for each governorate was divided into 23 females and males since the views of the harassed victim on the extent of the spread of harassment its. Activism to combat sexual harassment began in 2005. The law lays out a minimum sentence of 6 months imprisonment and a fine of 3,000 egyptian. This study aims to find ways and methods for reducing this phenomenon. The case of antisexual harassment legislation in egypt injie swailam supervised bydr. Dec 21, 2012 harassmap is a volunteerbased initiative aiming to end the social tolerance of sexual harassment in egypt. Talking about it is seen as offensive, says a safety activist in. Although sexual harassment is a global phenomenon, its existence in egypt. Sexual harassment has emerged as a widespread problem facing women in public space in egypt. Sex harassment is offtopic for egyptian ramadan womens enews. Although sexual harassment is a worldwide phenomenon, the contemporary case of sexual harassment in egypt is noteworthy, as the nation only recently occupied a top position on the map of sexual harassment on a world scale. Using crowdsourced data to map sexual harassment in egypt chelsea young are designed to break down misconceptions surrounding sexual harassment, and it is used to challenge the social acceptability of such behaviour. Harassmap was cofounded in 2010 by rebecca chiao project leader, engy ghozlan, amel fahmy principal investigator of research unit and sawsan gad.
This study, thus, aims to identify ways through which online and social media could be used through development communication campaigns to combat sexual harassment in egypt. The untold story of sexual harassment against men in egypt. Based on available data, egypt has higher than average rates of sexual harassment for the middle east and north africa region and many other countries in the. Examining how the act of sexual harassment is perceived by male harassers, hani henry, associate professor of psychology and chair of the department of sociology, anthropology, psychology and egyptology, uses feminist theory to provide a deeper understanding of sexual harassment, looking at it as sexist rather than a sexual act. Sex harassment is offtopic for egyptian ramadan womens. Just now, however, the egyptian government has made a move to address harassment.
Not only has sexual harassment been one of egypts most common and acute societal problems in recent years, but also it archive photo of harassment in egypt. Jul 02, 2017 43 percent of egyptian men still believe that women like being sexually harassed. This paper examines shifting conceptualizations of sexual harassment, or elta. This article analyzes how, for the decade before the arab spring, the egyptian center for womens rights ecwr promoted womens issues and sustained its campaign against widespread sexual harassment in egypt. Most news reports rely on one survey, conducted by the egyptian center for womens rights ecwr, in 2008. The question in each case is whether the particular person will face a real risk of persecution on account of their gender. Actionoriented responses to sexual harassment in egypt. By interviewing people in egypt, lebanon, morocco and palestine, they tried to figure out the reasons why men like to catcall and yell out insults at women passing by. Former woman prisoner interviewed by amnesty international.
Yet, sexual harassment and assault is a longstanding and systemic problem. In addition to its interactive mapping service and community. Keeping women out fidh 3 as the world focuses on political developments, violence against women continues unabated. Over the past five years, a number of infamous incidents of sexual violence against women that occurred in cairo, egypt, have led to the enhancement of punishments related to the crimes of sexual harassment, rapeand sexual assault. Attacks against women protesters in tahrir square threw the issue of violence against women into the public spotlight. Jul, 2011 theres not much research available on sexual harassment in cairo, but what research has been done suggests the vast majority of all women in egypt experience harassment. Sexual harassment is not a problem only in egypt, of course. Study on ways and methods to eliminate sexual harassment. New law to end sexual harassment in egypt egypt news al. Street harassment is a form of harassment, primarily sexual harassment that consists of unwanted comments, gestures, honking, wolfwhistlings, catcalling, exposure, following, persistent sexual advances, and touching by strangers in public areas such as streets, shopping malls, and public transportation. A neglected crime 5 rule of law and human rights while assessing indicators of the existence of sexual harassment laws and women rights in egypt. A study by the egyptian center for womens rights have found that 60 percent of egyptian women and 98 percent of. Casino you can either have the money and the hammer or you can walk outta here you cant have both duration. However, just prior to and in the years following the january 25, 2011 egyptian revolution, which witnessed an increase in the collective sexual harassment, assault and rape of women, this activism has.
The untold story of sexual harassment against men in egypt by arwa gaballa, aswat masriya as women struggle against a sexual harassment phenomenon in the middle easts most populous country, some men in egypt have been keeping quiet about the harassment they encounter. Not only has sexual harassment been one of egypts most common and acute societal problems in recent years, but also it has become one of the most activelydiscussed topics, including the motives of the harasser. According to the 2005 demographic and health survey edhs, 47 % of evermarried women have. Egyptian female wins her case against a harasser in. The relative distribution of female respondents according to the extent of. The antisexual harassment movement in egypt watson institute. Mapping sexual harassment in egypt 127 women everywhere experience sexual violence in public from ogling, comments and catcalls, online harassment, touching and stalking, to sexual assault and rape. Causes and solutions, published by the egyptian ministry of endowments. As a volunteerbased initiative, harassmap aims to end the social acceptability of sexual harassment and assault in egypt. Subtle sexual harassment is a behavior but not a legal term.
Sexual harassment was barely discussed in egypt before 2006. This phenomenon has become a universal phenomenon in our local. Today, our commitment to listen, learn and collaborate continues as we reinforce our partnership with harassmap and take a step. As the guardian reports, the egyptian government last week criminalised sexual harassment for the first time. It works on specifying the different forms of sexual harassment. Study on ways and methods to eliminate sexual harassment in egypt.
Mobilizing against sexual harassment in public space in. Egypt has a new law against sex harassment that was flagrantly flouted days later in tahrir square. Egypt s sexual harassment cancer sexual harassment of women in egypt is on the increase and observing islamic dress code is no deterrent, according to a survey published this week. Sexual harassment is a big problem for women in egypt and occurs mainly in big cities and urban centres, such as cairo and alexandria. Mapping sexual harassment in egypt canadian geographic. Second, it briefly introduces sexual harassment in egypt. Ive read a lot about harassment of women in egypt, gang rapes, etc. A new law is but a first step to fight egypt s epidemic of sexual assaults. The women of egypt have always taken part in writing the history of our nation. Thus, this study has eight secondary objectives in addition to the main one, which is to identify ways and methods to elimi nate sexual harassment in egypt. In egypt, sexual harassment has come to represent societys growing class struggle, the states oppressive policies, and womens empowering activism.
Although sexual harassment is a global phenomenon, its existence in egypt is particularly notable due to the high percentage of egyptian women who have experienced. Ghada barsoum abstract egypt has recently seen several high profile misfortunate incidents were women and girls were attacked, sexually abused and harassed. This study on methods to eliminate sexual harassment in egypt is the first to be undertaken by a ed to be one of the important eak of. Va w in egypt and the numerous forms it entails, whether within the public or the private sphere in egypt. Sexual harassment, egypt, and the hijab javed of all trades. Keeping women out mouvement mondial des droits humains. Sexual harassers have been prosecuted on rare occasions in the past in egypt. Sexual harassment in egypt public radio international. Over the past five years, a number of infamous incidents of sexual violence against women that occurred in cairo, egypt, have led to the enhancement of punishments related to the crimes of sexual harassment. Mapping sexual harassment in egypt more than 95 per cent of women in egypt have experienced sexual harassment at least once, but many citizens there turn a blind eye when it happens.
Review of ecwros seminar on sexual harassment and egyptos tourism industry by azita azargoshasb sexual harassment in cairo emerged as a subject of scrutiny in 2008, highlighting the fissure between a slow restructuring of the permissible malefemale encounter among. The eeoc has defined sexual harassment in its guidelines as. Jun 19, 2017 promundo, a brazilian organization that campaigns for gender equality, recently released a study examining sexual harassment and gender inequality from mens point of view. Promundo, a brazilian organization that campaigns for gender equality, recently released a study examining sexual harassment and gender inequality from mens point of view. While sexual harassment had been a widely prevalent social problem during mubaraks 30 year authoritarian rule, according to focus groups undertaken in egypt. Targeting cultural change in repressive environments. Study on ways and methods to eliminate sexual harassment in egypt results outcomes and recommendations summary this publication has been produced with the assistance of the european union. Uber egypt s commitment to prevent sexual harassment 09112017. The egyptian center for womens rights sought to draw attention to it, but the publics response was that it was an american idea wrongly applied to egyptian society.
Talking about it is seen as offensive, says a safety activist in cairo. Egypt, claims that the spread of sexual harassment physical and verbal in egypt has. Pdf although research on sexual harassment sh has advanced in western countries, no academic studies have been published on this phenomenon in. Egypt convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women cedaw egypt ratified cedaw in 1981 and maintains reservations to article 2 policy measures, article 16 equality in marriage and family life, and article 292 administration of the convention and arbitration of disputes. Aliyaa shoukry rasha mohammad hassan professor of anthropological sociology ecwr researcher supervisor nehad abul komsan ecwr chair.
Egyptian governments have failed to address violence against women, with serious. Reporter daniel estrin tells us that sexual harassment is fairly common in egypt. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when. Through longitudinal data from online arabic discussion boards and blog sites, as well as insights from interviews and participant observation of antisexual harassment. Theres not much research available on sexual harassment in cairo, but what research has been done suggests the vast majority of all women in egypt experience harassment. Nov 16, 2016 this study examined the act of sexual harassment, as perceived by egyptian male harassers. However, it was the clouds in egypt s sky study by the egyptian centre for womens rights in 2008 that documented just how pervasive and insidious the practice was and is. Sexual harassment against nursing staff in tanta university hospitals, egypt article pdf available november 2015 with 583 reads how we measure reads.
Review of ecwros seminar on sexual harassment and egyptos. Egypt ratified cedaw in 1981 and maintains reservations to article 2 policy measures, article 16 equality in marriage and family life, and article 292 administration of the convention and. Learning how to deal with the victim, both on the part of passersby and security personnel whether on the street or in police stations. Pdf antisexual harassment campaign in egypt helen rizzo.
A accordingly, the egyptian code criminalizes some of the formscriminal of violence cited in article 2 of the 1993 declaration, such as sexual assault, rape, sexual harassment, and fgm the trafficking of women. Harassment map helps egyptian women stand up for their. A accordingly, the egyptian code criminalizes some of the formscriminal of violence cited in article 2 of the 1993 declaration, such as sexual assault, rape, sexual harassment. In egypt, 99 percent of women have been sexually harassed. Participants justifications of their harassing acts were explained using feminist theory, which postulated that sexual harassment occurs due to mens tendency to blame women for this act, their failure to empathize with its victims, and their attempt to punish their competitive efforts. Here is a compilation of existing primarily scholarly articles, books, research reports, and thesis on street. Many egyptian and foreign journalists as well as others were harassed in tahrir square. It is unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature that if allowed to continue could create a. The campaign against sexual harassment in egypt helen rizzo, anne m. The role of nongovernmental organizations in policy making. Following this, two films scheherazade, tell me a story yousry nasrallah. Women chant slogans as they gather to protest against sexual harassment in front of the opera house in cairo june 14, 2014.
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