The Egyptian government has established a 10-person specialized police unit to deal with violence against women. Announced in May of this year, the unit is operational and is being held up as a model for other countries in the Middle East to emulate. However, what seems like a welcome response to a pressing problem risks distracting from the far-reaching changes in policing that have been core demands of the uprisings across the region since 2011.
After two years of escalating violence against women, including systematic harassment and gang rapes at Tahrir Square, the Egyptian government responded to requests by the country’s National Council for Women to create a specialized unit with a strong emphasis on psychological support for survivors, with female police officers acting as contacts for victims. The National Women’s Committee in Yemen is making similar demands on its government, while Jordan has placed a strong emphasis on recruiting female officers, with more than 3,000 female recruits in 2012.
