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In Egypt, Women Lead Fight Against Mob Sexual Assaults

Sexual assaults on women, including around Tahrir Square, are on the rise, but women are organizing to fight back, reports Sarah el-Sirgany from Cairo.
A woman stands in front of protesters during clashes between supporters and opponents of the Muslim Brotherhood and President Mohamed Mursi in Tahrir square in Cairo October 12, 2012. Opponents and supporters of Mursi clashed in Cairo on Friday in the first street violence between rival factions since the Islamist leader took office.
  REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST)

Cairo — In the crowd, a group of men surround a woman. They close in on her, with hands groping every inch of her body, stripping her of her clothes and raping her with their fingers. The unstoppable frenzy of invading hands intensifies as the mob grows in size.

Similar accounts of group assaults during major demonstrations and clashes have been on the rise. It’s nothing new to Egypt, but seems now to be centralized in and around Tahrir Square, at least in reported cases over the past 21 months. The tactic has been employed by the state against female activists starting in May 2005. Some classify it as a strictly social phenomenon when it takes place during holiday celebrations, an occurence that has been reported regularly since 2006.

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