New phone app helps Egyptian women fight sexual harassment
A group of young Egyptians has developed a mobile phone app to fight sexual harassment by helping women identify and avoid harassment as well as deal with its aftermath.
CAIRO — In an attempt to tackle the problem of sexual harassment of girls and women, a group of young Egyptians applied modern solutions to tackle a problem that government initiatives and laws have failed to rein in. The mobile phone app Street Pal acts as a guard to women, protecting them from harassment attempts and giving them ways of dealing with the phenomenon.
Abdul Fattah al-Sharqawi, the app’s developer, said in a press statement Nov. 21 that the number of users reached 800 since the app was launched Oct. 29. He noted that they already received several calls from women telling them about their experiences with sexual harassment and seeking awareness.
The app covers the three main stages of harassment: when a woman notices someone following her in the street, when she is being harassed and in the aftermath.
In an interview with Al-Monitor, Sharqawi said the app aims to increase young women’s awareness of harassment, giving them information and advice on dealing with it. The app has a five-star rating on Android, according to Sharqawi.
