Civil society bears the burden of fighting sexual harassment in Egypt
Civil organizations are encouraging Egyptian women — and men — to speak out against sexual harassment, and want the nation to start enforcing its laws against the crime.
In a horrific incident in 2013, a microbus driver harassed a girl, then ran her over multiple times when she refused to move until her family arrived to deal with him, killing her. Nobody stopped him, and he got off for being a juvenile.
Earlier this month, the Egyptian parliament approved tougher penalties for sexual harassment, doubling the minimum imprisonment sentence to a year instead of six months, and increasing the fine to a minimum of 5,000 Egyptian pounds ($267) and a maximum of 10,000 pounds instead of 3,000 to 5,000 pounds. In cases of recidivism, the punishment is doubled.
Upon Cabinet approval, the bill would amend Article 306 of the Criminal Code.
Yet despite the presence of such provisions, 99.3% of women in Egypt are reported to have been sexually harassed. Civil society has stepped in, encouraging women to speak up and urging men to take a stance.
