Progress Amid Resistance

EGYPT 101by legislation and other measures like police training, widespread sexualharassment will continue to encourage families to exercise control overwomen’s free movement and limit their presence in public space out of fearfor their safety and welfare.Women’s rights organizations regularly tackle issues such as violenceagainst women, sexual harassment, and discrimination in the personal statuscode. A coalition of nine women’s NGOs has called for reforms to thepersonal status code to address gender inequalities, including a provisionre quiring the registration of urfi marriages. 40 In addition, the instances ofmass sexual harassment that occurred in recent years led to the emergenceof new women’s groups and a wave of collective action by existing women’srights NGOs. Consequently, sustained campaigns against harassment andin favor of greater accountability for perpetrators have been organized.The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights has long advocated on behalf ofharassed women. It launched a campaign called “Making Our Streets Saferfor Everyone,” and provides the public with relevant information aboutthe issue. A May 2005 incident in which female journalists were harassedand assaulted in an apparently politicized attack ahead of the presidentialelection (see “Political Rights and Civic Voice”) led to an NGO-organizedvigil and a conference entitled “The Street Is Ours,” in a bid to reclaimpublic space, freedom of association, and freedom of expression for women.The Egyptian Mothers’ Network, formed immediately after the May 2005attack, organized a demonstration that was attended by over 500 people. 41These advocacy efforts have helped lift the taboo against discussing suchissues, and the media are increasingly covering both the offending eventsand the reaction of NGOs.On the individual level, some women have started to courageouslybreak societal norms and fight against gender-based violence. One woman,after being groped on the street, reported the man who harassed her to theauthorities. Despite the initial reluctance of the police to open an investigation,the case received wide media attention, and the man was eventuallysentenced to three years in prison. According to women’s rights activists,it was the first time someone had received a prison sentence for this kindof harassment. 42RecommendationsF To protect citizens from gender-based violence and harassment inthe public space, the government should provide extensive training