Given the absence of security in many parts of Egypt and the apparent lack of political will to confront the growing violence in the streets, more and more Egyptian women are resorting to self-defence classes to help them defend themselves from possible sexual harassment. They're also becoming keener to get hold of self-defence kits, keeping them with them in case they are attacked on their way home or on their way to work. Trade in such kits has been booming recently, with many of them being sold in Cairo's Ataba Square. Here, the price of an electric-shock device ranges from LE90 to LE120 depending on voltage, with some of them being advertised as delivering up to 20,000 volts to an attacker. Self-defence sprays are sold for around LE70. On the Internet, an imported electric-shock device sells for some LE600 to LE700, while an imported self-defence spray that can temporarily blind an attacker costs around LE300. Other weapons on the market include sling shots and sound shots, a pack of the latter costing around LE150. “I would certainly buy this type of kit if I knew where to get it from,” said Samar Hassan, a postgraduate student. The only thing hindering her from buying an electric-shock device for self-defence is the customs and traditions that say a girl should present herself as docile and harmless. “I think the only thing really suitable for a girl's bag is the spray, and anyway the spray is the least harmful weapon,” Hassan said. Omniya Ehab, on the other hand, said that girls should not go to the trouble of carrying such kits around. “They are useless for combating attackers. If a girl does not know how to defend herself by learning Karate for instance, I don't think a spray that momentarily blinds someone will do her any good. What she needs is a real weapon in such cases.” Another young woman, Eman, who has been bothered by men while taking the bus, said that while having a self-defence kit could be a good idea, it was not a substitute for sensible preventive strategies. “Avoid crowded buses if you have to stand all the way. Buy two tickets if the seats are small so no one can sit next to you. Never take the back seat, and use your bag and scream for help in difficult situations,” she said. She added that having access to self-defence equipment could nevertheless be vital if a girl lived in a remote area where it was difficult to call for help. Despite their controversial nature, the use of such kits has been growing, and more and more women are taking training in self-defence skills aiming to protect them against various kinds of physical assault. Among these initiatives are the self-defence classes for girls organised by the non-profit organisation Sayedat Misr Al-Ahrar. “It started as an individual attempt to help girls to defend themselves,” said Rahima Al-Sherif, the head of organisation, who added that it has been entirely self-financing before sponsors came along. “We started to organise classes free of charge to train girls in self-defence techniques, and then we asked professional trainers to participate as well. We do not use ordinary weapons, but instead pioneered the use of self-defence kits like those giving electric shocks,” she said. The idea was to have the classes officially recognised, but here the organisation came up against a lot of bureaucratic red tape. The courses are designed to help prepare girls psychologically for any unpleasant incidents they may face in the streets. They last for almost three hours and are divided into two parts, the first on self-defence techniques and the second on psychological rehabilitation in the form of counseling and group therapy. “We started with what is called psychological rehab for those who have been subjected to harassment in order to help them overcome the negative psychological effects of the situation,” Al-Sherif said. This is usually done by a person who has been subjected to harassment herself and is strong enough to help others overcome such situations through group discussion or individual psychological treatment by psychologists. According to Al-Sherif, the classes are not organised with the aim of promoting the use of violence by women. Instead, they are a reaction to the needs of girls in Egypt who want to feel safe while they are out and about in the streets. No dangerous forms of self-defence are taught, the aim instead being to teach the basics in order that girls and young women will feel more confident in their ability to defend themselves. “The coach teaches them how to defend themselves and how to get out of any difficult situations they may encounter. The important thing is to teach girls how to temporarily incapacitate an aggressor, such that they have the time to escape,” Al-Sherif said. She said that the organisation was always willing to listen to new ideas and welcome new participants. Girls are free either to come alone, or to attend with their mothers, fathers, sisters or brothers, some of whom also become participants in the classes. “Everyone in the group comes with an idea, and people in other governorates are also asking for our assistance,” Al-Sherif said. The organisation has also set up teams to help girls harassed in demonstrations. “We made t-shirts so that we could differentiate members of our team from the harassers, and now that more and more people are joining us it is getting harder and harder to recognise all the new faces,” Al-Sherif said. The group is made up of male and female activists from other non-profit organisations like Shoft Taharosh and Kewa ded Al-Taharosh, which were founded after incidents of harassment in Cairo's Tahrir Square. However, in order for the initiative to develop, Al-Sherif said that it needed the recognition and support of the authorities. “If the government supports us and officially recognises us, I can begin to charge a small fee like LE25, enabling me to appoint professional trainers on a full-time basis and to develop the project further. But I need political support for this first,” she said. In the meantime, Al-Sherif offered some tips on how girls could enjoy a safe journey home: take a self-defence course; think about taking a course in karate; always keep a self-defence kit handy; never wander around alone at night; have relatives escort you if you are going out at night; and remember that screaming will physically exhaust you, so the best strategy if attacked is to find the nearest and quickest exit route.
