The sexual abuse of children is on the rise. Lack of awareness and a lack of data have hidden the extent of the problem in Egypt but estimates of the extent of abuse are alarming. According to a UN study released in 2006, an “estimated 150 million girls and 73 million boys under 18 have experienced forced sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual violence including physical contact worldwide.” A 2004 World Health Organisation review of research estimated the global prevalence of childhood sexual victimisation to be about 27 per cent among girls and 14 per cent among boys. In Egypt, the extent of the problem is not known. Ana Ghaly (I Am Precious) is a book for children aged between three and ten. It aims to raise awareness of possible sexual abuse. It is the first such book for children in Egypt, says the author, Sarah Aziz. It tells the story of six-year-old Seif, who learns how to keep himself away from harm. Ana Ghaly is available in Arabic. French, English and German editions are planned. Aziz, 26, is the founding president of a nongovernmental organisation called Safe. It was established in September 2012 to raise awareness and empower sexually abused children to speak up. It targets children and young people from three to 18 years old, along with teachers, parents and other caregivers. Children are educated through activities, games, and songs. “Children learn that they have private lives that should remain private,” Aziz explained. “No one is allowed to touch or hurt,” said Hana, eight years old, when asked what she had learned from Safe. Dina Kamel, a teacher and Hana's mother, said that Safe visited her daughter's school. It was obligatory for teachers to attend and optional for parents and students. Attending the session as a mother and a teacher was interesting for Kamel, “especially since I want to protect my daughter and prevent her and the other students from coming to any harm.” The awareness sessions run by Safe never mention the term sexual abuse. But they do explain that children have boundaries, like countries, and they should be able to refuse the advances of any person who touches them in a way they do not like. According to Aziz, parents should also try to have the kind of relationship with their children that allows them to speak to them frankly. “When children speak, parents should listen and believe,” she said. She said that Ana Ghaly was valuable because it includes photographs showing behaviour that can be allowed and behaviour that should not be allowed. Teaching children to say no if anyone touches them in an unwanted way is another thing she liked. Aziz added that the maids, bus drivers and supervisors working in schools and nurseries should also be trained to recognise signs of sexual abuse. Aziz is a graduate from the Faculty of Business in Cairo. She became interested in the problem of child sexual abuse as part of her work in the community. She received a diploma in sexual abuse from the Middle Eastern School of Sexual Abuse-Related Pastoral Counseling, a branch of a Danish school in Egypt. She then studied legal issues relating to children at Arkansas State University in the United States. As a certified counselor, she is also a counselor in the therapy department of the NGO, conducting one-to-one therapy for abused children. Safe has 20 core teams that include four professional trainers and four teachers. It has trained 22,000 children and 10,000 caregivers, visiting dozens of both private and public schools. Aziz added that the organisation has offered its services to public schools in Heliopolis. “We recently trained 1,350 children in the Minya governorate,” she added. The NGO recently established a safe nursery. Aziz said this had been her “dream.” At the nursery, she explained, staff can “apply the rules of protecting children.” The nursery uses the Montessori educational system, and has an online camera system that parents can use to monitor their children. Safe conducts monthly training sessions for children, parents, and training for trainers. Such events are announced on its Facebook page. It will be organising a children's event at the Heliopolis Sporting Club in September. The Hemaya (protection) campaign, another initiative, carries out similar work, raising children's awareness through photographs, songs, and plays. The campaign is carried out in nurseries, schools and orphanages and target children, parents, teachers, supervisors, and everyone who interacts with children. The campaign was started by Eman Ezat, when she became aware of the extent of the problem. She wanted to see children protect themselves, lose their fear of confronting their abusers, and report any abuse to the authorities. Hemaya's has 30 volunteers who have provided training to more than 15,000 children in eight governorates. It has also trained more than 1,000 Syrian children in cooperation with the Tadamon Organisation for Solidarity with the Syrian Refugees and more than 500 children with special needs. The Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights recently released an awareness film called “A Very Important Film.” The film, uploaded on YouTube, empowers children to distinguish “bad” looks from “good” ones and explains that if they feel uncomfortable in any way they should tell the nearest adult. HarassMap is an initiative aiming to “end the social acceptability of sexual harassment and assault in Egypt.” It is also working on a Safe Schools and Universities Project that will provide institutions with draft policies for setting up appropriate reporting mechanisms and clear actions to be taken following any incidents of harassment or abuse. Cairo University will implement the draft in the coming semester, according to HarassMap's website. The initiative plans pilot projects with schools and universities in Cairo and with schools, universities and orphanages in other governorates. Another way to fight harassment is suggested by a recently published interactive documentary by Index on Censorship, an international organisation that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression. Entitled “Shout Art Loud,” the documentary shows how artists fight sexual harassment in Egypt through art. It is divided into sections, each with a different story. Among these is a section called “Taboos and Censorship.” This shows some of the strength of feeling that is still connected with the subject in Egypt. After a 2010 performance of the play “Bussy Monologues,” the directors were called up before the state security and the National Bureau of Censorship. Nadine Emile, a member of the cast, said that the play described how a 12-year-old girl was sexually molested by her cousin and how she had been able to move on.
The National Council for Children and Motherhood helpline: 16000 Safe: https://www.facebook.com/Safekidseg Hemaya: https://www.facebook.com/7emayaa/timeline?ref=page_internal
Signs of abuse Ehab Eid is a professor of public health and behavioural medicine at the Institute of Post-Graduate Studies at Ain Shams University. He says that signs that a child has been sexually may include the following:
Isolation: If a child used to be happy and outgoing but has become depressed, over-sensitive, or no longer says much, this could be a sign of trauma, including sexual abuse;
Withdrawal: Not mixing with other children or exaggerated mixing could be signs of abuse;
Forms of play: Some children might use their attacker's words while playing, including words that had been used when they were abused. In order to deal with possible abuse, parents should encourage their children to talk as much as possible, though this could depend on the relationship between parents and their children. Parents should aim to speak to their children in an open way, possibly in the form of a story dealing with human relationships. “Storytelling, singing, dancing, or other activities are all good ways of opening a child's mind, encouraging him to speak about what is on his mind,” Eid said. “Educating children to understand that they do not have to do everything that adults tell them to is the answer,” he added. “Tell your children to protect themselves, for example by shouting ‘No' if touched in an unusual or unwelcome way.” In cases where abuse has occurred, Eid does not necessarily recommend enrolling children in therapy. However, parents can seek a therapist's advice, especially if any therapy takes place at home in a regular context, he said. A therapist might also want to examine intra-family relationships, for example by observing the way a family interacts in a social space like a club or a restaurant. Egypt's legal framework is clear about the punishments for abuse. Articles 306 (a) and 306 (b) of the Penal Code deal with harassment, setting penalties at between LE3,000 and LE50,000 and/or between six months and up to five years imprisonment. According to Article 96 of Law 12 of 1996, amended by Law 126 of 2008: “Any person exposing children to risk shall be imprisoned for a minimum of six months, and/or a minimum LE3,000 fine and/or maximum of LE5,000.” Exposing children to risk can include acts contrary to public morals, pornographic material, the commercial exploitation of children, or harassment or sexual exploitation.
