CAIRO: Often in Egypt, low level sexual harassment is seen to be the norm. While not acceptable, it is accepted. It is laughed off, lightly dismissed and frequently not even mentioned at all. In all honestly, that is not so surprising. Occurring more-or-less on a daily basis, it is no wonder that the monotony of harassment seems to have set in. Perhaps this attitude is merely a coping mechanism for the prevalence of unpleasant encounters. Perhaps there is a fear of escalating the issue by reacting to it. But by undermining the significance of the instances, this serves to reinforce the perception of low-level harassment as the norm. Likewise, the existence of a women's carriage on the metro, while enabling a more pleasant journey, also reinforces this view. An Egypt-based study in 2008 by the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights found that 98 percent of foreign women and 83 percent of Egyptian women had been sexually harassed in some form. The Survey of Young People in Egypt, 2010, found that 44 percent of female youth aged 10 to 29 have experienced sexual harassment. No matter how commonplace the issue has become, the fact remains that this is wrong. It makes the victims feel at best uncomfortable, and at worst angry and fearful. Despite these negative consequences, incidents go largely unreported, not just for minor harassment, but for more severe instances too. It is hardly surprising that very few cases are reported to the police when these figures of authority are sometimes the ones doing the harassing themselves, even as a person reports a crime. There are of course a significant number of individuals who have taken action. Women's protests have been occurring in Cairo and elsewhere, but the existence of a cordon of supportive men surrounding the women, while a beautiful image, sadly reinforces the idea that women need protection. Harassmap, a harassment reporting website, which maps and records all incidents voluntarily brought to their attention, has been an innovative change, but is underused. More recently, the brave quest of Samira Ibrahim to bring the ‘virginity test' case to court resulted in insufficient support for her endeavor, multiple postponements of the court date and an acquittal for an army doctor who was involved. The virginity tests forced upon Ibrahim and a number of other women are more extreme than the daily forms of harassment that generally occur but where does one draw the line? In fact, why draw a line at all? Why not draw one giant cross over the whole issue. If attention is unwanted; stop. It is as simple as that. To avoid unwanted attention, friends have advised me to “please cover your lower neck, I've seen people staring”, to walk more purposefully, to ignore any advances, to stay at home after dark, to travel in groups in taxis, or to refrain from looking at or speaking to strangers. But why should I be expected to change my behavior to avoid incidents which should never be occurring in the first place? Whether the decisions are subconscious or otherwise, there is no denying that the existence of harassment can alter one's behavior. Many times I have heard people claim that Egyptians are exceptionally friendly and welcoming people. I have certainly experienced this too, and there are many Egyptians who will help someone who is being harassed, although mostly in more extreme cases. Even so, when I encounter low level harassment on a daily basis, it is not surprising that I grow suspicious of people I do not know, no matter how genuine they appear. I dislike that I am missing out on some of the warmth and generosity that so many Egyptians offer from fear of meeting one of the ‘wrong' ones. I want to be able to speak freely to people on the street without unpleasant scenarios flashing through my mind. I want a stranger moment, the kind which adds a little bit of extra light to an otherwise routine day. The kind where strangers share a silent joke, an interesting moment or a brief conversation. Not the kind where they whisper crude things or grab my crotch. Even among the relatively few individuals I am acquainted with in Cairo, I have already heard dozens of stories. The tales people deem worth telling are always the more extreme ones, and even these occur far too frequently. When this more extreme harassment occurs so often, it is no wonder that ‘lesser' issues of whistles, hissing, kissing sounds, seductive words, shouts from a car window, and the brush of hand against thigh as you walk past one another, gain the back seat. Yet, these are all symptoms of the same disease; one which can have serious implications. Most of all, we should not be complacent. In a city of almost 20 million people, it is easy for attackers to remain anonymous, but we should not allow it. Record encounters on Harassmap; let it be known that you are unhappy with harassment. And above all, don't laugh as you talk about the inappropriate taxi driver; don't smile as your friend jokes about the ‘protective barrier' provided by her winter coat. Don't pretend that these instances are in any way acceptable. They are not okay and they should not be the norm. Harassment is unacceptable, but complacency towards it does little to amend the situation. Change it. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/OIjTp Tags: Cairo, featured, Sexual Harassment, Violence, Women Section: Editor's choice, Egypt, Op-ed, Sexual Harassment, Women
