It was a recent afternoon, when Cairo had a foretaste of what is predicted to be another scorching summer. Three youngsters were noisily kidding among themselves on a Metro platform packed with commuters. Amidst their boisterous behaviour, one of the trio suddenly fell silent before saying loud out: "Look at that piece of flesh!" The yob pointed his finger at a girl standing on the opposite platform. "What a muza [chick]!" commented one of his pals, as he made derogatory remarks before the three burst out laughing. Their laughter drew reproachful looks from commuters standing nearby. There were no security personnel in sight and the three swiftly took to their heels, apparently fearful that the angry crowd could turn on them. This sort of incident is far from being the worst a girl can experience in a Cairo street or at a train station. Sexual harassment has become a vexatious problem in Egypt, mainly in the mega-city of Cairo. Mob sexual assaults have recently occurred in Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the revolt against Mubarak. Human rights advocates report a spike in sexual harassment, saying it is systematic and aimed at intimidating women activists in the opposition. One certain thing is that little has been done in post-revolt Egypt to deter sexual harassment and the gropers. Both the Government and a male-dominated society still belittle the sex offences, blaming the victim who is often reprimanded for simply happening to have been in the same place where the attacker was. Anti-harassment campaigners have not given in, though. Last week, a dramatic advertisement, imparting a message to potential harassers, hit the airwaves of some local TV stations. The advert shows a girl being assaulted by a well-built man in an empty park. "I'm like your sister," implores the girl. "I have no sisters!" retorts the assailant. The victim survives by swiftly spraying ‘Mace' (the self-defence pepper spray) in the face of the attacker who falls to the ground and breaks his leg. In the second scene, he is seen in a hospital where he looks stunned at finding out that the nurse is none other than his victim. At this point, celebrated actor-political activist Khaled el-Nabawi appears on the screen, addressing the cowered assailant: "Afraid? For sure, because you're a coward. Next time, she'll teach you a hard lesson. No-one will be allowed to harass Egypt." As el-Nabawi's image fades, the motto of the campaign fills the screen, declaring: "Together to combat inhuman deeds."
