ASMAA FATHI

Cairo- Since Egypt does not have a comprehensive law that prohibits violence against women, more women are subjected to violence in the country every day. Egyptian feminist activists say gender-based violence has become systematic in the country and warn women against it. “Many Egyptian women were unaware that they were subjected to violence both in the public or private spheres. In the past, women were only threatened, but now they are murdered,” said Najwa Ramadan, director of the Edraak Foundation for Development and Equality (EFDE).

“Social media platforms play an important role”

Pointing out that the gender-based violence rate in the country increases every year, Najwa Ramadan said, “Social media platforms play an important role in mobilizing support for victims of violence. The Prosecutor General, Public Prosecution Offices and NGOs play an important role in providing legal support to victims and launching investigations into such crimes as soon as they are posted on social platforms. The government should develop protection mechanisms for women and girls.”

“I was threatened for years”

Asmaa Hamid, the founder of the Barra Al Sour initiative, noted that Egyptian women are subjected to psychological and physical violence when they reject men's marriage proposals. She spoke about her personal experience. She was threatened for 11 years after she ended her engagement. “He was much older than me and I ended my engagement with him. He followed me wherever I went for many years. He beat my friends and threatened me to share my photographs on social media platforms.”

“Violence among young people increases”

Nahed Emara, psychologist at the Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance (CEWLA foundation), emphasized that male violence has existed in Egypt for years but has been increasing in recent years. “Some men do not accept 'no' to their proposals and threaten women in different ways. They try to force young women into marriage. Violence among young people increases. The Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance has offered Egyptian women legal support and assistance regarding their rights under the Egyptian Constitution. Since its foundation, it has held many awareness-raising workshops,” she told NuJINHA.

It is worth noting that the Edraak Foundation for Development and Equality (EFDE) has released a report on gender-based violence recently. According to the report, the foundation documented 813 cases of violence in 2021, compared to about 415 cases in 2020.