Why Did Cairo Get Dubbed as the ‘Most Dangerous City for Women’?
BBC conducted a survey in 19 megacities (over 10 million people) where experts on women’s issues were asked about how well women were protected from sexual violence. The poll ranked London as the megacity that is most friendly to women, followed by Tokyo and Paris.
The following piece of news is not shocking by any means, but the city that triumphed and topped that list was, indeed, Cairo. Egyptian journalist, Shahira Amin, said “everything about the city was difficult for women.” “Something as simple as walking down the street could expose a woman to harassment and abuse of all kinds,” she stressed.
Women’s rights advocates in Cairo blame centuries-old traditions for the discrimination, that turns any progressive steps into helping women an extremely difficult feat.
Thousands of women are identifying themselves as victims of sexual harassment or assault with the #MeToo hashtag, following a call to action led by Charmed actress Alyssa Milano, in the wake of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein’s downfall over allegations of sexual misconduct spanning decades. Naturally, Egyptian women took part in that trending hashtag.
The astonishing amount of Egyptian women who participated in the hashtag, backed up the fact that nearly all women who live in Egypt have experienced some sort of sexual harassment, is sickening.
When will this stop? Does Cairo have to be dubbed as the “most dangerous megacity for women” for us to acknowledge this problem?
Awareness campaigns, tougher laws, and massive changes in our culture need to be implemented as soon as possible in the hopes that one day it puts an end to the sad, ongoing sexual harassment that Egyptian women experience on a daily basis.
