Maria’s note: Enough is enough

I am not Egyptian, but I live in Egypt. And I truly love this country; people’s hospitality, the atmosphere, the hidden places, the music, el foul we altaameya, the thousand-year-old traditions, the continuous surprises, the variety…almost everything about it. But there is something I profoundly dislike; something that can suddenly ruin the most pleasant day.

I would like to make use of my space here to publically condemn a situation that affects me and every single woman I know in Cairo. This reality has been denounced millions of times, on the Internet, through personal accounts, in the streets, on the media and through direct campaigns: sexual harassment in Egypt.  And although we keep hearing denounces about it every day and everywhere, the problem seems to never get better.

Nevertheless, sexual harassment is not just one more problem in Egyptian society. It is a main issue that needs to be tackled and solved, as soon as possible. The new government, as democratic as it says it is, should take care of this matter; it is a daily drama for many women, and as such, it should be a priority in their political agenda. Major legal measures are needed as well as proper education. 

Every day we wake up to new enterprises whose main target is to end sexual harassment in Egypt. The most known is probably HarassMap, an online platform that helps women to report assaults from wherever they are. Gladly, lately we can see a lot more of these initiatives, something absolutely positive. Every move to raise awareness about this problem should be welcome, as long as it deals with the issue seriously.

I am with those women who want to raise their voices and say no to harassment. I believe that in order to end it, we must denounce and report the situation, and not to let it pass. Thousands of Egyptian women are willing to march and fight for their rights, but they need help from the government, from different organizations and from men.

Let him know that woman could be his mother, his sister, his daughter or his wife.