María’s note: Tahrir Bodyguard, an initiative against sexual harassment in Cairo

Tahrir Bodyguard is a group that was established through a Twitter account in late 2012 as a response to sexual assault and harassment during demonstrations in Tahrir Square. Scoop Empire recently met with a representative of Tahrir Bodyguard to discuss the group’s plans for the second anniversary of the 25 January, 2011 uprising, as well as how it hopes to tackle sexual harassment in Egypt beyond Tahrir Square in the future.

How did Tahrir Bodyguard begin?

TB: The group began as one woman’s rather spontaneous response to a frustration and difficulty we all face when taking to the streets with other Egyptians. A half-Egyptian, this woman was preparing to join in demonstrations, but was held back by her fear of being assaulted. She channeled these emotions by creating the Tahrir Bodyguard account on Twitter. What she didn’t realize in that moment was what a significant act this was and the account quickly gained many followers and overwhelming support from men and women, Egyptians and non-Egyptians alike.

What is your current goal?

TB: Our primary goal is to make Tahrir Square and all places of demonstration safe spaces for women. The voices and actions of women were central to the fall of Mubarak and we want to ensure that women continue to feel comfortable publicly expressing their views in open spaces alongside with their fellow countrymen. To do this, our members patrol protest areas and intervene when they see potential sexual assaults taking place. Men and women can also send us Tweets to alert us about areas that seem unsafe or where an assault is occurring. We hope that as more people are aware of our presence (and the presence of similar groups) during demonstrations, they will be deterred from committing sexual assaults.

We are always recruiting male and female volunteers and especially plan to have a large Tahrir Bodyguard presence in the Square this Friday for the second anniversary of 25 January. We encourage everyone to email us at tahrir.bodyguard@gmail.com to find out how they can get involved.

When the protests come to an end, do you plan to continue working?

TB: The issue that Tahrir Bodyguard is addressing is one that has its roots far beyond Tahrir Square or political demonstrations. Women should always feel comfortable to express themselves and walk free of fear in public spaces. We aim to have this movement be one that promotes an overall culture that rejects and fights all forms of sexual harassment. We are a young organization and are currently focused on demonstration zones, but with continued dedicated membership we may be able to take more widespread action in the future.

What else needs to be done in the area of tackling sexual harassment?

Many Egyptians are opposed to sexual harassment, but we need to do more to raise our voices and take unified action to address this issue. The more that people join groups like ours, discuss harassment with family and friends, and vocally denounce it when they see it occurring, the closer we will be to reversing these trends. Awareness raising campaigns and community organization are a start that will hopefully lead to more legal action being taken to protect women and punish perpetrators.

Find them on Twitter ( @TahrirBodyguard) and Facebook.