Sexual harassment incidents have increased remarkably on the second day of Eid al-Adha holiday, inspite of a reported decline on Saturday, the first day of Eid, "I Saw Harrasment" initiative said Monday, citing absence of intesified security measures as the reason.
"I Saw Harassment", a local initiative launched in 2013 to counter sexual harassment and abuse, announced Thursday it would be active during Eid al-Adha holiday in Cairo and Kafr el-Sheikh governorates.
Downtown Cairo witnessed 34 cases of sexual harassment, 25 of which were verbal, eight were physical, and one was a case of group harassment, the initiative added in a report published on its website.
The most significant was a case of mass harassment at the Gamal Abdel Nasser Metro station, where the initiative was urged by a distress call they received to rescue two girls subjected to physical sexual harassment at the station.
"I Saw Harassment" had reported Sunday a decline in sexual harassment incidents on Saturday, the first day of Eid al-Adha holiday, adding that the reported incidents were of verbal harassment only.
The initiative had cited heavy security presence and the low numbers of citizens occupying public places and parks, particularly the areas of Downtown Cairo and Talaat Harb Square, as reasons for reduced sexual harassment on Saturday.
It emphasised that the reported decline was not an indicator of lower sexual harassment crime rates or deterred predators, but rather a reinforcement of the role of security presence in the capital's centre in crime reduction.
However, it reported "weak" security presence on the second day since the morning and until around five in the evening.
Security forces have almost completely "disappeared" from the "Sanaa" garden in Kafr el-Sheikh governorate, except for a few secret police members who witnessed "many" incidents of harassment, but did not intervene to prevent them, the initiative added.
Holiday seasons in Egypt have become associated with a peak in sexual violence and mass incidents of harassment and rape.
Egypt's National Council for Women (NCW) had launched Thursday a hotline for receiving harassment reports from women during Eid al-Adha holiday.
Complaints could be placed using the hotline number – 08008883888 – from 10 am to 10 pm during the holiday.
NCW would cooperate with the unit of combating violence against women at the ministry of interior to ensure swift intervention in cases of harassment, Head of the council Mervat Talawi said.
Security measures will be stepped up during Eid to arrest sexual harassers, and the NCW shall provide legal assistance to women who file lawsuits against their predators, Talawi added.
A study by UN Women in 2013 found that 99.3 percent of Egyptian women and girls reported having been subjected to verbal or physical harassment.
This content is from: Aswat Masriya
