The National Council for Women has called for the elimination of sexual harassment from Egyptian streets during the next Eid al-Fitr.
The council called in a statement for a "safe holiday free of the harassment of women and girls" on next Eid al-Fitr, asserting the right of all women and girls to spend the holiday in a safe atmosphere.
The council is preparing a task force during the holiday period for receiving harassment complaints. The task force will be coordinating with the Interior Ministry's Unit to Combat Violence against Women to ensure rapid intervention in cases of harassment, said council President Maya Morsi.
The police, working with lawyers from the council, will intensify their presence in the streets, squares and parks to arrest harassers and provide legal support to the victims.
The 2014 Constitution included more than 20 articles for Egyptian women, most notably Article 11, which stipulates that "the state is committed to protecting women from all forms of violence," Morsi said.
She added that in 2014, Article 306 bis (a) of the Penal Code was amended to expressly provide a specific definition of sexual harassment and criminalize it.
The amended article stated that sexual harassment is punishable by imprisonment for not less than six months or a fine of between LE3,000 and LE5,000, Morsi noted.
