"Your Silence is Harassment" is the name of the most recent campaign fighting against sexual harassment in Egypt, specifically condemning the passive role of bystanders who don't stand up for women experiencing sexual harassment.
Launched by Egyptian photographer Marwa Ragheb, along with Nourhan Mohamed and Nour Sabry, two graduates of the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts, the series of powerful photos aims to shake up societal norms and shed light on the ongoing issue through staged occurrences of harassment in markets, public transportation and workplaces.
“The idea wasn’t hard to build because sexual harassment is an epidemic that we all suffer from in our daily commutes, and women are always the ones blamed, even when they try to defend themselves or take legal action against a certain incident,” Nourhan Mohammed, a model, and one of the masterminds behind "Your Silence is Harassment" campaign, told Egypt Independent.
“We wanted to send a message that harassment does not happen because of how women dress, or how they look, as we can see, it happens to all women of all ages, even toddlers. It keeps on happening because people are silent about it,” Mohammed said.
The descriptive scenes showed how even women wearing the Islamic headscarf, as well as others who are unveiled, are subjected to harassment on streets, and in public transportations.
Nourhan and her team, with the help of Mohamed El Hagrassy, a director, believed that depicting the real life scenarios through acting and still photography on social media can be the most relatable way for viewers to grasp their message. The team, which includes actors and actresses who are interested in projects that tackle women issues, had previously worked together on a project to shed light on domestic violence against women last year.
The campaign depicted the silent bystanders with theirs mouths taped closed, labeling them as partners-in-crime with the harassers.
“All of the scenarios are real, we faced them, our friends did too, yet people are always mute, deaf and blind about it as it happens. The campaign is condemning this very act of silence. If you see someone harassing a girl, stop him. We can defend ourselves, but you should take a stance too,” Mohamed added.
Here are more photos from the "Your Silence is Harassment" campaign:
