To speak up against harassment is the first step towards beating it
No two persons can argue about harassment being among the worst social ills on the Egyptian street. Women: young and old, modestly or immodestly dressed, serious or frivolous, have all been almost regular victims of some form or other of harassment. Verbal or physical, harassment is demeaning and shattering for self-esteem.
Egyptian women and men have been increasingly taking active stances against harassment. There have been public protests against it, and public seminars, programmes, and declarations condemning it. Yet harassers never appeared to take the protest seriously.
To the point
“I wont shut up on harassment”, is the most recent effort to fight harassment.
My first encounter with the campaign was by pure coincidence, as a commuter on the Cairo metro. A young woman distributed leaflets of a printout of the blog I won’t shut up on harassment. It was written in simple, straightforward vernacular Arabic that was directly to-the-point. Excerpts of the blog go along the lines:
Did you know that Egypt before the January 2011 Rrevolution was among the worst countries in the world where sexual harassment was concerned? D’you think we already reached the first place, or fast getting there?
But first, do you know what sexual harassment is?
Harassment may begin with ogling, an activity many young men consider their birthright, and go on to verbal harassment, touching and groping.
A little fun!
Come on, be cool! We’re just in for a little bit of fun. What’s the problem now?
There is a problem, but few understand. Did you ever hear of psychsomatic illnesses? These are psychologically induced diseases: headaches, insomnia, hair loss, stomach ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, or even hypertension. Many women suffer from such illnesses; you know why?
Because they usually are exposed to psychological pressure; women today do not feel safe outside their homes; they are scared to walk in the street since they know they would more often than not be offended.
Did you ever think that when you harass any woman, or even keep your distance if one is harassed, this might bring on a perplexing illness?
But girls like to be harassed!
Unfortunately, many men think so. But if you are really convinced that this is so, you should thank the first man who harasses your sister or your fiancee because, come on! he’s made her happy.
Who’s to blame?
But its the women who are to blame. They dress so indecently.
Let’s agree on one thing: decency is wonderful. But what is decency? For one, it is relative; it varies under one or another weather; one or another place, or one or another person. Are you playing God to judge on a woman’s decency? And even if a woman behaves indecently, why should you respond by behaving immorally?
So, what should I do?
If you already engage in harassment, you ought to directly stop doing so.
And if you are no harasser, please don’t look the other way when any woman is harassed and you happen to be there. Whatever happened to the chivalry of the good old days?
WATANI International
16 September 2012