Female MB Representative Supports FGM

In a move that is raising a great many questions, Azza El Garf, a female representative in the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, has expressed her support for the practice known as Female Genital Mutilation.

In Egypt's post-revolution parliament, female representatives make up a meagre 1 percent of legislatures currently serving. Of this 1%, El Garf is a prominent figure. Her recent comments on FGM shed distinctive light on what the potential future for women in Egypt may be shaping up to be.

The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice party made headway with voters during initial voting rounds by promoting their family friendly ideals and their staunch support of Islamic Shariah as the primary source of legislation. For months now, liberal thinkers and women have speculated on how the FJPs domination in the parliament could potentially reverse the small milestones achieve by women in Egypt. With this parliament dominated by men, the little hope remained in the 1 percent female representation to stand firm in the progress made in the past few years. El Garf's comments serve as an indication that even these women may not be the defenders of women's rights they were hoped to be.

Commenting on the current perception of women in parliament, El Garf says: "People here think women can be a doctor, go to university, be a teacher or an engineer ... But people still think 'women are no good at politics.' We want to change this view."

In what initially appears to be a clear statement that women are here to express their ability to play a crucial role in politics, El Garf goes on to comment on the individual rights that women in Egypt have won over the past few years.

One of these was a ban imposed in 2008 on female castration, or genital mutilation.

"It is a personal decision and each woman can decide based on her needs. If she needs it, she can go to a doctor," El Garf says. She further highlights that according to the Muslim Brotherhood, the procedure is considered a beautification plastic surgery.

The World Heath Organization defines FGM as:  "procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons." It goes on to say that the procedure has no health benefits for girls or women.

The practice of FGM is in itself contentious. Many traditional societies believe that through FGM, the purity of a young girl can be preserved by removing the unclean portion of her genitals. Others believe that removing the clitoris prevents a woman from have sexual urges, thereby ensuring she will not be tempted to engage in illicit sexual behaviour. The list of negative repercussions it can cause to a woman are endless, and include but are not limited to: cysts, infections, infertility, and in some cases death. FGM is primarily carried out on younger girls, mostly before the age of 15.

Despite this, El Garf's opinion is that a girl should have the right to choose to mutilate her genitals or not. But the question here is, how many young girls aged 1-15 will fully understand the repercussions? To provide a girl with the right to make a choice will require educating her on the potential impact later on in life, does this then mean El Garf is suggesting launching earlier sex education for women to be able to make an informed decision on FGM?

More worrying are El Garf's statements on divorce. Many women in Egypt, particularly Muslim women, are forced to suffer long and troublesome marriages, oftentimes in an abusive situation. In what at the time was considered a land-mark move, in 2005 the Egyptian courts passed a law permitting a Muslim woman the right to file for a 'no-fault' divorce without first needing the permission of her husband or a male relative. El Garf believes these have allowed the legislation surrounding divorce to become too "lax," and supports the imposition of more stringent conditions for divorce. She does not clarify if this means that the husband's permission will first be required for any woman to file for a divorce, nor anything about women facing abusive husbands.

As the FJP continues to solidify its hold in the Egyptian political arena, comments such as those made by El Garf are becoming more frequent. Feminists in Egypt have much to worry about upon seeing a woman verbally trample on the minor rights they have long and hard fought for. Many of those who fought hard to bring 30 years of dictatorship to an end are now asking themselves, "is this the democracy we fought and died for?"

To read more on El Garf, click here.

Egyptians Need Not Apply

In the past few days I have seen a few different postings on various Hurghada sites commenting on the need to be attractive for a few different things. One was a job description, in which the company put at the top of their requirements, must speak Polish and be good looking. With such a subjective requirement as being part of the job, I have to wonder how many people read the description and move on for fear that they might not meet the 'good looking' requirement. I had to ask the original poster, and his response was simply "being good looking is a requirement in all facets of life isn't it?"

Perhaps this is what is so wrong with society these days. In Egypt, women of a Western persuasion will deal with harassment on a daily basis ranging from cat calls to the more violating, yet thankfully infrequent, groping or flashing experiences. As Islamists continue to gain more control in the political arena throughout the country, it is not surprising to hear rhetoric being thrown around of imposed veiling, morality police, and the like. So this is all well and good on paper, but then when you see things like "good looking" as part of a job description, it completely polarizes the majority of potential employees. It may as well say "veiled and over-weight women need not apply." It takes advantage of the image people have of Western women in Hurghada (that is, we are all easy and overly-friendly), and uses to the advantage of the company the sexually driven desires most Egyptian men have when speaking with a foreign woman. Talk about a double standard.

With this in mind, I ran into this flyer posted on facebook:

Yes, that does say "Face and dress control." Again, a completely subjective method of permitting entrance. Does this translate to "if you're ugly don't even bother?" Even more questionable is with the stringent couples and dress code policies that are portrayed by the night clubs in Hurghada, why entering these establishments does not live up to the expectations. Any single woman can expect to be accosted by the men in there hoping for their one foreign fling, as we all bear the scarlet letter of harlot being from the West.

Is it not about time that these ostracizing stereotypes be addressed in Egypt? Perhaps the worry of an imposed hijab is not all that women in Egypt should be mindful of. Perhaps a bigger question we should be asking, is if Egyptian women find themselves with an imposed hijab written into the legislation, how much further is this going to push Western women living in Egypt onto the outskirts and cause harassment to skyrocket?

In a town like Hurghada which makes the majority of its income from tourism, this concern should be at the forefront of many business owners’ minds. Further alienating the foreign population, specifically the foreign female population, may actually end up back-firing on them and seeing a reduction in business rather than a surge in good-looking entrants.  If conservative ideals and subsequently conservative dress continues to spread throughout Egypt, Hurghada may find itself facing a long and up-hill battle to un-do the years of polarization foreign women have been subjected to. After all, if all the foreign women leave, the over-sexed men may have no choice but to turn to hijabis for their next "good-looking" endeavour.

Women in Egypt march for their rights

Yesterday marked International Women's Day. As women around the world contemplated how their roles in society have evolved over the past 100 years, women in Egypt were fighting to see the rights they long struggled for remain firmly in place.

The increasing number of Islamists in the Egyptian Parliament is giving many women in Egypt a reason to be worried. As many Salafists MPs have announced they would never back a female presidential candidate, and hold the potential of restricting women's role in society, Egyptian women fear that their margin of freedom in the country might be coming to an end.

Thursday saw women in Cairo take to the streets to demand their freedom and their rights. As March 16th marks Egyptian Women's day, the next week is sure to carry many headlines of women campaigning throughout the country.

Below is an article by MSNBC, commenting on the uphill battle that women in Egypt may face in the coming months as we all watch with bated breath to see just how much more power the Islamists will be afforded.


By Charlene Gubash

CAIRO, Egypt – International Women's Day took on special meaning for the more than 1,000 Egyptian women who braved harassment to march through downtown Cairo Wednesday.

The demonstration was sparked by the belief of many women that the recent political victories by socially conservative Islamists, who now control over 70 percent of the parliament, will eventually undermine the few hard-fought rights they have won.

“The situation is going backward,” complained flight attendant Nadia Salim. “The Salafists (conservative Islamists who believe in a strict interpretation of Sharia law and that women should have a limited role in society) and Muslim Brotherhood will bring us back 100 years.”

Trying to preserve existing rights

The women said they took to the streets not to gain more rights, but to preserve those they already enjoy.  "We have to hold onto what we have because of the Salafists and Islamists," warned university professor Iman Azzad.

Their main demand is that women should make up half of the committee that will draft Egypt's new constitution.  Women fear that the Islamist majority will take away their right to divorce and to win custody of their children

"Women are half of society," said Salim. "Why shouldn’t we form half of the constitutional committee?"

Activist Dina Abou El Soud said she had heard that the country’s judges had plans for women to make up only a 10 percent of the panel shaping Egypt's next constitution. She believes women's rights will be the first thing to be sacrificed in order to please the Islamist majority.

It’s a sea change from the ousted regime of President Hosni Mubarak, when women were guaranteed 64 parliamentary seats.  In the latest post-revolutionary elections, the quota was eliminated and women won only five seats.  "The other seats went to the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists," said El Soud, co-founder of the Revolutionary Women's Coalition, which has 4,000 members on Facebook.

 "We are going backward, backward and backward," she added as she passed out fliers in English and Arabic. "It is time to make a women's revolution”

El Soud also said that Islamists are trying to discredit existing women's rights by suggesting they were imposed by the Mubarak regime, deriding them as "Suzanne Mubarak's Laws,” the name of the former first lady.

"It’s ridiculous. They are international women's rights that we have gained,” she said.

Ready for drastic measures

Considering what Egypt's roughly 40 million women stand to lose, Wednesday's turnout was miniscule. Mahy al Aref, a well-dressed pharmacy graduate, said the small crowd was probably due “a lack of educational awareness.”

She said she is worried about putting her German university degree to good use in an increasingly conservative society, a concern shared by her mother, Magda al Akkad, who runs an NGO. "I am worried because of the Islamist direction,” she said. “They have their ideas. I don't know where it will go, but I don't think they will be fair to women in general."

Al Akkad said she said she can foresee a day when Egypt would become unlivable for her and her daughter.  "If fanatics rule, I will leave this country,” she declared.

Maadi thugs use stun guns to attack females

Reposting from Simply LeAnne, for all women in and around Maadi please watch out for this gang. When possible, avoid walking alone, as it is evident that daylight does not deter these men.

Watch out for a dark blue Mitsubishi with three males around the age of 25-30-years-old who are now using a stun gun to attack.

Photo Source: youoffendmeyouoffendmyfamily.com

It’s no secret that crime rate has skyrocketed in Egypt post-revolution, but the petty thefts that were occurring seem to have taken a new, dangerous tone.

In the Maadi area around Sakanat, Mustafa Kamel and Road 13 there are three stories that are similar and confirmed, but last night a new twist was added.

There is a car with men patrolling this area looking for easy targets: women. The other day, a woman was standing near her friend’s home with her purse strapped across her shoulders when a car pulled up pretending to park. All of the sudden, the guys jumped out and pushed the female to the ground and attempted to take her purse. A group of drivers were nearby and came to the woman’s aid and the culprits immediately jumped in the car, unsuccessful in their attempt, and drove away. Escalation #1: The thugs saw the other men standing nearby and were not deterred.

It gets worse. Last night (November 15) a car with the same MO (although it could be a group of people committing the same actions with various cars) was scouting the same area. The car is a dark blue Mitsubishi with three males around the ages of 25-30 years old. The attack happened at 11 am, but the daylight bit with all the people on the street isn’t even the worst part. The worst part is that now a stun gun is being used. The female was attacked by a stun gun while the men attempted to get her in the car. Unsuccessful, they tried for her purse and ended up dragging her from Road 13 to Mustafa Kamel street. They did get her purse and she is currently in the hospital. My thoughts and prayers go out to her.

Another similar, but unsuccessful attempt was made on another woman in the same area.

The problem is that despite onlookers being present, the thugs seem to have no qualms about executing their actions. God only knows what would have happened to this poor woman should they have gotten her inside their car. The more worrisome aspect is that now a stun gun is being used.

This is one of the many problems post-revolution and it will only get worse as elections near. When many of you watched from afar the media reports, you saw stones being thrown and sticks being used as weapons. Now it is relatively easy to find artillery and the like. In fact, I’ve seen an AK-47 and hand grenades just lying about at a house. The EVEN MORE worrisome aspect is that people don’t know how to properly use this equipment which makes me fearful of the violence that could ensue during elections or in the likely event that the elections are delayed again, the out lash from various people.

Ladies, please begin keeping some weapon on you at all times. Even if you don’t believe in a weapon per se for fear it might be used against you, please have some self-defense gear ready and don’t expect the men on the street to come to your defense. It isn’t that they won’t, but don’t count on it. And if you can avoid it, do not walk alone.

What is happening Egypt?

Since the January 25th Revolution, Egypt has been different. A natural occurrence for a post-revolution state; politicians are resigning, corrupt officials are being arrested, the people feel they hold the power, and criminals run amok.

Oh I'm sorry, is that last option not one that we're supposed to discuss? Because that certainly seems to be the stream of thought in many outlets. Embassies will ignore reports of rape, police will sit with their hands tied when cars are stolen, criminal gangs who have robbed, attacked, shot at, and terrorised people remain free. And where is the coverage of these events? Why are people continuing about their every day lives, all be it a little more tense, as though everything were normal?

The image that people are being fed of Egypt today is a country of progressive change and the natural ups and downs of transition to "democracy." It still seems that for the outside world, Tahrir is the window into Egypt. The reality on the inside is different - drastically so.

Just over one month ago now, I heard a horrible story of a woman, we'll call her B [name changed for privacy reasons], being attacked in the desert near Mubarak 2. B had been out walking her dogs, when a group of 5 men, some with swords for weapons, ambushed her. They robbed her of all her possessions, stole her car, and attempted to rape her. Had these 5 men not been interrupted by another person walking their dogs in the desert, I dread to think what might have happened.

B has been understandably terrified. She went through what she thought were all the right avenues to ensure that this gang would be apprehended. She spent hours in the police station recalling the details of her attackers. Any woman who has tried to report a sex crime in Egypt will know, it is ALWAYS the woman's fault. It does not matter how the attack happened, it does not matter if you were an unsuspecting victim. B was told that she should not have been walking her dogs in the desert and it was her own fault that she was attacked. She was even told "you have a garden, just let your dogs go there." The concept of actually walking a dog for exercise is foreign to many Egyptians.

This is where B had her car parked in the desert by Calypso

One would hope that the police, with B's accurate description of her attackers in hand [see below], would canvass the neighbourhood. Canvass they did, but not to uncover the gang of men. They went around to Bs housekeeper, asking if it was common for her to have male visitors. They wanted to establish a pattern whereby in Egypt B would be considered a whore, thereby ensuring that she herself must have somehow prompted the attack.

B did not give up there. The day of the attack, while B was still stuck at the police station, her friend phoned the German Consul Peter Ely. B was then informed via SMS of a meeting that she should attend, which she was unable to as she was still stuck in the police station. B herself sent an email to the German Consul, who then forwarded her complaint to the German Embassy in Cairo. The embassy was impudent; they blamed B for not having attended the meeting that she was clearly instructed to attend by an embassy employee. Yet no such employee ever contacted her.

Many people would call it quits here. B did not. She tried to contact media, nobody would pick up her story.

She has taken her story to the internet, and a group was created for people residing in Hurghada to tell their experiences here. The group is designed to shatter the image that has been created for people intent on visiting Hurghada, "All is well, all is safe, have no fear."

As long as it was only local residents being attacked - and let me note that B's incident is not isolated, there are many reports of burglaries, car jackings, purse snatching, and theft that run rampant in the streets - the government saw no reason to alarm tourists. Local residents have continued to post their information in the new Hurghada news group, and were sadly not shocked to learn that the gang that attacked B struck again two nights ago.

This time is was a German tourist and his 17 year old daughter who became the victims.

The 2 were being driven on the outer Ring Road of Hurghada when a silver Hyundai Elantra approached their car on the side. They attempted to get the car to pull over. When the driver did not stop the car, the passenger travelling in the Elantra pulled out a gun and attempted to shoot out the tires of the German's car. The Elantra continued to try and push the car into the desert. After an 8 km chase, 2 trucks appeared in the distance which prompted the Elantra to speed off.

As soon as this information was posted in Hurghada news, it became evident that this gang was the same gang as had attacked B. Down to the final details: one of the 5 men wears a white and checkered headscarf.

Sadly, as the reality is in Egypt, both stories have already been warped by rumours. I have been told that B was attacked in any number of locations throughout Hurghada. Having just spoken to her, I can confirm that she was attacked in the desert between Mubarak 2 and the street that Calypso lies on.

This blog is a message. To those living in Egypt and those hoping to visit. Despite what the media might be trying to tell you (or rather, not tell you), do not forget that there are still many criminals unaccounted for. The trade in illicit guns has spiked drastically since this time last year. Egypt is not the safe haven it once used to be. Don't be stupid, stay alert and aware. Keep your doors and windows locked at night, and do NOT engage anyone in the streets.


Here is B's description of her attackers.

Description of the perpetrators of 13 June 2011.

5 young men aged around 20 -25 years.
Size: 1.75 - 1.80 m; slim
4 of the criminals were wearing normal casual wear, jeans and T-shirts, very clean.

1 - probably the boss of the gang - was wearing military clothing (camouflage French or American) and a beige vest. His head was covered with a headscarf Palestinian style (Yasser Arafat wore this pattern). It was bound as it is often seen on quad safaris. His skin colour: light brown, large hanging eyes, thin face, thin beard around the mouth and chin.

2 of the criminals were armed with swords. The swords had a length of 90 cm and were wavelike jagged, Color: matt silver.

Model of the stolen cars: Daewoo Lanos, built in 2004, with anthracite bright sun spots on hood and trunk lid, car license plates: ط ر د ٢٥٣٤


Below are some links with more information on the current situation in Egypt: 

Interior ministry: Police cracking down on crime, searching for 110,000 suspects and fugitives

Gun policy and figures [these figures start from a few years back - pay attention to the government figures, many of these guns were stolen during the revolution]

Arms trade in Egypt reflects revenge culture

Arms thriving in Upper Egypt [and the number of Upper Egyptians living in Hurghada has increased exponentially..coincidence?]

You may request an invite to the Hurghada news group here.

And for women, find information on how to avoid harrassment and MAKE YOUR OWN PEPPER SPRAY here. 

Virginity tests on Egyptian protesters

This is just sickening. There is no other way to describe such atrocities. Source

Cairo (CNN) -- A senior Egyptian general admits that "virginity checks" were performed on women arrested at a demonstration this spring, the first such admission after previous denials by military authorities.
The allegations arose in an Amnesty International report, published weeks after the March 9 protest. It claimed female demonstrators were beaten, given electric shocks, strip-searched, threatened with prostitution charges and forced to submit to virginity checks.
At that time, Maj. Amr Imam said 17 women had been arrested but denied allegations of torture or "virginity tests."
But now a senior general who asked not to be identified said the virginity tests were conducted and defended the practice.
"The girls who were detained were not like your daughter or mine," the general said. "These were girls who had camped out in tents with male protesters in Tahrir Square, and we found in the tents Molotov cocktails and (drugs)."
Egypt under fire for 'virginity tests' Mubarak attorney discusses accusations Military 'Justice' in the new Egypt
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The general said the virginity checks were done so that the women wouldn't later claim they had been raped by Egyptian authorities.
"We didn't want them to say we had sexually assaulted or raped them, so we wanted to prove that they weren't virgins in the first place," the general said. "None of them were (virgins)."
This demonstration occurred nearly a month after Egypt's longtime President Hosni Mubarak stepped down amid a wave of popular and mostly peaceful unrest aimed at his ouster and the institution of democratic reforms.
Afterward, Egypt's military -- which had largely stayed on the sidelines of the revolution -- officially took control of the nation's political apparatus as well, until an agreed-upon constitution and elections.
Mubarak denies ordering shootings
The March 9 protest occurred in Tahrir Square, which became famous over 18 historic and sometimes bloody days and nights of protests that led to Mubarak's resignation.
But unlike in those previous demonstrations, the Egyptian military targeted the protesters. Soldiers dragged dozens of demonstrators from the square and through the gates of the landmark Egyptian Museum.
Salwa Hosseini, a 20-year-old hairdresser and one of the women named in the Amnesty report, described to CNN how uniformed soldiers tied her up on the museum's grounds, forced her to the ground and slapped her, then shocked her with a stun gun while calling her a prostitute.
"They wanted to teach us a lesson," Hosseini said soon after the Amnesty report came out. "They wanted to make us feel that we do not have dignity."
The treatment got worse, Hosseini said, when she and the 16 other female prisoners were taken to a military detention center in Heikstep.
There, she said, she and several of other female detainees were subjected to a "virginity test."
"We did not agree for a male doctor to perform the test," she said. But Hosseini said her captors forced her to comply by threatening her with more stun-gun shocks.
"I was going through a nervous breakdown at that moment," she recalled. "There was no one standing during the test, except for a woman and the male doctor. But several soldiers were standing behind us watching the backside of the bed. I think they had them standing there as witnesses."
The senior Egyptian general said the 149 people detained after the March 9 protest were subsequently tried in military courts, and most have been sentenced to a year in prison.
Authorities later revoked those sentences "when we discovered that some of the detainees had university degrees, so we decided to give them a second chance," he said.
The senior general reaffirmed that the military council was determined to make Egypt's democratic transition a success.
"The date for handover to a civil government can't come soon enough for the ruling military council," he said. "The army can't wait to return to its barracks and do what it does best -- protect the nation's borders. 

Rising harassment in Egypt

I read an article in Al-Masri al-Yawm today that discusses the increased incidents of harassment during the Egyptian Revolution. In the article it documents incidents of alleged harassment, ranging from inappropriate touching, to cat calls, to indecent exposure. Let it be said, that I do not think 'cat calls' should count as harassment, as if that's the case imagine what percentage of men in the West have harassed women. 

The indecent exposure and groping however, is just sad. People taking advantage of a situation that they should not be able to take advantage of. 

For women living in Cairo, or Egypt in general, the Web site mentioned below is one to bookmark. It frequently posts updates from women throughout the city on harassment, including taxi drivers who have inappropriately approached women, etc. 

In addition, ladies out on the streets take your safety into consideration at ALL times. A few simple rules can help reduce your chances of experiencing harassment on the streets. These include: 

1. Do not make eye contact with men in the streets. This is seen (particularly when it's coming from a Western woman) as an invitation by many men here. 
2. Pepper spray is not found in Egypt. However it is easy to make. All you need is 2 tbsp of hot red pepper or habanera pepper, 1 cup of vinegar OR rubbing alcohol, and a drop of Baby oil. Mix together all three (the pepper must be ground into a fine powder), and empty into a spray bottle. When sprayed into an attacker's eyes, the spray will temporarily blind him giving you the opportunity to get away. 
3. Carry your keys in your fist, with the jagged edges pointing out between your fingers. This way, if anyone tries to approach you, one swift hit with your fist will hurt them immensely, if not cut their face. 
4. No matter what the cat calls, do NOT engage these men. Doing so will only aggravate them further, and may end up putting you in a potentially dangerous situation. 
5. Always walk with your purse facing away from the road. This will help protect you from purse snatching and/or groping in an attempt to snatch your bag. 
6. NEVER ride in the front of taxis. I have heard far too many stories of taxi drivers copping a feel from an unsuspecting girl who sat in the front seat. 
7. If you are inappropriate touched, report it to the police. Although many people believe that the police will do nothing, one of the reasons that sexual harassment in Egypt goes unpunished is because women will not report it. In Middle Eastern cultures, rape and sexual harassment is generally seen as being brought on by the woman herself. As such, the shame women feel often prevents them from ever pursuing any justice. If you do not want to report it to the police, at least post on the website HarassMap.org. 
8. Remember that you are in a Muslim country. Dress appropriately. This means no cleavage, no daisy duke shorts, no skimpy outfits, etc. Dress the part, and you'll find your experiences in Egypt are much less stressful. 

These few simple tips can make a world of difference in avoiding harassment in the streets in Cairo. Even here in Hurghada harassment is up, despite the return of tourists to the town. Men here are simply capable of getting away with more, and accordingly push the boundaries further. Remember that you have the power to help prevent harassment. 

And without further ado, here is the article from Al-Masri al-Yawm. 

Photographed by other


Statistics gathered by an organization dedicated to decreasing sexual harassment in Egypt showed an increase in harassment during the revolution.

Egypt experienced a weak security presence during the 25 January revolution, which has since gradually reversed.

HarassMap is an organization and website created by female activists to shed light on dangers of harassment. The website, HarassMap.org, compiles complaints from women and girls via SMS or the internet, creating an online map of harassment cases.

The map showed Cairo had the biggest number of cases, followed by Alexandria and Upper Egypt.

In downtown Cairo, Maadi and along the corniche, the map compiled 39 incidents of harassment by touching.

Other cases included 20 cat calls, 22 incidents of ogling and nine cases of indecent exposure, in addition to other incidents.

Egyptian Women Protesters Forced to Take "Virginity Tests"

I...just don't know what to say! Makes me sick to my stomach.

EGYPTIAN WOMEN PROTESTERS FORCED TO TAKE ‘VIRGINITY TESTS’

Women were often at the forefront of the recent demonstrations in Egypt

© Demotix

23 March 2011

Amnesty International has today called on the Egyptian authorities to investigate serious allegations of torture, including forced ‘virginity tests’, inflicted by the army on women protesters arrested in Tahrir Square earlier this month.

After army officers violently cleared the square of protesters on 9 March, at least 18 women were held in military detention. Amnesty International has been told by women protesters that they were beaten, given electric shocks, subjected to strip searches while being photographed by male soldiers, then forced to submit to ‘virginity checks’ and threatened with prostitution charges.

‘Virginity tests’ are a form of torture when they are forced or coerced.

"Forcing women to have ‘virginity tests’ is utterly unacceptable. Its purpose is to degrade women because they are women," said Amnesty International. "All members of the medical profession must refuse to take part in such so-called 'tests'."

20-year-old Salwa Hosseini told Amnesty International that after she was arrested and taken to a military prison in Heikstep, she was made, with the other women, to take off all her clothes to be searched by a female prison guard, in a room with two open doors and a window.  During the strip search, Salwa Hosseini said male soldiers were looking into the room and taking pictures of the naked women.

The women were then subjected to ‘virginity tests’ in a different room by a man in a white coat. They were threatened that “those not found to be virgins” would be charged with prostitution.

According to information received by Amnesty International, one woman who said she was a virgin but whose test supposedly proved otherwise was beaten and given electric shocks.

“Women and girls must be able to express their views on the future of Egypt and protest against the government without being detained, tortured, or subjected to profoundly degrading and discriminatory treatment,” said Amnesty International.

“The army officers tried to further humiliate the women by allowing men to watch and photograph what was happening, with the implicit threat that the women could be at further risk of harm if the photographs were made public.”

Journalist Rasha Azeb was also detained in Tahrir Square and told Amnesty International that she was handcuffed, beaten and insulted.

Following their arrest, the 18 women were initially taken to a Cairo Museum annex where they were reportedly handcuffed, beaten with sticks and hoses, given electric shocks in the chest and legs, and called “prostitutes”.

Rasha Azeb could see and hear the other detained women being tortured by being given electric shocks throughout their detention at the museum. She was released several hours later with four other men who were also journalists, but 17 other women were transferred to the military prison in Heikstep

Testimonies of other women detained at the same time collected by the El Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence are consistent with Rasha Azeb and Salwa Hosseini’s accounts of beatings, electrocution and ‘virginity tests’.

“The Egyptian authorities must halt the shocking and degrading treatment of women protesters. Women fully participated in bringing change in Egypt and should not be punished for their activism,” said Amnesty International.

“All security and army forces must be clearly instructed that torture and other ill-treatment, including forced ‘virginity tests’, will no longer be tolerated, and will be fully investigated. Those found responsible for such acts must be brought to justice and the courageous women who denounced such abuses be protected from reprisals.”

All 17 women detained in the military prison were brought before a military court on 11 March and released on 13 March. Several received one-year suspended prison sentences. 

Salwa Hosseini was convicted of disorderly conduct, destroying private and public property, obstructing traffic and carrying weapons.

Amnesty International opposes the trial of civilians before military courts in Egypt, which have a track record of unfair trials and where the right to appeal is severely restricted.

Source. 

Women in the new Egypt

Considering that no women were involved in the drafting of the new constitutional amendments, this article from Al-Jazeera rings hauntingly true. This is unfortunately one aspect of the revolution that many women, particularly expat women such as myself, worried about as a by-product of the shift in leadership.

Some Egyptian women feel they are being left behind after the revolution [GALLO/GETTY]
Marwa Sharaf el-Din, an Egyptian law PhD candidate at Oxford University, will be in Tahrir Square this afternoon to perform Zajal, a popular traditional form of Arabic poetry.

"Do I have to be broken to be an oriental woman; do I have to always say 'yes' to be an Egyptian woman?" her satirical poem reads.

Music bands and other performers will be showcasing their talents in front of thousands of people who will march to Tahrir Square to mark International Women's Day, which takes place every year on March 8.

"Unlike the confrontational protests we had ... to topple the regime, this protest is more of a celebratory one. We want to celebrate the achievements we have accomplished so far in Egypt," Sharaf-el Din says.

"What we also want to do in today's rallies is remind the government that women make up half of the country, that we should be part of the decision-making in the new Egypt, that we can't go backwards."

A step back

The day before was a very disappointing one for women and women's rights activists across Egypt - when just one woman was included into the newly sworn-in cabinet.  Essam Sharaf, Egypt's new prime minister, has instead announced the creation of committee that deals with the advancement of women, formed under the supervision of the cabinet.

"I appreciate the prime minister's acknowledgement of women's role but I do not agree that this is the solution. I highly doubt this newly created committee will have any power," says Aalam Wassef, an online activist who has long campaigned for women's rights and says this new arrangement is "condescending to women".

"It's like saying you women can have your little committee while we men do the serious business."
Wassef will be present in Tahrir Square to distribute 10,000 flyers calling for gender equality that he and his friends have printed using their own money. They will also be distributing thousands of stickers that read: "Sally was martyred for both of us;" "My sister has the right to wear what she pleases;" "I am a provider and a caretaker, where am I from the social protection system."

Laila Mustafa, a veiled woman in her 40s, came across Wassef on Tahrir Square yesterday evening and offered help. She took 1,000 banners to distribute them among her neighbours in Boulaq el Dakroor, one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Cairo.

"I finished distributing all the banners and today I am coming to the square. I do not want to make demands for women. I just want to show presence.

"Today's demonstration is a good opportunity to show the government that we exist."

Picking their battles

Throughout the uprising, women were at the forefront of the street protests.
However, they have largely kept quiet about their gender rights in a country where they have faced rampant discrimination and received little legal protection against widespread violence and sexual abuse.

They were careful not to display any intention of wanting to advance one group's rights over those of another.
"We did not speak of our gender rights during these protests because it was not the right time. We spoke for the political and social rights of all Egyptians. If we were to campaign for our rights as women in parallel with the revolution's national goal, that would have been called political opportunism," says Hala Kamal, an assistant professor at Cairo University and a member of the Women in Memory Forum.

But only days into the post-Mubarak era, many women's rights activists have begun to feel suspicious that the national umbrella they rallied under, whose slogan was democracy, equality and freedom for all Egyptians, may be leaving them out.

Their disillusionment began when no women were selected by the military council to be among the 10-member constitutional committee responsible for making constitutional revisions.

Another disheartening setback that raises questions about the future of women's rights in Egypt is the return of sexual harassment to the streets.

Returning from the front lines

While the protests have been hailed for being harassment-free in a society infamous for widespread sexual harassment, Engy Gozlan, who works with HarassMap, an initiative that enables women to report sexual harassment via SMS, says sexual harassment incidents have returned to their pre-protests level. It is estimated that more than 80 per cent of Egyptian women have encountered sexual harassment.

Fears that the condition of Egyptian women could return to 'normal' after the uprising appear legitimate. After all, there have been several cases in history of uprisings that prove that "women can be used in a revolution and then told 'thank you, you can go back home,'" Wassef says.

Thus while the widespread participation of Egyptian women in the uprising can be considered "one more step towards women's empowerment, it should not hold expectations," says Marina Ottaway, the director of Carnegie Endowment's Middle East programme.

Reflecting on the Algerian national liberation struggle inthe 1960s, Ottaway says: "Francis Fanon, [one of the most influential writers on the Algerian struggle at the time], has argued that the war of independence has changed the relations between men and women and enhanced the participation of women in the public sphere."
"But as soon as the war ended and the revolutionary fervour was over, the old gender roles were reinstated. Old customs proved to be very entrenched and hard to change."

Moreover, Joost Hiltermann, who wrote extensively about Palestinian women's movements during the first Intifada which begun in the late 1980s, observed in 1991 that "despite women's activism, their social and political position in society has essentially remained the same".

Hitlermann, who is now the International Crisis Group's deputy programme director, says: "It is usually the case that during a national crisis, women play a very active political and social role because everyone is on the barricade. But, when the crisis is over, women return to their original roles."

From this perspective, Amal Abdel Hadi of the New Women Association in Egypt says that the recent marginalisation of Egyptian women following the uprising is an embodiment of a patriarchal society that is difficult to change.

"This is the default. This is what people were born into and this is how they work. No one wants to make an effort. No one believes in the cause of gender equality."

Exercising suffrage

Meanwhile, women's rights activist Hala Kamal is calling on people to look through the lens of Egypt's own history and reflect on the 1919 Egyptian uprising, which was characterised by the wide and unusual participation of women.

"The outcome of that uprising was incredible progress for women. It led to the establishment of the Egyptian Women Union in the 1920s and the pressure of new women movements increased through out the 1930s and 40s.
"So I am very optimistic that this revolution which, unlike the 1919 revolution, already includes well-established women's rights organisations, will be positive for women's rights."

She also argues that women's participation in building the future of Egypt has already started widening.
"Even the conservative discourse of the Muslim Brotherhood is now talking about including women in their Consultative Council. Keep in mind that I am talking about the most conservative party in Egypt."

On the no-woman constitutional committee, Kamal believes it does not provide adequate insight into the future of women's participation.

"The committee was formed with the specific task of amending articles related to elections and which do not address any gender issue. Also keep in mind that the people who formed this committee are the military, an institution that is already insensitive to gender issues."

She says that women's rights organisations should instead shift their focus to gaining representation in the upcoming general committees that will be formed in the coming weeks to change the whole constitution.
"This presents an opportunity for women to be part of devising new gender-sensitive legislation," Engy Gozlan says.

Women's coalitions are pushing for 30 per cent representation in these general committees. But for their efforts to be successful, Nevine Ebeid, a women's rights activist, says: "Women need to wake up now."

"We are still within the revolutionary fervour. The toppling of the regime is done, the changing of the government is done. This is the time for distributing the booty and women should be strongly present for that."

"If we do not push hard for our rights and lobby for our representation, our situation may regress to even [worse] than it was before the revolution."

With the dust of the uprising still unsettled, women's rights activists are well aware that, over the coming weeks, they will have to seize the moment and fight the battle for representation one institution at a time.
Their success or failure may set the course for how the women's rights scene will look like over the next decade.

Female Reporter Attacked In Cairo

As a female living in Egypt I am appalled and shocked to read the story of Lara Logan, a foreign journalist who was attacked on Friday the 11th. A day that has been marked as one that will forever change the course of Egyptian history. Marred by a story that is only just coming to light.

Egypt is trumped continuously as being a safe country to live in (past few weeks unrest aside). This is overall true. Particularly as a woman. There isn't a huge rate of rape in comparison to many countries in the West, and walking in the streets at night is relatively secure. Or at least, that's what people will tell you.

Generally speaking, I have felt safe in Egypt as a woman. That being said, I know not to take taxis on my own at night, I know to avoid certain areas in the country as a white woman on my own. I know not to engage strange men on the streets, particularly if they try to speak to me first. This is safety 101 when it comes to being an expat in Egypt. (**NOTE** Take an Egyptian man with you...and you'll never have problems!**)

I have spoken to many expat women who have lived in Egypt, who will mention the verbal harassment as being the highest form of threat they ever feel. I am truly happy for these women, as having to deal with any form of an attack is a frightening experience in itself.

Throughout my period in Egypt, I have experienced three circumstances when I truly felt fear. First, with my sister in the Friday Market when we were surrounded by men who were reaching and groping any area they could possibly reach. We were actually saved by three Egyptian men who then escorted us out of the area. Now, to be fair, we probably shouldn't have been in the Friday Market in the first place as foreign women, but, that does not excuse the behaviour.

My second experience was by far the most frightening. Walking in Maadi with a friend, and a car with two guys driving by and throwing petrol all over me. Thank God they did not light a match to follow. The two guys ended up stopping, I was punched twice, my friend had his nose broken. Completely unprovoked, police could do nothing.

Third experience was in a taxi, while the driver tried to take me into a secluded area in Cairo. Unfortunately for him, I knew where we were going, fortunately for me we stopped right outside a police station and the driver was promptly arrested.

Moral of the story, Egypt has been dealing with problems of sexual harassment for years. Directed both at foreigners and Egyptian women. The story of Lara Logan is horrifying, and serves as a reminder to Egyptians that the power to change your country does not lie solely within the hands of the government or the voices of the masses. The power to change your country lies with individuals. If you cannot change a person's way of thinking, corruption will never end, harassment will continue, bribes will continue to pass through unseen hands. Use your voice not just to express your discontent, but to stand up for those around you. If you see a woman being harassed, don't jump on the bandwagon or turn a blind eye, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Without attempting to change yourselves as individuals, don't expect society to change at all.

For those interested, here is Lara's story.

Taboo and Rape in Egypt

By Mona Eltahawy

The Jerusalem Report

Oct. 28, 2010

A WOMAN, COVERED head-to-toe in a black veil, appeared on Egyptian television this summer to drop a bombshell: two policemen, she said, had raped her.

It’s unclear if she normally wears the niqab, the face veil, or if it served to protect her anonymity. But there was no doubt that her allegation served as a sledgehammer to strike two of Egypt’s sorest spots of late: sexual assault and police brutality.

The latter has been the subject of outcry and unprecedented protest since Khaled Said, a young businessman, died on June 6 from what his family and witnesses say was a police beating. Two plainclothes police officers went on trial on July 27, charged with illegal arrest and excessive force.

Standing up to the police in a country that’s been under emergency law for 29 years comes with considerable risk. Said’s family says he was targeted after posting an online video allegedly showing police sharing the profit of a drug bust.

Reporting rape anywhere is difficult but in Egypt’s conservative culture, women keep quiet rather than risk arousing blame or humiliation, and at times rape again at a police station. In some cases, they risk being killed by a relative to rid the family of shame.

“I am sacrificing my reputation by telling the story... to protect every girl, every woman who may trust a police van. I tell them now, if you see a police van, you must be very careful,” she said. “I want the officials to know what policemen do to the people. Even now, I still can’t believe or comprehend that these were policemen.”

Her lawyer told the TV station a police investigation had recognized that the rape took place but didn’t identify the attackers as policemen. It’s unclear how her case has proceeded. Assailants in rape cases face sentences ranging from three years to life imprisonment. Marital rape is not illegal in Egypt.

Some 20,000 rapes are reported in Egypt each year, according to a state-run research center. But that figure is said to represent just 10 percent of the total number of victims. When I was a reporter in Cairo, psychiatrists were my source for information on sexual assaults. They are the ones rape survivors went to for help to cope.

Sexual assaults have been surfacing for a while, often with a background of police ineptitude or compliance. In 2005, hundreds of Egyptians staged an angry protest against the sexual harassment and assault of female activists and reporters by suspected government supporters. The women said police and security forces stood by, some shouting orders during the assaults.

Sexual assaults in downtown Cairo during a religious festival in 2006 forced Egypt to confront the consequences of its unchecked sexual harassment. Women said police did nothing as men tore off their clothes and headscarves, groping them and in some cases trying to rape them during the festival. The Interior Ministry denied the assaults even took place.

Bloggers at the scene posted photographs and videos of the assaults, pushing them onto the headlines and forcing a long-overdue reckoning. A number of draft laws dealing with sexual harassment are under consideration by Parliament but there is still nothing on Egypt’s statute books that specifically prohibits street harassment.

Later this year, a volunteer-run private venture, HarassMap, will be launched that will allow women to report street sexual harassment by sending an SMS to a centralized computer. They will receive a reply offering support and practical advice, and the reports will be used to build up a detailed and publicly available map of harassment hot spots that activists hope will shame authorities into taking greater action.

Attitudes toward rape across the Arab world generally are abysmal. The stigma – and often the law – is much harsher on the woman than on the rapist.

Two cases notorious for their miscarriage of justice clearly illustrate why most women who are raped keep quiet. In 2007, a Saudi woman who reported being gang-raped was sentenced to 200 lashes and imprisonment for being alone with a man. After an international outcry, the Saudi king pardoned her.

In June, a court in Abu Dhabi sentenced an 18-year-old Emirati woman to a year in prison for illicit sex after she reported that six men had gang-raped her. The court said that by agreeing to go for a drive with a male friend, a 19-year-old military police officer, she had consented to having sex with him.

The woman in niqab on Egyptian television understood the magnitude of what she was doing. Her tearful TV segment, which has gone viral on YouTube, stands to become as iconic as the harrowing footage in 2006 of policemen sodomizing bus driver Emad Kabir with a stick. Two bloggers posted that footage and two of the policemen were sentenced to three years in jail. Kabir’s testimony helped break the taboo around male rape in police custody.

The woman in niqab is helping break a taboo too, but neither she nor Egypt is ready for her to do so as publicly as Kabir, whose name we know and whose face was clearly visible as he screamed in pain in the footage of his rape.

All we know of the woman in niqab is that she is a grandmother.

She told that to the police she accuses of raping her as she pleaded with them to stop.

Tis a tickling white sensation...

One of the great things about living in a touristic area are the large parties that are thrown to keep the nightlife fresh and alive. One such party is held at Hurghada's Ministry of Sound three times a year...White Sensation. Moby has friend's visiting from Cairo, and as the White Sensation isn't a party that happens every week, many other Caireans also decided to make the trek up to Hurghada. But I'll get to that in a bit :p

I didn't realise that White Sensation was such a huge party, I thought it was another monthly themed event at MoS. Nor had I ever been to any type of white dress code party before. The effect is quite incredible. It's one of the few times I've seen up to 90 percent of the people dressing according to the theme, and this combined with all the white decorations and white costumes floating around give the impression of partying on the beach, in a snow palace. The music was awesome, the atmosphere was lively, and it was an overall great experience!

As is typical though with most big parties in Cairo, insert Cairean young men with high testosterone, and you're usually gonna end up with a bar fight. It happened during the Sham el-Nissim, huge bar fight at Buddha Bar, at a time when Hurghada was full of men on holiday from Cairo. Last night, same thing. Enter lots of pumped up guys, psyched to be outside of the city and surrounded by scantily clad women, it gets their blood pumping. Of course the MoS bouncers cleared them out pronto...but it really got me thinking.

Hurghada nightlife on a regular basis is a jovial environment, and most people living in Hurghada are extremely laid back. I've never witnessed a fight here other than at times when a lot of people from Cairo are visiting. It really goes to show the psychological impact that living in Cairo can have on you, not to mention the higher levels of aggression that many men in this country suffer from due to the inaccessibility of many women, the restrictions and costs to marry, and the completely frowned upon pre-marital sex. Now don't get me wrong, men in Hurghada often suffer from the same problems, although the influx of foreign women means that they are quite able to find a "partner" for a week, who will conveniently disappear once they leave, who never have to be introduced to either friends or family, you get the picture. And this is a story heard many many times here. But regardless of this, men in Hurghada, and Sharm, and Dahab, are surrounded by Westerners all the time, and Westerners clad in bikinis and beach gear. Not the "conservatively" dressed expats of Cairo.

Is this an indication of what the future holds in Egypt? For those who are more used to the open lifestyle evident in the beach and party towns of Egypt, a life of if not acceptance of a woman's sexuality, at least a tolerance thereof. Whereas should the trends from Cairo increase, a country where women, particularly Egyptian women, are rarely seen out and about, expat women will suffer from jeering and cat calls should they decide to wear even a remotely small tshirt, let alone bikini top, and men run around over-testosteroned and aggressive?

Just some of my thoughts for the day... hmmm...

Woman. The pillar of life.

"The loneliest woman in the world is a woman without a close woman friend." This quote, taken from George Santayana's 'The Life of Reason,' is so profoundly true that it has inspired me to blog about it. Specifically, the women that I have met throughout my journey in Egypt, and the amazing strength and wisdom that we can learn from their experiences.

Living in Egypt as a single woman can be very hard. Of course, it can also be extremely liberating, but I would say that generally speaking, single women in Egypt are faced with a heavier burden than many would expect. When I first moved here, I was blessed to be living with my family, and having the strength and support that being "at home" comes with. When my parents moved out of Egypt however, my entire life shifted. My closest and dearest friends, the two women who understand me better than anyone, who will tell me what I need to hear, even if it's not what I want to hear, my sister and mother, were no longer right at home and it is here that this story begins.

Women are often faced with the difficult choice of career over family, or visa versa. This trend of choice is particularly evident within Egypt and the Middle East, where the establishment and development of a family unit is still highly valued. Women here are often not given the choice to pursue a career, which is why when you are blessed to meet a working Egyptian woman, you know that you have found a pillar of strength. I have been privileged to work with many strong and inspirational women throughout my time here, and each of them has impacted me in a certain way. One of my online co-workers and I frequently talk about the challenge of finding the right man in Egypt, and finding a man who will not only be able to fill the cultural expectations of "providing for the family," but to find a man who will support and encourage your own career goals. We have frequently discussed the expectations that fall upon her shoulders from her family, the need to see her married and to start her own family often dominating the conversation. Yet despite the pressure that she is subjected to, she has remained strong in her desire to further her career, and strengthen the amazing talents that she has already demonstrated, and should a husband fall into the path she is treading, then all the better. If not, she refuses to sacrifice her values to adapt to the expected cultural norm around her. How can you not learn from and respect this belief!

If you are ever lucky enough to be granted the opportunity to sit down with a group of Egyptian women, I highly recommend that you take it! It quickly becomes apparent that despite the appearance of being a misogynistic society, women are the powerhouses behind closed doors. While men are the ones expected to protect a family's honour and be the main bread-winner, Egyptian women exhibit true strength in the family. She becomes the focal point of a family, women are expected to bear the burdens of a household, and do so with a smile on their face. Women are expected to ensure the fluidity of any working family environment, and ensure that all the household affairs are in order, children are raised well, and a woman's problems pushed to the side. When you consider the women that do all of this, AND raise a family, you cannot help but stand back and smile, and respect the devotion and love that it takes to achieve this. But to carry this weight around all the time can take a toll, and it is the women that surround you that will help you bear your burden. Be it through witty banter, small talk about friends and family, or true compassion and understanding when things get tough, there truly is nothing better than a strong female companion.

Two of my closest friends I have met in Egypt

My friends in Egypt have become my adopted family. My female friends are the rock that keeps me solid here, without them I would have lost myself a long time ago. Of course it is not only the Egyptian women that I have met here who have greatly inspired me, the ex-pat women that live in Egypt also provide an eye opening perspective on Egypt. I know of quite a few other single ex-pat women living in Egypt, some who have only been here for a year or so, and their perspectives on Egyptian society is fascinating. Many ex-pats find that it is difficult to develop a friendship with Egyptian women, and consequently find that most of their circle of friends consist of men. I won't lie, I also have quite a few male friends here, but there's just no replacing the connection between women, the underlying understanding that we have of one another. Men here for example, approach relationships with women in a very different manner than many Western women are used to. As a result you see many female ex-pats who recently moved to Egypt fall head over heels for an Egyptian man, believing that they have a true future together. What many Western men lack in chivalry and romance, Egyptian men make up for two fold. Yet what many ex-pat females forget to take into consideration is the motivation behind the relationship. Egyptian women are far less likely to date without the promise of marriage on the horizon, and as marriage is an extremely expensive affair in Egypt, many Egyptian men and women are simply unable to afford marriage. Western women however, will enter into a relationship that won't necessarily turn into a long-term commitment. We provide the perfect alternative for many men here, the convenient girlfriend, who when push comes to shove, can easily be pushed aside - as is often the case with relationships between ex-pat females and Egyptian men. It is a shame to see this happen, and it is times like this that you truly appreciate your female friends, particularly Egyptian females, who can easily point out the "Egyptian" behaviour in the man, and how to deal with it. Many ex-pat females will notice that their Egyptian boyfriends become overly possessive and dominant in a relationship, demanding the last say in many decisions a woman makes, a trait that is often bred into men here. Listen to your Egyptian sisters, and how to deal with this behaviour becomes easier, giving you the opportunity to draw from their own experiences and examples.

Often times I think that as women we forget how important we are in each others lives, and forget how significant an impact that our "sisterhood" can have. When it comes to the intricacies of a female mind, only another female can hope to interpret it. I know that for me personally, when I have been confronted with times of great personal stress, pushing me to my limits, it has always been my girlfriends who have stood by me, lent me a shoulder to cry on, and nudged me back onto the right path when I have strayed. For this, my hats go off to you. We women are truly an inspirational creature, and should learn to see that within ourselves! Until then, I am here to say "I am woman, hear me roar!"