For many years, women in Cairo have endured harassment on city streets. Now, young Egyptians are patrolling the streets in order to fight this harassment and violence against women. However, attacks on women are still increasing and becoming more obvious and the activist’s tactics are sometimes violent and some groups are being criticized for supporting vigilantism.
Many Egyptians are disappointed by the new government and believe that the authorities will not take harassment seriously until there has been more public debate. Recently, President Morsi declared that the government has received more than 1000 complaints and he has ordered the Interior Ministry to investigate them.
However, Azza Soliman, who is a director of the Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance, believes it’s not enough. Her son was beaten while trying to protect two foreign women in the subway. Groups of activists continue to patrol the streets of Cairo, some of them wearing fluorescent vests which say “combating harassment” on the back.
Compiled from: Fahim, Kareem, Harassers of Women in Cairo Now Face Wrath of Vigilantes, The New York Times (Nov 5, 2012).