Head of the National Council for Women (NCW)’s complaints department Nagla al-Adly announced that field teams have not received any sexual harassment cases on the first day of the Eid al-Adha holiday.
In the morning, the NCW team inspected crowded areas such as al-Fostat Park, al-Azhar Park, and the International Park, while in the evening, they monitored the downtown Cairo area and cinemas.
Executive director of the Women’s Center for Guidance and Legal Awareness Reda al-Danbouki reported that last year the center had monitored over 30 cases of verbal harassment in the Eid Al-Adha holiday, and 6 cases of physical harassment in a number of governorates.
Danbouki told Egypt Independent that surprisingly, the center hadn’t received any complaints in June’s Eid al-Fitr holiday either. He attributed this to scorching weather which prevented people from talking in public areas, the screening of Egypt’s World Cup match on the first Eid day, and the fact that on the second day, “youth were too busy with the increase in fuel prices”.
The NCW has also reported a noticeable decline sexual harassment cases in the three days of Eid al-Fitr this year, with only 17 complaints.
In 2014, sexual harassment was finally criminalized in Egypt after the government approved a law punishing harassers with imprisonment of no less than six months, and/or fines of LE 3,000 to LE 5,000.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm.
