Combatting Street Sexual Harassment in Egypt: Policy Implementation Challenges and Way Forward

Sexual harassment in the public space of streets and transportation is a major problem in Egypt for years now. The state has a commitment to protect women and girls and ensure their safety. This study focuses on the challenges and obstacles that women face when reporting incidents of street sexual harassment, effectiveness of the 2014 sexual harassment law, as well as the state’s role in curbing street sexual harassment in light of the reported challenges. The research was implemented through adopting a qualitative approach and conducting in-depth interviews with women who were subjected to sexual harassment and decided to report the violations, plus a group of informed experts. The sample included seven women and ten experts. The study’s findings revealed that women face a number of difficulties when they seek reporting incidents of street sexual harassment. The difficulties are mostly related to the stance of the people in the street and the context and process of reporting. It was also found that sexual harassment is in fact on top of the Government of Egypt’s agenda. Meanwhile, prominent NGOs dedicated to fighting the phenomenon are not active anymore. Research recommendations to address the challenges reported by the women who were subjected to street sexual harassment covered the importance of creating a safe space for reporting incidents of sexual harassment and the need for organizing periodic awareness campaigns