Marcia has been in Cairo for just over three months now, and she’s looking a little tired.
Having studied Middle East politics at university in England, she decided to spend a while in Egypt to learn the language and gain first-hand experience of the culture. So far, it has been a fascinating experience, but also draining.
“I’m always tired in Cairo, she says. “It’s hot and the traffic is crazy, which is what I expected. But what really takes it out of me is being hassled on the street every time I go out. Men are always calling to me and making obscene suggestions.
“The problem is it makes me so angry. I can’t deal with that kind of thing without getting angry because it’s so rude. And getting angry every time I go out just becomes really tiring.
Marcia’s experience is not uncommon among foreign women visiting Cairo for work or study. According to a recent report by the Egyptian Centre for Women’s Rights published this summer, 98 percent of foreign women said they had been sexually harassed during their stay in Egypt.
Working out how to cope with a constant barrage of unwanted advances without becoming stressed or desperate is something of a fine art. But help of sorts appears to be at hand in the form of a new sexual harassment support group called “Khalas! .
Founded by another student of Arabic from the UK, Barbara Dick, the group aims to provide a forum in which people like Marcia can vent their fears and frustrations and perhaps learn some coping mechanisms to see them through their stay in Cairo.
At the group’s first meeting, which took place on the balcony of Barbara’s apartment, members began by exchanging personal accounts of harassment.
“One person got harassed on the way from the airport, offered sex by a taxi driver. She was very, very surprised, said Barbara.
“Another woman invited a paediatrician into her home to care for her sick child, and the paediatrician wanted to feel her up.
In line with Barbara’s original intentions, the group’s conversation eventually moved on to the search for positive remedies that women might apply. The suggested coping strategies seem to be as varied as the personalities of those attending the meeting.
For some, the best approach to catcalls on the street is to simply ignore them, avoid eye contact and keep walking. Crude suggestions or questions can be viewed as ‘white noise’ – background sound with no meaning. The advantage of such an approach, according to some group members, is that it deprives perpetrators of the pleasure of a reaction.
For those such as Marcia who find their anger draining, it is also perhaps the most energy-efficient approach.
By contrast, some women prefer to confront their assailants, expressing their displeasure and perhaps provoking some sense of shame.
One contributor to the debate offered a handful of useful phrases in Arabic, while others said that a response in English is sufficient, so long as it is voluble and the displeasure is clear.
Proponents of this more active stance suggested that it might cause harassers to think twice next time, while simultaneously providing women with a much-needed sense of empowerment.
In cases where harassment turns physical, some members of the group said they had resorted to slapping those responsible.
“I don’t mind a bit of verbal harassment, said Barbara. “It’s just harmless and silly, and it doesn’t mean anything at all.
“But if someone tries to touch you, that’s really unpleasant. They need a quick slap and a strong telling off.
Interestingly, some said that when they had been groped in the past and not hit back they had received no support from passersby. It was only when they had begun to fight with their assailant that others had sprung to the women’s defence.
Barbara believes that the most effective protection against harassment is a confident manner.
“When you first arrive in Cairo, it’s obvious you don’t know where anything is. You’re sort of looking around you, because you don’t know anything. After a while you become more confident and that makes a big difference.
Clearly, a group of Western women meeting to discuss such issues is not going to have much effect on this particular aspect of Egyptian society. But perhaps “Khalas! and other groups like them will help a few visitors to Cairo make the most of their time here.
“Don’t be surprised if your taxi driver asks you for sex. Because these idiots will try anything, said Barbara.
“But don’t let it upset you too much. Or if you are upset, come to a meeting and vent about it, or tell your friends and have a moan over a beer.
“You can’t let the bullies win in any part of life.
