First day of Patrolling against Sexual Harassment in Eid

We reached sadat station on shubra direction around 3pm we were only about 5 people then we continued to increase till we reached 10 people. I was a bit disappointed at first but then they were really good in controlling the station. 2 officers joined later on and were very happy that we were helping him enforce the law as he said that no one respects him anymore.

No harassment happened and no men in the women’s cart. We then got called by the station manager asking us to leave while one of us was talking to him a few men came into his office carrying a 16 year old girl who was mass harassed by men. As described the men who brought her, “she was running with her 2 friends and about 100 guys were running after her,” the man said “she came to us running asking to get into the station to hide out. We took her in but then she passed out so we carried her to the manager’s office”. When the manager saw that he looked us smiled and said you can stay.

We helped the girl get up and into the metro with her friends who took her home afterwards. Its highly unlikely that this girl will file any reports or tell her father but she will probably tell her mother (I am hoping she would). As we are helping one woman told us women should not get out in eid (I looked at her and smiled and said this is not the solution).

Most of the men were cooperative with us (I think it was the florescent vests) but others were stubborn and we had to speak with a louder tone.  Women were happy to see us and wished we did this all week even after Eid. One woman in particular said that at night is the worst.

I spoke with Dina a 19-year-old girl who said that she thinks the harassment problem has nothing to do with poverty or marriage but it is an ethics issue. Men like this have no ethics and should be severely punished as they are ruining the society.

What is the solution for this? I wonder. Is it a patriarchal thing? control? Hate? What is driving those kids? Because its not only being horny, I mean if a guy is hungry or thirsty they don’t attack a super market do they? The question is why? It’s because they know they will get punished however they will not be punished on assaulting a woman.

We need 2 things from my perspective:

1-    A change in the civil society incriminating those behaviors and looking down on harassers. If you have friends who do that try to stop them or tell them how damaging that is to a woman.

2-    A clear law by the government punishing harassers.

The second day of patrolling will be on Monday the 20^th of August, meeting point at shohada2 station shobra platform at 5pm. If you have time please come even if it was for only an hour.

For more info please check our event. https://www.facebook.com/events/500615983286391/

This initiative was done by Imprint movement https://www.facebook.com/Imprint.Movement.eg