CAIRO, Egypt – In Cairo’s revolutionary Tahrir Square, which is still in the throes of the February 2011 uprising that replaced Egypt’s autocrat for the Muslim Brotherhood, German girls Fanny and Anna are waging a small war of their own: against sexism.
Several nights a week until just after dark, when they risk falling prey to the same harassment and attacks against women that they are fighting, the 20- and 21-year-old sing what they call “anti-harassment” songs, or perform “street theater” depicting scenes of men harassing women.
They do it at night, in areas known to be dangerous for women after dark, and sing lyrics that would be considered provocative in public for many Egyptians:
I am not your sexy woman
No, I am myself
Come on and realize
I’m not just my ass
“It is a provocation, and it is dangerous,” Anna acknowledged. “But we are working against sexism and we don’t mind the risk,” she explained, Fanny’s singing and her accordion drawing a crowd.
As night fell on Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the revolution that has now turned into a danger zone for women following attacks and even gang rapes in the middle of the plaza, the girls sense that things are beginning to get dicey, after one of them is groped by a man in the crowd.
Despite what some would call naivety or misguided enthusiasm, the girls have a well-oiled routine. In a flash they are surrounded by friends in the crowd, and escorted safely out of the square.
Fanny and Anna’s two-girl show is one drop in a sea of initiatives by countless organizations, recently spawned to tackle the rampant sexual harassment of women in the Egyptian capital.
Some argue that the problem is rampant around Egypt, and that it has gotten worse since the revolution and the weakening of security; others claim that the problem was always there, but seems more widespread now because people are discussing it openly for the first time.
“In the first few days of the revolution, women felt safe. Now, it is constant, extreme, and it affects everyday life,” said Rebecca Chiao, co-founder of HarassMap, which has been dedicated to raising awareness and recording sexual harassment against women in Cairo since its creation two years ago.
Chiao said that one of the main issues was the lack of data or an actual record of occurrences, and added she was pleased with the rise in number of organizations devoted to fighting harassment.
But she said HarassMap did not support many of the other groups: “Some are violent, misguided, or think segregation is the answer.”
Ahmed, 28, also sees himself as a protector of women, and believes that violence is needed to protect women. He roams the streets with like-minded vigilantes, patrolling the streets - especially during demonstrations – and carrying concealed weapons. If they witness a form of harassment, they intervene, and are ready to answer violence with violence.
They carry sticks, Taser electroshock guns, pepper sprays and at least one gun in every group. Ahmed claims that the members are fit for this group because they have acquired fighting skills during the revolution – a seemingly dubious claim that does not account for the risk of escalation.
“We were against using violence in the beginning, but the harassers are armed. Being armed ourselves is the only way to keep the women safe,” explained Ahmed, who used to be part of a more legitimate, less violent, yet like-minded group called “Tahrir Bodyguards,” which was started in November 2012.
Tahrir Bodyguards’ field manager Tarek Nojara, 27, strongly condemned the actions of the vigilantes: “They are out of their minds. Carrying a gun will only increase violence. We do not have the legitimacy to carry guns, we are only concerned civilians,” he explained.
Nojara’s watchers wear flashy yellow vests, which he believes exudes an impression of authority and scares harassers.
His boys operate in groups of five, and train regularly in self-defense and “extraction” tactics, to help women out of hostile situations. They organize self-defense seminars for women, and the only weapons they carry are cans of pepper spray.
Even though their opinions on violence differ, Nojara and Ahmed both agree that harassment of women is on the rise, claiming that potential persecutors feel safe due to the lack of security in Cairo.
Countless other initiatives exist in Cairo to fight harassment, including psychological or legal support, awareness campaigns, hotlines and workshops. Yet, the situation does not appear to be improving.
“It is about time the government takes notice and does something about this,” said Nojara. “Ordinary people are concerned and trying to do what they can to help, but providing security is not the responsibility of civilians; it’s the responsibility of the government!”
