Source: Cairo Institute For Human Rights Studies
Author(s): Unknown
Original Link: http://www.cihrs.org/?p=19885&lang=en
The mob-sexual assault of a university student in the early hours of Friday 31 March 2017 in the Qawmia area of the city of Zagazig, Sharkia governorate, tragically corroborates the persistence and prevalence of sexual violence against women in the Egyptian public sphere. Although the state has recently adopted policies to protect women from gender-based violence, the mob-sexual assault and the enduring endemic nature of gender-based sexual violence throughout Egypt confirms the need for a truthful evaluation of these policies, and a revised strategy to ensure perpetuators are held accountable.
Policies to deter sexual violence were adopted by the Egyptian state in the past few years, in response to pressure from several local women’s rights groups. Units monitoring and combatting violent crimes against women in all Egyptian governorates, associated with the Ministry of Interior, was established in May 2013. Sexual harassment was explicitly criminalized for the first time in 2014, with Article 306 of the Egyptian Penal Code. In May 2015, the National Council for Women launched the National Strategy to Combat Violence against Women. Despite the importance of these policies and legislation, the recent mob sexual-assault underscores the reality that they have not been applied effectively and have significant shortcomings…
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