Today is Eid al-Adha and in Egypt, sadly the day often includes a spike in street harassment and assault. Activist groups often patrol busy public spaces looking to intervene and prevent incidents. And today, the Egyptian government is taking action, as well.
“The Egyptian State Council for Women will operate a hotline allowing members of the public to report cases of sexual assault during Saturday’s Eid al-Adha festivities, al-Ahram Online reported.
Through collaboration between the National Council for Women and the Police Department of Combating Violence against Women, officers will be expected to respond to instances of reported harassment in addition to arresting offenders, head of the council Mervat el-Talawy said.
The line will be open between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. during the four days of the official Eid holiday.
“We agreed with the Interior Ministry to report any cases regarding sexual harassment in Eid,” Talawy told Al Arabiya News. She said this would help the police officers head to the locations where cases of harassment are being reported.”
Wishing our Muslim friends and allies a safe Eid!
