I was on vacation with two male friends. We were walking through the streets of Cairo, Egypt. Even with one friend directly in front and the other directly behind me like a sandwich, there were still unknown aggressive hands grabbing for my crotch VIOLENTLY over and over.
That same day, a 13-year old Egyptian girl was pulled off a trolley and raped in the street during the afternoon because she was “wearing Western clothes.” The next day there was a cartoon in the paper with two women wearing suits of armor, saying “I guess we have to wear these now!”
I left Egypt early.
Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?
All countries should educate people about not treating women like objects/property. It’s such a simple concept. Yes, we know women have organs on the inside and men have organs on the outside, but that’s no excuse for this low-level savage mentality. If women had “a plug” and men had “an outlet”, we wouldn’t use that physical advantage to hurt and shame and dominate.
– Ankhle
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea.
