Eleven feminist organizations and initiatives warned of a rise in media and social-media campaigns aimed at “justifying sexual harassment crimes and blaming victims,” calling the trend a “clear violation” of the rights of women and girls and a move that undermines efforts to combat gender-based violence in Egypt.
The warning came in a joint statement issued on Friday and signed by more than 50 rights advocates, journalists and lawyers, following an incident in which a young man was accused of harassing a girl on a public bus. The case trended last week before prosecutors said the accusation was unfounded and ordered the suspect released on 1,000 Egyptian pounds bail pending investigation, according to the report.
The organizations said rhetoric that excuses harassment in its various forms entrenches a culture of impunity and encourages discrimination and the normalization of violence by reproducing stereotypes that condemn the victim instead of holding the perpetrator accountable socially and legally.
They said such campaigns—whether individual or collective, organized or spontaneous—contradict constitutional provisions, Penal Code articles and amendments that criminalize harassment, and Egypt’s international commitments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), recommendations under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), and outcomes of the national dialogue on protecting women from violence.
The groups called on the National Council for Women to take clear, public steps, led by issuing an official statement categorically rejecting any rhetoric that justifies or downplays harassment, and launching an extended awareness campaign affirming that responsibility lies entirely with perpetrators, and that women’s and girls’ presence in public spaces—and their clothing and behavior—are constitutional rights that cannot be used to justify violence.
They also urged stronger coordination with the Interior Ministry to activate anti-violence units for women inside police stations and ensure they are easily accessible, safeguarding complainants and protecting their data.
The groups called for developing professional guidelines and training for media coverage of gender-based violence to ensure accurate, sensitive reporting that respects survivors’ dignity and avoids victim-blaming or justification of violence.
The statement also pressed professional syndicates to hold accountable those who use their fame to promote inciting rhetoric against women, and called for coordination with executive bodies and local authorities to improve safety on the streets, increase mobile police patrols, and explore tools that enable immediate reporting of sexual-violence incidents.
The organizations said silence or slow action against such campaigns weakens women’s trust in the justice system and can push some to avoid reporting for fear of compounded violence, stressing that confronting violence against women and girls is a constitutional, legal, and moral obligation that cannot be delayed. They demanded urgent, decisive action to protect women’s and girls’ rights in both public and private spheres.
The statement was signed by: Ganoubia Hora Foundation, Center for Egyptian Women Legal Assistance, El-Noon for Family Care, Muanath Salem for Women’s Empowerment, Women and Memory Forum, Tadwein for Gender Studies, Female Lawyers Egypt, Rural Women, Bar Aman, Haqi, and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.
The report noted that the same 11 organizations had criticized what they described as “parallel media trials” of harassment victims earlier in the week, as Journalists Syndicate head Khaled Elbalshy disclosed an imminent syndicate move to include a full section on women’s rights in an update of the journalists’ code of honor.
The current code of honor stresses accuracy before publication and respect for privacy and private life, warning against defamation, reputational harm, and exploiting the profession for personal gain.
