Website aims to let Cairo's women hit back at harassers

It's a problem nearly every woman in the Egyptian capital has experienced - obvious leering, whistles, groping or other sexual harassment on Cairo's streets and alleys. But soon they'll be able to instantly speak out.

A planned website, Harrasmap, will allow women to quickly report instances of harassment via text message or Twitter, to be loaded on to a digital map of Cairo to show hotspots and areas that might be dangerous for women to walk alone. The data will be shared with activists, media, and police.

"The whole idea is to have user-generated information," said Engy Ghozlan, one of the volunteers organising the programme. Simply feeling that she is not alone, Ms Ghozlan said, can help a woman who is feeling powerless. "It's actually encouraging to know that," she said.

The map could also give a graphic depiction of the extent of a problem that women say is pervasive in Egypt, but which authorities are only starting to acknowledge. A 2008 survey by the Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights found that 83 per cent of Egyptian women and 98 per cent of foreign women living in Cairo said they had been harassed in some way - and 62 per cent of men admitted to doing so.

But until recently, the issue was rarely dealt with publicly. Only after videos appeared of women being molested in the street by crowds of young men during a holiday four years ago did local media begin discussing the problem.

And some in power seem unconvinced the phenomenon is widespread. First Lady Suzanne Mubarak, who often touts herself as an advocate for women's issues, dismissed it as a media exaggeration, saying in 2008: "Maybe a few youths are behind this crime."

There are numerous theories as to why harassment is so common in Cairo. Some attribute it to a growing Muslim conservatism spreading the idea that women should stay out of the public sphere. Others cite youth unemployment, leaving them bored, frustrated and unable to marry. Many see a broader breakdown of courtesy and morals, a malaise from Egypt's poor economy and political stagnation.

The new website aims to give women a tool for expression and a feeling of solidarity, Ms Ghozlan said - though it is not a counselling hotline or a replacement for alerting police. After sending an SMS message to the site, women will receive encouragement, safety tips, and instructions on how to file a complaint. Complaints will be anonymous.

But Noha Aly of the Centre for Egyptian Woman's Legal Assistance said ultimately courts must address the issue.

In 2008, a judge sentenced an Egyptian man to three years in prison for harassment, a ruling hailed by women's activists.But Ms Aly noted that the case was unique - the woman was able to grab the man harassing her and drag him to a police station.

More men must be held accountable, which hotlines and reporting sites like Harrassmap cannot do, she said.