Back in September I wrote about an article putting the sexual harassment epidemic into perspective for Egypt. Women are being attacked for more than just how they dress now. They are being attacked just for going to work or going to the grocery store because men in Egypt believe a woman shouldn't leave their own homes. It no longer matters how an Egyptian woman is dressed. She can be covered head to toe and is still blamed by the public and her own family for being attacked. "She shouldn't have been asking for it." Well recently a group of men in Egypt have made a group that target sexual harassers. Muhammed Taimoor started the "Be A Man" group on facebook about a year ago and is just now beginning to get the attention of media all over the world. When the "Be A Man" group sees a woman being a harassed, they grab the man, pin him down and spray paint the phrase "I am a harasser" in Arabic on some part of his body. The group was created to help women realize they are not to be blamed for being attacked. When this group holds a man down and tags him, it gives the woman he was attacking the confidence she needs in order to believe she should not held responsible. The man who started this group is trying to take the steps necessary to end the sexual harassment epidemic because the Egyptian police aren't intervening or trying to stop sexual harassers.
Although they are breaking the law and have been arrested several times, this is what this country needs. Egypt needs a group to help bring to light the fact that their sexual harassment epidemic is out of control and has been for a long time. These men are trying to be an example for the rest of the country. Because women in Egypt are considered second class citizens, no man is going to listen to a woman who says sexual harassment needs to end. Men need to step up and help end it. Muhammed took a great risk doing this and I think the media in other countries getting involved will be beneficial for not only his group but for Egyptian women. Being in America, it seems obvious that groping a woman on a public transportation system or in the street is wrong but they have had to just get used to it and take precautions against. Women are told not to leave their house, attackers aren't told not to grab women.
http://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/vigilantes-are-fighting-back-against-sexual-harassment-in-egypt
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