Actors dressing as undercover women, youth groups spraying harassers on the spot, human chains stretching through Cairo’s avenues: campaigns to fight sexual harassment have become more and more creative in Egypt these past years. But Dignity without Borders is looking at things differently: instead of focusing on men, this NGO is advocating for women’s rights from the bottom up, empowering them to be the agents to change.
“We want to catalyze change through an advocacy campaign that stimulates discussion on controversial questions about sexual harassment”, says the NGO’s founder, Maria Sanchez Muñoz.
According to a report by UN WOMEN, 99.3% of women in Egypt have been victim to some form of sexual harassment. While NGOs innovate their ways to tackle what they call an epidemic, they all agree on a fundamental issue: it is harassment’s social acceptance that must be challenged.
“That’s why we focus on tackling the broader issue of women’s rights through empowerment, education and awareness”, Maria explains. Their latest photo campaign, “Women Can’t Be Silenced” prompts discussion about ways of ensuring women’s voices are heard and fully acknowledged.
For more info – DWB’s Facebook page.
