In Their Own Defense: Women Tell Their Stories

In 2013, gender experts at the Thomas Reuters Foundation ranked Egypt as the worst Arab country in which to be a woman. Against these odds, Nazra for Feminist Studies is campaigning to improve women’s status and social roles, remove discrimination against them, and give them more access to safety and justice.

To stop domestic violence, sexual assault and other forms of violence against women, the NGO holds storytelling sessions in Cairo at its offices. The sessions’ coordinator, Ola Abu Al-Shalashel, explains that they give “a safe space for people to speak their feelings and impressions outloud, without feeling judged or intimidated,” plus a chance to “talk about things that might be heavy on the heart”.

December’s final two sessions were dedicated to discussing sexual violence in the public sphere. Participants were introduced to key terms and definitions of such violence and the differences between sexual harassment, assault, and rape. Women were also taught methods of self-defense, while men and boys were encouraged to better their norms of behavior towards women.

Nazra also staffs an emergency hotline to provide psychological, medical and legal support for women subjected to violence.

For more info – http://nazra.org/en