#MeToo: Arab women open up about experiences with sexual harassment

Women in the Middle East have shared their experiences with sexual assault and harassment as part of the global #MeToo hashtag to raise awareness of the magnitude of the problem.

Narrated

2 min read

The New Arab

16 Oct, 2017

Arab women opened up about their experiences with harassment [Getty]

After allegations surfaced of years of sexual assault against women by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, more and more victims have been opening up about the harassment and discrimination they have faced in their industries and on the streets.

Under the latest prominent social media hashtag, #MeToo, which has gained momentum since Sunday, victims of sexual assault have shared their experiences in a show of solidarity - and to expose the magnitude of the problem in everyday society.

The #MeToo campaign comes as Egyptian capital Cairo was on Monday named the world's most dangerous city for women.

A survey carried out by the Thomson Reuters Foundation asked experts in women's issues in 19 megacities how well women are protected from sexual violence and other harmful cultural practices. Cairo ranked last, while London came top.

On Twitter, stories from across the Middle East about the way girls and women were violated by men in the public sphere, as well as the state and family members, came to light.

The systematic tendency to blame women for what they endured was addressed:

— Lebanese Blonde (@mmleihy) October 16, 2017 " style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post

#MeToo

It took years for me to realize I wasn't at fault.
— Lebanese Blonde (@mmleihy) October 16, 2017

Despite the taboo in Arab culture surrounding
speaking about sexual violence, women know how prevelant it is in their societies:

— Fatima (@fatimalmahmoud) October 16, 2017 " style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post

almost every female I know has been sexually harassed at least once, it's not something to ignore it's a culture #MeToo
— Fatima (@fatimalmahmoud) October 16, 2017

Men also admitted to there being a problem:

— Ahmed Alsulaiti (@AAlsulaite) October 16, 2017 " style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post

Men, think about this: you personally don't know a single woman that's hasn't faced sexual harassment or assault. We must do better. #MeToo
— Ahmed Alsulaiti (@AAlsulaite) October 16, 2017

— Rami Jarrah (@RamiJarrah) October 16, 2017 " style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post

Me too. Because almost everyone women in my life & that I know has either been assaulted or raped, or even molested as a child #MeToo
— Rami Jarrah (@RamiJarrah) October 16, 2017

Particular attention was paid to the epidemic in Egypt:

— honey (@ashaech) October 16, 2017 " style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post

#MeToo because every day i walk Egypt's streets is a day that i get harrased, whether physically or vocally, or witness harrasment.
— honey (@ashaech) October 16, 2017