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The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women: Where to Go for Support in the Capital

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The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women: Where to Go for Support in the Capital
written by
Leena Torky

Featured image via The Daily Telegraph

 

 

Today, November 25, is the official International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. In every region, women and girls are marginalised in some form or another. If you are a woman reading this, then you have probably experienced misogyny or sexism at some point in your life. If you are not a woman, then you probably know at least one woman who has experienced this.

A 2013 UN Women study found that over 93% of women in Egypt have experienced sexual harassment on the streets. A 2014 study found that over 30% of Egyptian married women over 15 have endured intimate partner violence or domestic violence. Keep in mind that these are just the cases that are reported; thousands of women suffer in silence. In honour of today, we decided to share some resources available in Egypt that specialise in domestic violence and women’s rights in general.

Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights

This NGO provides a multitude of resources which allow women to learn about their rights as well as opportunities to gain more control over their lives as autonomous individuals. Check out the website for more info!

Egyptian Society of Women’s Health 

This is a nonprofit organisation that focuses specifically on women’s health and wellness in Egypt. They work on developing community-based programs and encouraging conversations on women’s health as a whole.

Karama 

By emphasising women’s involvement in political, legal, and social sectors, this organisation aims to combat violence against women in the Arab region.

Betna e.V. 

This group specialises in working with women and their children who have experienced domestic or intimate partner violence in Egypt, and aim to provide protection and security.

Nazra

Although they no longer do active work, Nazra’s website is home to a large number of resources and research regarding women’s rights and gender-based violence. This is a great place to head for educational purposes!

Women and Memory

Another great educational resource; this organisation is made up of female academics who are concerned about negative representations and perceptions of Arab women. They feel that “one of the main obstacles facing Arab women now is the scarcity of alternative cultural information and knowledge about the role of women in history and contemporary society.” The website contains a plethora of great info!

The National Council for Women

This governmental institution not only provides information and education for victims/survivors of violence, but also seek to eliminate all forms of systemic sexism targeting Egyptian women and hindering their enhancement. Indeed, the council is responsible for several programs, and their website is quite informative in that regard. Furthermore, the council provides legal and psychological counselling services for women who are victims or survivors of abuse and violence. To provide these services, the council is helped out by a branch of Egypt’s female police force, who are trained to handle cases of violence against women. You can call the council on any of these phone numbers: 01126977222 – 01126977333 – 01126977444.

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