Violence
against women has long been used as a tactic of oppression during times of
political upheaval and unrest. Recent reports suggest that this is currently
taking place in Egypt, two years after the revolution left the country in a
state of turmoil. Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo is the geographic and
symbolic centre of the uprising. However, in recent years it has become the
site of public acts of sexual violence against women.
An
Amnesty International Report released recently details a trend of sexual abuse
towards women protesters by mobs of men in Tahrir Square. The Operation
Anti-Sexual Harassment/Assault organisation reported that 19 cases of sexual
assault occurred against women in Tahrir Square on 25 January 2013, on the
second anniversary of the revolution. Victims of violence commonly report being
surrounded by a group of men who begin groping them, ripping off their clothes
and sexually assaulting them. Women are threatened with knives and sticks. Victims
are being raped both vaginally and anally with fingers. It was reported that
one woman was raped with a knife. This type of sexualised gender-based violence
is becoming more common, as it is aimed at deterring Egyptian women from taking
part in protests and public life.
As
Ahram Online reports, after two years of public sexual assault against women in
Tahrir Square, activists and observers believe a pattern of violence has
emerged. In what has become labelled the
‘circle of hell’, a mob of men form three circles around the victim. The men in
the first circle attack the woman, stripping and sexually assaulting her. The
second circle of men claim to be helping the woman in an attempt to confuse
her. The third circle attempt to distract the rest of the crowd from what is
taking place. This tactic would be effective in preventing a woman from having
a clear recollection of what occurred and make it difficult to identify the
perpetrators.
This
pattern of behaviour suggests that violence against women in Tahrir Square is
not the impulsive act of a few men, taking advantage of the confusion of the
crowd. Rather, it suggests that this violence is consciously planned and
executed in order to target and humiliate women protesters. Tactics of
gender-based violence, and rape in particular, are commonly employed in war
zones in order to control and oppress groups. In this sense, the gender-based
violence perpetrated in Tahrir Square is increasingly being seen as an anti-revolutionary
tactic of oppression. In fact, many activists have questioned whether the
violence in Tahrir Square has been coordinated or even sanctioned by the state
in order to silence and oppress women protesters.
According
to some women’s rights groups and activists, the organised nature of the
violence lies in the similar tactics used by perpetrators, the public nature of
the violence and the political symbolism of Tahrir Square. Perpetrators are
committing these acts publically without fear of prosecution, and so far no
arrests have been made. Activists claim that authorities are failing to
intervene to prevent violence or bring the perpetrators to justice. Many have also
argued that the attacks in Tahrir Square can be seen as part of a wider pattern
of violence against women in Egypt. In 2011, women protesters were subject to
forced ‘virginity tests’ by the Egyptian armed forces. It has also been
reported that women protesters were sexually assaulted under the reign of
former President Mubarak.
At
present, there remains a need to bring attention to the pattern of gender-based
violence against women emerging in Tahrir Square. This
violence can be seen as a planned tactic of oppression, rather than random attacks
against women. As Egypt faces significant post-revolution changes and
challenges, the need for women to take an active role in public life and debate
has never been greater.
By
Laura Fitzhenry
Sources
<http://www.amnestyusa.org/research/reports/egypt-gender-based-violence-against-women-around-tahrir-square>
<http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/65115/Egypt/Politics-/The-circle-of-hell-Inside-Tahrirs-mob-assault-epid.aspx>
Nagaty, Yasmine ‘Egypt - A Revolution Against Shame’ The Middle East and North Africa Gender and
Development E-Brief Issue No. 127 (December 2012)
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