by Kristina Hallez

On October 30, journalist Mona Eltahawy returned to her alma mater, the American University in Cairo, to deliver a lecture on relationship between media and violence against women.

Eltahawy began her lecture, entitled "Violence Against Women: Pop Culture and Public Debate in Egypt," on a personal note, sharing a few of her own experiences with sexual harassment. Most alarming was her account of being groped while completing the circling of Kaaba during her Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). These encounters stimulated her desire to garner the opinions of other women and their anecdotal responses, supported by wider statistics, suggest that harassment is extremely pervasive in Egyptian society. She went on to discuss a very recent and marked increase in the coverage of violence against women within Egyptian media, emphasizing the powerful role of television and radio in Egypt. Both serve as the primary channels through which most Egyptians receive news, information and entertainment.

The most powerful example Eltahawy cited of this shift was the eventual press coverage of sexual assaults occurring in October of 2006. During the Eid al-Fitr (the celebration that marks the end of Ramadan), gangs of men were observed chasing and sexually harassing women in downtown Cairo. Many shopkeepers pulled women inside their stores in efforts to offer sanctuary while police officers were reported to have done little to stop the rampage. Eltahawy emphasized that all women, regardless of dress, were targeted. Initially, the incident was denied and did not receive coverage by the media. However, thanks to a large number of Egyptian bloggers who witnessed the event and published posts, the ordeal could no longer be ignored and media outlets were forced to acknowledge and cover the event. (For further reading, Egyptian blog Manaa and Alaa's Bit Bucket provides an entry in english describing the assaults).

Kristina Hallez works at the Social Research Center at the American University in Cairo. The SRC serves as the Middle East hub for the the Pathways of Women's Empowerment research consortium. Eltahawy also discussed the popularity of a television series that aired this Ramadan (September-October 2007). The program, called "Qadeyat Ra'i A'am" ("A Case of Public Opinion"), starring the beloved Egyptian actress Youssra, focused on the rape of three women and the societal resistance one of the victims encounters as she pursues justice. Ramadan marks a period of an increased television viewership as households are inundated by numerous fresh programming tailored to span the thirty days. Television shows that air during Ramadan are largely regarded to be the best programs offered in the entire year. The widespread popularity of "Qadeyat Ra'i A'am" serves as a clear cultural indicator; Egyptian audiences were making a collective decision to spend leisure time watching a series that addresses serious societal taboos, specifically, the implications of sexual violence committed against women.

In addition, the shortcomings of television media were addressed as Eltahawy noted the need to steer away from the recycled gender stereotypes perpetuated within popular programming. Distinct dichotomies dictate typical television roles. Female characters often present as either naggy/overbearing or quiet/submissive while male figures emerge as either domineering/over-assertive or cowardly/hassled by their wives. In some ways, "Qadeyat Ra'i A'am" marks a departure from these tired roles and hopefully future Egyptian shows will display the same boldness and creativity.

Eltahawy briefly addressed the campaign against female circumcision, still a fairly wide-spread phenomenon in Egypt. The Egyptian government banned the practice and launched an anti-FGM campaign in June 2007 after the outcry over the death of 12-year-old Budour Ahmad Shaker as a result of an illegal circumcision. Mona Eltahawy, born in Egypt, is now based in New York City and writes about Arab and Muslim issues. Her pieces are published in both Arab and U.S. media outlets.

It seems the heightened media focus on violence against women, in the realms of both fiction and non-fiction, represents a reaction to an Egyptian society that is actively attempting to address these social issues. The bloggers and audiences that Eltahawy referenced symbolize a willingness to very publicly acknowledge and condemn the sexual abuse of women. The presence of and open forums for intelligent cultural analysts, especially strong Muslim women like Eltahawy, is certainly necessary to sustain public dialogue about the violence directed towards women.