Please take part in this big event to help make our streets safe again. If you're a female, I don't need to tell you how important your participation will be. If you are a male, go for the sake of your mother, sister, wife, or daughter. We need to raise awareness about this critical issue and break the silence which encourages sexual predators to go on with their shameful acts. Come to Sakiat El Sawy on Friday, May 18th at 4:00 pm and speak out against sexual harassment.
Here is the announcement for the event and all the information you need in order to take part:
About 2 years ago ECWR started receiving complaints from women that sexual harassment on our streets was becoming more of a problem – more frequent and more extreme – and no one was doing anything about it. So we held some focus groups with women and with men, started collecting stories from women using a survey, and put together a plan.
Part of what we learned was that:
- Women have nowhere to turn because “blaming the victim” puts us at risk.
- There is no stigma attached to harassing and men face no consequences
– not from their friends, not from police, not from their families, not from other people on the street, and sometimes not even from their victims.
- There is no law that mentions sexual harassment specifically, little awareness about the 3 laws that can apply, and no enforcement.
As part of the campaign we developed with volunteers (which includes raising public awareness, advocacy and outreach to schools) Let’s Sit & Talk is meant to stimulate conversation, break the silence and welcome women and men to share their experiences and take action against sexual harassment.
Let’s Sit & Talk will feature:
- Presentations on the final results of our survey, sexual harassment in the law, the role of the media, psychological and sociological impacts of sexual harassment
- Films
- An introduction to self-defense course
- Bands: Tamara Yousry & Mariam Ali, The Babians, Bikya, Forgotten Notes, Bad Apple (ft. vocalcurse), Ressala, Vybe
Entry is free before 6:30. After 6:30, tickets will be 5 le.
Sponsors include Nile and Nugoom FM, Filbalad.com, The Croc, Masrawy.com, EIDHR, Art Review Magazine, Marketing Markets, and Titan Advertising.
OUR THANKS TO ALL THE ARTISTS, VOLUNTEERS AND SPONSORS WHO ARE MAKING THIS DAY HAPPEN!!!
Get involved - suggestions and volunteers are welcome!
Email Rebecca at ecwr@link.net, or just show up early on the 18th to help set up.
11 comments:
nice blog! that actually my first time here.
Good luck with the new forum.But may i ask why dont you make the fliers in Arabic? so more people can learn about it!
This is a great initiative. Sexual harassment is always hard to deal with, especially when the society looks at it as if it were something minor. Women in this situation really need all the support they can get and the public opinion needs to change its mind a little in this matter.
amre el-abyad:
Thanks a lot. Hope this will be the start for frequent visits :)
As for the flyer being in English, I'm not sure whether they printed ones in Arabic or not. Will pass your comment over to the organizers. You have a point here.
Alina:
I believe that's the first step towards making people aware of what a huge problem this is. The silence surrounding the matter makes many thinks that members of their families or friends can't be subjected to it. Normally, a girl who undergoes this terrible experience has to suck up the pain in shame as if she was guilty of something. This really needs to change.
I think you ahve to ask the question: why does our culture condone such acts towards women and often promote them?
Reader:
You are 100% right. I will have a post about this topic. I might have several things to say about the culture which fosters violence against women in general.
it's good we agree, because that is really the root cause.
The question that follows next is: what if anything is this culture based on?
Reader:
Sorry, I didn't get your question.
well we're disucssing why the culture drives such behaviour, so I was saying, we need to find out what drives our culture..
Well, I believe there are a number of factors. That's why I am planning to dedicate a post for discussing this topic. I can see what you are pointing to and I will try not to let it escape me.
look forward to it
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