Egyptian women's rights protest marred by hecklers

[Beacool]

By HADEEL AL-SHALCHI
Associated Press
2011-03-09

A protest by hundreds of Egyptian women demanding equal rights and an end to sexual harassment turned violent Tuesday when crowds of men heckled and shoved the demonstrators, telling them to go home where they belong.

The women _ some in headscarves and flowing robes, others in jeans _ had marched to Cairo's central Tahrir Square to celebrate International Women's Day. But crowds of men soon outnumbered them and chased them out.

"They said that our role was to stay home and raise presidents, not to run for president," said Farida Helmy, a 24-year old journalist.

Sexual harassment remains widespread in Egypt, where women often are afraid to report sexual assault or harassment for fear they and their families will be stigmatized. A 2008 survey by the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights found that 83 percent of Egyptian women and 98 percent of foreign women in Cairo said they had been harassed _ while 62 percent of men admitted to harassing.

http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=1537315

Apparently some things never change if you are a woman.

:(

[BlueIris]

1. Pathetic sexists. nt

[Beacool]

2. Yeah, aren't they?

How about the guy who told them that their job was in the home raising presidents, not running for president?

Infuriating.....

:mad:

[EFerrari]

3. There is some evidence that the army is now employing Mubarak's out of work thugs

to stir up trouble among the protesters.

This morning, the army moved in to force protesters to take down tents and move and they worked in tandem with the baltagiya.

http://twitter.com/#!/cairowire/status/45470563388497920

[Beacool]

4. So, same old, same old...........

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

:-(

[EFerrari]

5. The army is the real power in Egypt.

They aren't going to let go easily.

[Beacool]

6. Of course not, same as it used to be in Latin America.

The Egyptians may have traded one oppressive master for another. I hope not, we'll just have to wait and see.

The one continuum is that girls and women will continue to be deprived of equal rights, regardless of the various revolutions in the ME.

:(

[EFerrari]

7. Unraveling a military dictatorship is a long process.

But it can be done. El Salvador did it our lifetime. Chile, Argentina.

The oppression of women is more or less central to their hold on power and I don't think the women of Egypt are willing to take another decade of second class citizenship. They will win. :)

[Beacool]

8. I hope so.

I hope that women rise all over the world and demand equal rights.

:-)

[EFerrari]

11. You should watch Amy's International Womens' Day show.

It was very heartening. One activist/writer she had on has two nieces at the center of the Egyptian revolution. One of them was instrumental in organizing protests, the other one publishes a newspaper n contravention of the (suppressive) law.

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/8/ahdaf_soueif_on_egypts_revolution_people

[Beacool]

24. Thank you for the link.

Very interesting interview.

:-)

[seabeyond]

10. then why are the "good men" not marching with these women? nt

[EFerrari]

12. Why are you assuming that?

[seabeyond]

14. of Egyptian women demanding equal rights . what? why am i assuming there are not men

demonstrating with the women?

of Egyptian women demanding equal rights

why are you assuming the men making the noise and harrassing are old guard problem makers?

[EFerrari]

15. Because I have been following key activists for more than a month.

And on that day, there were many reports that the baltagiya were the ones causing trouble. And they did it again yesterday, in co-ordination with the army.

It's not an assumption. The army is using the same thugs that Mubarak did. There are videos.

[seabeyond]

16. then i t must be. so much more reasonable to believe a nation of sexism saw the error of their ways

in a month.... after a lifetime of women being second class.

[EFerrari]

17. Before you project your factless assumptions all over an entire movement

don't you think it might be a good idea to get some information?

I posted an interview for Beacool, three generations of women involved in the revolution, coming out of a movement that has been building for decades, not only for a month.

But, that must be why Americans are exceptional. Wherever they look, they see their own problems.

:)

[seabeyond]

18. and again, where are the men supporting these women. participants. nt

[EFerrari]

20. Are you asking why those men didn't cc their communiques to you

personally?

As I said, Americans are exceptional because wherever they go, they see themselves. Because the unity of the movement in protecting its minorities was remarkable and is still today remarkable, and there is plenty of material for anyone who is actually interested to find.

[seabeyond]

21. we will just keep watching EF.... nt

[EFerrari]

22. Sounds like you need to start watching. I put two links in the thread

which are a good jumping off point.

[seabeyond]

23. nt

[seabeyond]

9. so the freedom egypt demand is only for PART of society.... be pissed. nt

[CommonSensePLZ]

13. Those guys are idiots

We're not all the same, I see the how unfair that is versus recent events. =/

[EFerrari]

19. Fyi, here's a great story on the women at the heart of the Egyptian revolution:

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/02/2011217134411934738.html

I've been reading their posts for weeks. These women will not go away.

[Beacool]

25. Thank you for this link too.

The women of Egypt (and I hope the rest of the ME) will not be deterred. A revolution cannot be for only half of the population.