Creating Safer Spaces for Young Women in Greater

Creating Safer Spaces for Young Women in Greater Cairo Slums, Egypt Dr : Abeer Salem Ms. Rasha

Context Sexual violence (SV) is the most common form of gender-based violence in Egypt (UNFPA 2016). Sexual violence: All forms of sexual harassment as well as rape. (WHO, 2002) 65% in slum areas 50% in urban formal areas 36% in rural areas Young women age 13 -29 (SYPE 2014)

Problematics Previous research shows how sexual violence or fear of exposure to SV has multidimensional impacts on women and girls Confines their mobility within public spaces: schools, Workplaces and public transportation (UNFPA 2016; Harass. Map 2014; Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights 2008). Young girls may skip or drop classes, or may drop out of school completely due to sexual harassment (Mensch et al. 2003). Restricts women’s labor force participation, particularly in the private sector (Barsoum 2004; Sieverding 2012).

Theoretical framework The ultimate project goal or long-run development outcomes are that sexual violence is perceived as unacceptable in all its forms, social norms are changed, and that this change will lead to reduced violence against women and youth, as well as the creation of safer spaces. The expected immediate project outcomes are: • Increased community (young men, women, parents, community leader, etc. ) responsiveness to combating sexual violence (SV) • Increased female access to community spaces that were previously perceived as unsafe by women. • Increased and improved reporting of sexual violence incidents • More evidence-informed government policies and civil society programs for youth and sexual violence

Theoretical framework: Applying the ecological model for understanding and preventing harassment in Cairo’s slums Societal Community Individual Harasser - Drug/alcohol use - Characteristics (unemployed, education etc. ) - Personal experience of violence Victim - Behavior (way of dressing/walking) - Characteristics (working, in school) Interpersonal - Influence of family (moral upbringing) - Influence of peers Interpersonal Individual Community - Role of formal institutions (schools, NGOs, health facility) - Police/security/reporting - Informal conflict resolution mechanisms - Stigmatization of women who are harassed/victimblaming Societal - State Policies - Harassment law

Methodological path, steps of the path and gender integration process Activities Secondary data analysis of SYPE data Qualitative data collection and analysis Mapping exercise Knowledge sharing and community engagement Partnering with localbased NGOs in designing, implementing, and testing interventions Outputs Peer-reviewed journal papers Policy brief Infographics Newspaper articles Immediate Outcomes Increased community responsiveness to combating SV Increased female access to community spaces that were previously perceived as unsafe by women. Increased and improved reporting of SV incidents More evidence-informed government policies and civil society programs for youth and SV Development Outcomes Change in social norms regarding SV Reduced violence against women. Creation of safer spaces for women

Ethical Considerations Measurements Taken to Protect Participants - Protocol submitted to Population Council’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) - The Council has extensive experience conducting research with that conduct illegal behavior, such as drug users, prostitutes, and men having sex with men. - The Council’s experienced interviewers will recieve additional training: 5 days in office/field, followed by assessment - Trained not to probe about personal experience or behavior during FGDs - If emotional distress occurs, interview will be stopped immediately and offered prearranged specialized counseling.

Outputs and measure indicators 1 - The prevalence of harassment in informal areas Figure 1 Experience of harassment during the past six months, young women aged 15 -29, by age group and type of harassment Figure 2: Reported place of experiencing sexual harassment, young women aged 15 -29 100 70 60 93. 1 90 58. 6 80 49. 9 48. 7 50 60 39. 4 40 70 50 30 40 30 20 23. 8 20 10 10 0 (15 -17) (18 -24) (25 -29) Total 5. 0 3. 5 School Others 0 Dark Street Transportation

Figure 3: Reporting of sexual harassment, place of harassment and type of harasser by type of sexual 120. 0 harassment, young women aged 15 -29 100. 0 99. 0 94. 5 94. 1 80. 0 71. 4 60. 0 51. 4 40. 0 23. 6 20. 0 13. 2 5. 1 2. 8 0. 0 Stranger Other Dark street Transportation Harasser type Harassment place Verbal Other 8. 0 7. 4 School 3. 5 Other

2 - Individual level factors (Victims VS Harassers ) The way some girls look, they just want to be harassed. [If she has] excessive makeup, she’s trying to get attention, so you just have to harass her even if you don’t want to. (Young man, Ard El Lewa, Giza, 19 - 29) Some men feel, I mean when they behavior this way, when they harass a girl, to them this is masculinity. He’s sick, psychologically sick. He thinks he is being a man. (FGDs, Fathers, Arab Ghonem, Helwan) 3 - Interpersonal level factors (Lack of proper upbringing & peers) Parents never say no to their children when they are harassing girls, sometimes they [the parents] know that their boy skips school and go the girls’ schools to harass them (Young man, Arab Ghonem, Cairo, 13 -15) Staying in the street for a long time with bad company makes a big difference. (young man, Ard El Lewa, Giza, 13 -15)

• 4 - Community level factors (characteristics of the neighborhoods & community and institutional response) Figure 4: Reporting of sexual harassment by young women in SYPE -IGC by Type and to whom harassment was reported 42. 2 36. 3 38. 5 31. 2 In front of the girls school there is an agricultural road where it is dark at night, so harassment happens there. Especially at night when the girls finish school, we meet 11. 4 4. 9 Family member Friend them and my friends harass them. Young 0. 4 0. 0 Police Verbal 2. 8 2. 2 Other women in general will never feel safe Any one because roads are very narrow and there is no control. Night is only for dealers. (young man, Ard El Lewa, Giza, 13 - 15)

5 - Societal and policy-level factors (cultural and social norms & Stat policies ) I couldn’t talk because they will blame me. My brothers, husband, my father will say you were wrong because you went there, or you were wrong because you let the man talk to you, he saw something from you [the provoked harassment]. No one will support me. (FGD, Mothers, Arab Ghonem, Helwan) Norms and traditions prohibit girls from reporting sexual harassment. Your relatives and the neighbors will talk about this girl, they will blame her and say that she has to keep silent and will scandalize herself in her community. People will never stop talking about this girl. (Young woman, Ard El Lewa, Giza, 19 - 29) I heard that there is a law about harassment being discussed in Parliament but they didn’t approve it. Anyway 90% of the Egyptian laws are not implemented (FGD, Community leader, Arab Ghonem, Cairo)

• Immediate results and measure indicators - schema (1 slide)