She is among those who are accused of having received international funding. "Since 2015, I have been repeatedly arrested, they froze my personal accounts and those of my law firm," revealed prominent lawyer Azza Soliman. As such, they are vulnerable to legal action. A circumstance that makes them "foreign agents" before the law. Often the government also accuses dissidents of receiving money from abroad.
Particularly in the past two years, many women have been targeted with arrest and harsh sentences, often under the pretence of having harmed "morality" or having committed "public indecency".
And meanwhile in an Orwellian twist, this year's national strategy for human rights, dubbed "2022 Year of Civil Society" by Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, seems to be curbing solidarity movements still further. While the Egyptian government has been cracking down on dissidents for years, over past months it has upped its repression in response to increased outcry. Non-governmental organisations, human rights groups and women such as Mona Eltahawy furiously took to the Internet to condemn the decision. In turn, she was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison for "spreading false news with the intention of harming the Egyptian state" and "public insult". In 2018, Fathy had criticised the Egyptian authorities for not protecting women from sexual harassment. Female lawyer in courtĪnother recent example of women supporting women – albeit without such a happy ending so far – followed the renewed conviction of the women's rights defender Amal Fathy by Egypt's Court of Cassation at the beginning of January. They re-evaluated the case - and offered her a job at another school. Youssef initially lost her job as a teacher, but after sustained solidarity online, her case was re-examined by the authorities. She had been the target of much public hostility after an internet video showed Youssef belly-dancing on a Nile cruise. She also stood up for the 30-year-old teacher Aya Youssef. For al-Qumsan, it was equally important that Youssef know "she didn't do anything wrong, she expressed joy and this is not a mistake".Īfter ongoing support online and by al-Qumsan, Youssef's case was eventually revisited by the authorities and she was offered a position at a different school.Ī outspoken protagonist of Arab feminism: Egyptian-American social media activist Mona Eltahawy supports women in the region in their fight against sexual harassment and discrimination. But personally, I wanted to signal support and show her that she is not alone," al-Qumsan explained. "As a lawyer, I was able to help her on a legal level, and I offered her a job. "I heard of Aya following the huge attack which left her isolated, jobless and divorced," said Nihad Abu al-Qumsan, the head of the prominent Cairo-based Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights. However, the case also sparked an immense amount of support from women.
It also didn't take Eltahawy long to side with 30-year-old Egyptian teacher Aya Youssef, who found herself widely bashed on social media after a video clip that showed her belly-dancing on a Nile cruise went viral.Īs a consequence of this public shaming, Youssef lost her job as an Arabic teacher, and her husband filed for divorce. Every morning, Mona Eltahawy posts the same message to her followers on Twitter: "Starting my day and sending love and solidarity to you all." Displaying solidarity with her predominantly female followers has become essential for the Egyptian-American social media activist, who is among the leading figures when it comes to supporting Arab women in their fight against emotional or sexual harrassment, discrimination, public shaming and persecution.
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