Egypt has seen a wave of online protests as women have taken to social media to shame alleged abusers and to demand change. The protests are against what has been labelled as Egypt’s rape culture and against sexual abuse.

The BBC reports an increasing number of social media accounts have been sharing the testimony of survivors, and attempting to shame their alleged attackers. There is anger that perpetrators routinely go unpunished, especially if they are members of the country’s social elite. Last month, details of testimonies about a gang rape that allegedly occurred in a hotel room in Cairo in 2014 started circulating on social media, along with demands to arrest the suspects, all of whom belong to affluent and powerful families.

Activists and campaigners say Egyptian law provides limited recourse regarding sexual assault and harassment. They say survivors encounter resistance when trying to report their experiences, and also face negative social consequences. Egypt’s National Council for Women said that several victims related that those accused had “blackmailed and threatened to defame them using photos and clips documenting (the) heinous crimes”.

Egypt has recently approved a draft law which aims to ensure the confidentiality of information on the victims of sexual harassment and assault. Meanwhile, in July, Egypt’s public prosecutor’s office ordered the arrest of a man whose alleged sexual crimes against women and minors were exposed in an online campaign. According to the BBC, the accused had confessed to the attempted rape, among other complaints against him, including that of sexual blackmail.

Umm Muhammed Umar