Tourist finds sexual harassment common in Egypt
Just one kiss, he says, waving five Egyptian pounds at me.
One kiss on the mouth, and he'll give me the equivalent of a dollar. I am walking through a bazaar in Cairo when I realize that sexual harassment has no limits here.
One man says he wants to marry me. Another grabs me by the arm and asks my name. A few simply yell, "China," and hope I'll turn around - I'm Asian, but not Chinese.
Harassment in Italy is notorious. But the catcalls I experienced in Venice and Rome pale in comparison to the shockingly sexual statements and shameless groping my roommate and I endured in Egypt.
This isn't to say we didn't expect it. After all, U.S. travel officials warn female citizens that they are "vulnerable to sexual harassment and verbal abuse" when traveling unescorted in Egypt. In a survey released by the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights over the summer, 98 percent of foreign women and 83 percent of Egyptian women reported that they'd been sexually harassed in the country.
So we prepared. I spent nearly $200 on attire for the weeklong vacation, stocking up on long-sleeved shirts and ankle-length hippie skirts. We learned the Egyptian word for "No" - it's laa. I packed a pair of sunglasses to avoid eye contact, a scarf to cover my curves and a hat to cover my long hair when necessary.
Physically, we were prepared. Mentally, not so much. If you're a woman planning to travel alone or with other women to explore truly one of the most amazing civilizations in ancient history, I hope you pay heed.
We booked a room at the Paris Hotel Cairo hostel for our first night in Egypt and were very impressed when the hostel owner himself picked us up from the airport, stopped to buy us breakfast and then arranged our tour through the pyramids of Giza.
So when we returned from an awe-inspiring tour on camelback, we assumed that his invitation to join him for a beer on the hostel balcony was an extension of this top-notch hospitality. Over bottles of Stella Artois, we talked about his life in Egypt and our lives in the United States. We were advised by friends who've traveled the country to say we were married - my roommate had even bought a fake engagement ring for the occasion - but we figured we could trust the owner of our hostel when he asked.
He casually began detailing his sex life, describing a few of his more unusual fetishes. My roommate and I exchanged uncomfortable looks when he asked if we liked "to be kissed on the bum." I came out of the experience physically unscathed, but my roommate was apparently subjected to some rather aggressive advances while I was in the bathroom.
That day, we paid for camel rides in Giza. According to a tour book, some guides will try to climb onto the back of the camel and ride with you. "Don't allow this to happen," it read. Sharm el-Sheikh, a popular tourist resort along the Red Sea, is always swamped with European tourists, so we went fairly unnoticed in that part of the country. We were able to shed our long-sleeved shirts for a day and sunbathe.
Still, one local refused to walk away after we repeatedly turned down his offers to massage us. At one point, he abruptly took off my hat and tried to rub my head.
After our brief trip to Sharm El-Sheikh, we headed to Luxor and toured the ruins of some of the most breathtaking ancient Egyptian temples and tombs, including that of King Tutankhamun, in the country. We then heeded the advice of every tour book and paid for a short felucca ride down the Nile.
This turned into a much longer ride than expected, with two local sailors who not only pawed at us but spent 10 minutes trying to kiss us and lure us back to their flat, where we "could all drink alcohol and have sex time." The two didn't actually begin to set sail back until we told them our guide was waiting for us on land and would notice if we weren't back within five minutes.
My roommate said one of the men actually shoved her lips against his as she climbed off the boat.
These were some of the more disturbing experiences we had, but they are not the only ones. We were followed by men on the streets and my roommate, who is blond and blue-eyed, was an obvious target for unwanted attention.
So as I walked through that bazaar in Cairo on my last day in Egypt, I was not nearly as surprised as I should've been when solicited for a kiss. Neither did it surprise me much when a hand reached out and groped my butt.
I turned around but, of course, nobody took responsibility.
Some people might say we were lucky. Video clips of women being molested by mobs of men on the streets of Egypt have made their way onto YouTube in recent years, and some local women say they are sexually harassed several times a day.
I hate to say this, but I wish I had been traveling with a man.
To women traveling to Egypt, I say: Be wary. Cover up. And mentally prepare yourself to accept a culture that is more tolerant of sexual harassment then your own.
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Comments
On the article about sexual harrassement in Egypt. As a frequent visitor to Egypt for 3-5 months at a time. I even look like an Egyptian woman. I wear no make up and look bland and dull when I walk around the street. This does not help. Worst is that my colleagues in Egypt ( men) of course say this does not happen in Egypt. They often say its only words but I guess that they don't realise that this does not happen in other countries and they have no idea that words are just as bad has being touched. When I tell them this is happening to their sisters, mothers and daughters but they will not tell you .. they don't beleive me. Education is needed at home, in schools at tourisme schools, posters.
Can you imagine feeling afraid when I see two or more men walking together on the street. I cross the street from fear. This gang mentality of the more the more the taunting. No matter who it is never accept dinner, coffee invitations,lifts in a car... in fact I never accept any help and I am always afraid to ask for directions. I was shopping at a bookstore and was followed for 4 hours by a man who would not leave me alone. I finally called a freind who advised me to go to the police but the man following me told the police we knew each other. I finally manange to get into a taxi and lost him. A man on a bicylce lifted my long skirt and sped away. Traffic police who say How much honey? Near the pyramids area a man who seemed to be helping with directions exposed himself. The stories are endless. However for every 1000 indecent men in Egypt there is one lovely person. They are rare but they do exist however you will not find them in tourist areas as I have discovered. Ladies do not listen to the silly so called charming expressions and men telling you are your beautiful or you look like the moon. Ignore it and go see the Sphinx!
Ruby
Can you please provide some evidence for your more than half of Arab men are gay/bisexual comment?
I really cannot see what the story from Pakistan has got to do with anything either... Pakistan is not part of the Arab world nor is it in the Middle East (it is in Asia), however the point you are trying to make is rather odd...
There are sick people all over the world... I could refer to tons of cases from your "civillised" Western countries....
How about Joesph Fritzel who imprisoned his daughter for 24 years, raped her and abused her and forced her to bore him 7 children? How about the similar case that happened in Sheffield, UK, this year?
How ridiculous would it be if I warned people not to go to the West because fathers rape their daughters?
Hi,
I have just read your story and I am really quite amazed. I am a blonde who has been travelling to Egypt very safely for the past 20 years. But I do one key thing differently, our company works with an incredibly reputable Egyptian tour company, who only employs the most professional staff. We have many female clients travelling to Egypt on their own and the consistent feedback we receive is that they felt really safe, in fact this is the comment of 99% of our clients whether male of female. Harassment just does not enter into the clients feedback. The other thing that we do as a responsible tour operator is to personally inspect all the hotels that where our clients will stay. We offer 2 star budget upwards to platinum, and rate all hotels according to international standards. My suggestion is that if you want to travel to this part of the world again work with a reliable, established tour operator. Our clients just rave about their awesome holiday experiences and many want to return. Robyn Galloway robyn@innovative-travel.com
Dear Jeaninne ,
Egypt is a cosmopolitan , modern city , going to dinners & events you can wear anything you wear in your country , walking in the street , a normal blue jeans , and a sweat shirt will do people will look at the chest area and legs ...if properly covered then no one will bother you ...its like any where else...
Regards
Sherif
I've been to Egypt and the middle east many times over the past 10 years. I've been groped and propositioned myself more than once, and I've seen it happen to my female friends. It's a shame, but I do have a few observations to share:
* It's not unique to Egypt, but rather seems to be part of the regional culture. If anything, Egypt is better than other countries.
* This is one of the advantages to group travel. I have NEVER seen something untoward like this happen to a member of one of my groups (I own a spiritual travel company).
* I always just try and shrug it off and maintain my humor and love for the country. This might seem like it's easy to say this - but remember this has happened TO ME PERSONALLY. I just chalk it up to cultural and regional differences, like how pushy vendors are or the traffic in Cairo. Now please don't misunderstand, I am NOT negating the seriousness of sexual harassment, but having seen and experienced it first-hand, I have come to feel it's actually of a more benign character than our western culture can comprehend. We don't behave that way, so we consider it a deeply personal affront.
* I personally feel that "to take offense is to give offense" and that "you can't declare war on war." So I've learned that by not taking things personally, simply saying "LA" (no), separating my wife, companion or myself from the unwanted attention, and moving on, we can avoid any negative escalations.
* Please be very careful using a phrase like "IMSHEE." That is the kind of talk reserved for an animal, so if you do resort to it, be 100% certain the situation warrants it. It is
* As I said, I have been to the middle east and Egypt many times - by myself, with my wife and friends, and while leading groups - and my experiences there have been OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE. The vast majority of Egyptians, like every other nationality, are kind, decent, respectful people.
Peace
Greg
http://www.SpiritQuestTours.com
It's sad what's happening in Egypt. But the same can be said about other Arab countries as well. Palestinians, Syians, Jordanians, Saudis and other Gulf nationals, are no different. Like one of the posts here says, even men are not safe in these countries because more than half of the male population are gay or bisexual. There was a case when a Pakistani keeper of a camel stead in Dubai was caught with his pants down fornicating the poor animal that was crouched on the floor. And a local court decided to shoot the camel dead as it's meat and milk (local delicacies) was "polluted". The man, of course, got away quite lightly!! So DO NOT go to such places until their governments clean up the system if they want to sell tourism.
So you think you would have been better off with having a man as a companion? Not so. When my husband and I visited Egypt, we were stopped many times by Egyptian men. These men wanted to have my husband take a trophy picture of me with THEM. Ugh! At first it was kind of annoying, then it became downright rude. My husband was getting really upset. The other Arabic word you could have used was Imshee or "get lost". The more we declined, the more persistent they were. We finally walked away after a stream of curses followed us down the road when we said no for the time. I was not dressed provocatively, I was very conscious of covering myself appropriately.
One other interesting factoid...I also had to watch out for women treating me badly. I am blond, thin and not unattractive. Yet, these women, crossing the street, would deliberately crash into me. If I was in line, the same thing would happen. At first I attributed it to a slip or an accident, but it happened several times and I think these women are retaliating for their husbands' lack of common sense.
Then, my husband had to fend off a man trying to grope him in Luxor. What a country. Beautiful, and with the exception of a few repugnant men, it is lovely place.
Thank you for writing about your experiences.
Regards, Barbara
I am traveling to Cairo in January, as my son has been accepted to AUC for the spring semester. Where to I look for information on what I should and should not wear during my visit there and other things I should prepare myself for, as there will be times I will be by myself.
Thank you for your help.
Hi
i was at the paris hotel in cairo too during the month of september ,and i want to ask you wich one of the owners harrassed u? it was Walid or Tammer? cause they are twins , please let me know that thanks .
Ana, Portugal
Hi
ive been to paris hotel last septembe for a week and i had some problems there too , the owners are 2 and they are twins, can u please tell me wich one of them have harrassed u? it was Walied or Tammer?
Thanks
Regards
Ana,Portugal
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