If you know a woman who has visited Cairo, the capital of Egypt, chances are she was sexually harassed while walking along the city’s streets.
The problem has grown to such an extent that 83 per cent of Egyptian women and almost all (98 per cent) of foreigners living in Cairo said they had been sexually harassed at one time or another.
A website, Harrasmap, will allow women to quickly report instances of harassment via text message or Twitter, which are be loaded onto a digital map of Cairo to show hotspots and areas that might be dangerous for women to walk alone. The data will be shared with activists, media, and police.
The anonymous site gives women a tool to report the violation, as well as a feeling of solidarity. After sending a text message to the site, women will receive encouragement, safety tips, and instructions on how to file a police report.
The plan resembles a site launched in multiple cities around the world, called Hollaback, where women write about incidents where they felt violated or harassed.