Street Harassment

Everyday on my way to work, I walk for 5 minutes to reach my office, which is something I enjoy... Walking in the streets of downtown Cairo... Checking out the nice buildings and breathing the morning cool breeze is something i love doing... However, MEN seem to ruin my morning walks and morning mood... I wonder what they benefit from the dirty comments they give. What pleasure or satisfaction comes out of it? Why do I have to take the comment silently and leave?


What is even more interesting is the fact that he (the harasser) passes by me and whispers his comments in my ear in a second... They are so talented in deciding on the right time, the right tone and the right moment to say the dirty crap they say and leave... It's disgusting to hear every single day comments on my body... I sometimes think "howa enta shayef aii 7agga aslan 3alashan te2ool el kelmeteen el kazereen betoo3ak dool?!?!?!".... Dirty awi ya3ny... Plus, I feel commodified, objectified and humiliated... It is impossible for me to listen to such crap and not feel like a slut...


Once I was walking and a car with four guys came walking by my side and started telling me "Eh el 7alawa de? Danna low mesektek 7a2ata3ek".... And the car was so close to me that the guy could reach out and grab my hand so easily... He kept saying all those abusive sexual things for almost 5 minutes till I couldn't tolerate anymore and I gave him a fierce stare in the eye, thinking that I might turn him off or scare him away or anything... But what I got was a hysterical laugh and more harassment... I felt weak and vulnerable for the first time in my life... I felt that being a woman is a disadvantage, as it makes her liable to such shit...


Men think of us, women only in an animalistic way... And that is the only thing they care about... They don't think that their harassment hurts, or scares us, or makes us feel like we're mere objects...