Sexual assault is on the rise in Egypt and the assaults frequently take place among large crowds

Sexual assault is on the rise in Egypt and the assaults frequently take place among large crowds
Sexual assault is on the rise in Egypt and the assaults frequently take place among large crowds

Sexual assault is on the rise in Egypt and the assaults frequently take place among large crowds

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While sexual harassment has been a problem in Egypt for some time, sexual assaults are up dramatically since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Last week several women’s rights groups said they’d documented more than 250 cases of mass rape and sexual assault over a 15-month period, ending in January. There were several more attacks last weekend as Egyptians celebrated their new president, who immediately ordered a crackdown on sexual harassment. Hania Sholkamy an Egyptian social anthropologist and research professor at the American University of Cairo, tells us why she thinks violence against women is on the rise. (photo: In this Sunday, June 8, 2014 photo, Supporters of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi celebrate his inauguration in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt. Egyptian police on Monday arrested seven men for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old student during celebrations marking the inauguration of the country’s new president in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square the day before, security officials said. (AP Photo/Thomas Hartwell))