Cairo: Egyptian women’s rights activists call on Monday for laws that protect women to better enforce after a stronger penalty for sexual violations.
They welcomed moving by the Egyptian parliament on Sunday to reclassify sexual harassment as a crime, increasing a minimum prison sentence from one to two years and raising a fine for at least 100,000 Egyptian pounds ($ 6,400).
But they warn this will only be effective if the enforcement of such laws is increased, on the grounds of the lack of consciousness among the police, judges and society as a whole.
Legal amendments are the latest in a series of steps to strengthen laws that protect women in a conservative Muslim-majority country, where hundreds were taken to social media last year to denounce sexual violence.
Eldaanbou, the executive director of the Egyptian female center for legal guidance and awareness, said it was a “commendable step”, but increased awareness and enforcement was a real challenge.
“What is really important is to apply the law, set up a mechanism for implementation and increase social awareness about the dangers of sexual harassment,” he told the Thomson Reuters foundation.
Randa Fakhr El-Deen, Executive Director of the Unity on Dangerous Practice of Women and Children, an NGO, warned that there was a later reclassified risk of extending the legal process, delaying justice for the victims.
“What really matters now is what’s next.
It is important to see the abuse including prison and be punished instead of seeing them released,” he said.
Sunday amendments allow more longer prison sentences and greater fine for repeat violators, and for longer sentences where the defendant is in the position of authority over the victim or using weapons during the attack.
They define sexual harassment as acts or sexual or pornography, both with signs, words, or actions, including electronically.
Egypt’s calculation of sexual violence began last year when a 22-year-old student launched a high profile campaign that led to the arrest of a man accused of raping and extorting many women.
A few weeks later, he turned on the gang rape case involving up to nine suspects from a strong and rich family.
Several suspects were arrested, but prosecutors drew the case in May, citing a lack of evidence, a step was condemned by the campaigns of women’s rights.
Other legislative changes including the introduction of law in August gave women automatic rights to anonymity in cases of sexual violence.
In April, parliament was also toughened by punishment for women’s genital mutilation.
($ 1 = 15,6400 Egyptian pounds)