This is a men’s world!

Women.
They have been stripped off more liberties since the revolution; harassment has become viral as the police is just not around. In a hive of 18 million people, Cairo has become obstreperous. Yet, I do not wish to fan the flames of sexual harassment today, I just have one tableau, taken from a personal experience.

As I walk home, I have the daily pleasure to walk past a bunch of workers. On one particular occasion, a couple of them felt it would smitten me to cat call me across the street, the blond westerner wearing a skirt. As I ignored and gave my nasty stare, I walked past a lady fully covered who witnessed the scene. She tutted loudly, at me, not them.

And who could blame her, she most likely is also harassed in her attire, so it’s only fair I get it too! Whatever the reasons behind the fact that she is covered, she probably thinks that I deserve it. Since your parents and beliefs shape your perception of life, if all you have ever known is one certain way, it takes a lot to be able to think outside the box. Before my experience of the Muslim world, I also had a lot of unfounded opinions about women in the Arab world.
So I looked at her and smiled and waved, not to wave her away, but to fan towards her a new idea, that we may be different in many ways, but undergo the same problems and could stand together after all.

Women, as in any society, are a paramount factor to a country’s development.

The students I teach are part of my Egyptian connection, they are proud of their country, however the troubles and often check on “how I feel about Egypt”. The patriotism is beautiful to witness and the best moments are when they explain to me, in my language, how they feel about France and yet how proud they are to be Egyptians! Our latest project was to build a chronology of the feminine condition in both France and Egypt in terms of legal rights. I was curious to find out how much they knew about my country and theirs. After much reading and research, this is the outcome (their choices for the pictures too).

 

Obviously, already prior to our search, we all understood that French women lead a different life compared to the Egyptian women. There are several layers to the feminine identity here. The fact that France is a secular country and Egypt isn’t has a lot of impact on the latter.

Indeed, religion plays a big role on what is allowed or accepted here. The constitution, today more than ever, is rather unclear as for what women can legally do or can’t.

Marriage as a virgin is an expectation, bearing children and raising them will come under your responsibilities, as well as chores. You may divorce, yet it is much harder, depending on the traditional values of your potential second husband. You may cover yourself once married, should it be your husband’s wish. It is unheard of to be the one working and mutually agree with your husband that he will be the one watching your children.

Without denouncing but the mere hope to explain the current situation, it does feel that my culture is far from this. The French, we have the reputation to strike and demonstrate for anything, it is indeed a national sport (I am a big supporter of it!). We have, throughout history, fought for more rights, more recognition and the discrepancies nowadays, considering the parallel made above, are minute. The chronology made by the grade 11 highlighted it.

 

And there are women fighting against it here in Egypt, voicing their opinions, taking a stand and I hope they reach their goals.

Paradoxically, despite all this, the status of women, within their families is inspiring here. As much as one cannot deny the lack of rights and equality between genders, Egyptian mothers are deservedly recognised. The status as a mother innately offers you a level of respect, since children, as it was the case in the old Constantinople, are loved and cherished too. You may agree or not on the amount of love and care, yet everybody, from the young man to the elder person, LOVES kids!

Facial expressions light up and hands are all over your baby before you know it, and that is beautiful! I miss it when I travel in Europe and often feel like calling out people in shops and ask them why they aren’t telling me my children are beautiful and if they can touch their faces! One thing is sure, if you are identified as a mother in Cairo, you will not reap the same amount of disgraceful looks as you would alone.