A video showing a policewoman arresting a sexual harasser outside a cinema in Cairo has gone viral in Egypt, with many on social media praising the initiative to employ more policewomen to tackle sexual harassment.
The video shows the woman grabbing the man and shocking him with an electric rod as dozens await to enter the cinema.
The arrest is just one of many documented by photographs and videos during the past three days of Eid. According to Egypt’s Ministry of Interior, the first two days of Eid saw 84 individuals arrested for sexual harassment.
The department dealing with violence against women was established in 2013. Following this, Egypt passed an anti-harassment law in 2014, which penalizes those found guilty of sexual harassment with a fine of LE 3,000 to LE 5,000 ($419 to $700) and/or a jail sentence of no less than six months.
The intensified efforts come as public holidays often witness a surge of sexual violence against women. Egypt’s police had urged women to report harassment and to not remain silent.
According to a 2013 UN study, which was conducted in liaison with Egyptian NGOs and officials, 99 percent of women in Egypt have witnessed some form of sexual harassment.
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