In light of recent events that have taken Egypt by storm, namely the exposure of serial harasser Ahmed Bassam Zaki and the Fairmont incident, many are becoming more aware of the reality of women living in Egypt. However, amidst this powerful movement against sexual harassment, many questions arose. The most prominent one being, what incites sexual harassment? According to Kunstman, an experimental social psychologist at Miami University in Ohio, power creates a perfect mental storm of misconduct. Although sexual gratification plays as an incentive for sexual harassment, it is but a small part of the reason why sexual harassment takes place. The patriarchal basis on which our society was built ensures men the upper hand in everything. Therefore, in order to maintain in a position of power, some men tend to exploit that power to harass women and put them in place. Viewing themselves as superiors, harassers also assume that they are sexually desired by everyone. Thus, inflict themselves upon others without permission. Apart from the psychological side of harassment, the movie industry influences rape culture heavily, especially in Egypt. When watching a movie, it is normal for the viewer…
Clean Cinema and Egypt: How Normalized Are Portrayals of Harassment?
September 27, 2020
