There is no doubt that violence against women (VAW) is a major challenge in Egypt, in all its shapes and forms. Most prevalent cases are sexual harassment, domestic violence, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), forced marriage and socio-economic discrimination. An extremely concerning fact regarding the reporting of such cases is that less than 5% of women seek help from the authorities. How do we know all this? The United Nations Development Programme in Egypt (UNDP), in partnership with the National Council for Women (NCW) and Vodafone Foundation, provided a platform for young Egyptian women and men to voice their opinions. How was this done? By organizing the first “Violence Against Women Youth Innovation Camp” in Egypt! UNDP Egypt is supporting the NCW to effectively address VAW by keeping their doors open and engaging in dialogue with citizens. This time, and for times to follow, we decided to use a participatory and inclusive approach by asking people to pitch their ideas for innovative solutions; namely, reporting on cases of violence against women. For three days, a group of 35 young women and men, worked collaboratively on analyzing the root causes of underreporting,…
