“This is just one telling of a very real history; within and around it, there are countless others,” reads the introduction to Yasmin El-Rifae’s ‘Radius: A Story of Feminist Revolution’ (2022). The book, which had its first Egyptian launch event on 2 March 2023, recounts one facet of a pivotal moment in feminist history. In late 2012, shocking reports emerged of mass sexual violence against women protesters in Tahrir Square. While aggressions had been carried out against women since the early days of the uprising, two years into the revolution, these mob sexual assaults had grown to an unprecedented scale and viciousness. The mounting epidemic prompted the formation of several feminist groups, organizing to document and halt violences, extract women from these attacks, and provide care to survivors. ‘Radius’ tells the story of one such group: Operation Anti-Sexual Harassment, or ‘Opantish’ for short, of which the author was a member. El-Refaie’s first book is a difficult read. Comprising interviews with activists, Facebook posts, and the author’s own recollections, the stories it tells paint a harrowing portrait of patriarchal violence, feminist resistance, and defeat. The product is a powerful work of…
Beyond Victimhood and Survival: ‘Radius’ Tells a Tale of Feminist Struggle in Egypt
April 12, 2023
