Egypt interior ministry deploys female officers to fight sexual harassment during Eid

Egyptian policewomen who are part of a new anti-harassment force patrol in Cairo on the first day of Eid Al-Fitr. The force is a new initiative by the Ministry of Interior to combat sexual harassment in the streets, which in past years has spiked in Cairo during the holiday celebrations with the crowds of rowdy men in the streets (File photo: AP)

CAIRO: Egypt’s interior ministry has deployed female officers in popular destinations during Eid Al-Fitr, in a bid to combat sexual harassment against women, which reportedly soars during holidays.
The security directorates have tightened security measures in areas that usually witness a high turnout of citizens on Eid Al-Fitr, including Corniche Al-Nile, downtown Cairo, and in the vicinities of cinemas, public parks, and Nile marinas, according to Al-Masry el-Youm newspaper.
The officers have been intensively trained to confront and handle male harassers during their arrest until they are handed to the nearest police station for legal action, the newspaper reported.
Their presence can be seen at parks, cinemas and other places where sexual harassment could occur in overcrowded areas.