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HarassMap: Mapping sexual assaults as they happen in Egypt

Even covering up doesn't protect women from being harassed or assaulted on the frenzied streets of Egypt's troubled cities these days. And since the police and even bystanders have passively watched far too many Egyptian women targeted and groped and worse, a new group of empowered women is fighting back with "HarrassMap". They message the location of an assault which...
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The Current22:00HarassMap: Mapping sexual assaults as they happen in Egypt
Even covering up doesn't protect women from being harassed or assaulted on the frenzied streets of Egypt's troubled cities these days. And since the police and even bystanders have passively watched far too many Egyptian women targeted and groped and worse, a new group of empowered women is fighting back with "HarrassMap". They message the location of an assault which is then marked on a map on a website for all to see. Today, the creator of HarrassMap on the idea and the result.


HarassMap: Mapping sexual assaults as they happen in Egypt - Nahlah Ayed

The streets of Egypt's Port Said were filled with rage for five long days. Angry protests that began against a court ruling grew furious as demonstrators and police collided with lethal violence.

Those riots spread coinciding with the second anniversary of the revolution which brought change or lack of change about which Egyptians are deeply divided.

An estimated 60 people have been killed and more than one thousand injured since the last week. On Sunday, President Mohammed Morsi responded with a familiar authority.

"I declare a 30 day state of emergency in Port Said, Suez, and Ismaliye. There will be a curfew from 9:00pm to 6am in those areas."

Despite the state of emergency, there appears to be an ongoing erosion of public trust - not the Revolution anyone expected. Nahlah Ayed is the CBC's correspondent in Egypt and we reached her in Cairo.

HarassMap: Mapping sexual assaults as they happen in Egypt - HarassMap Co-Founder

As Nahlah Ayed mentioned in Tahrir square and elsewhere in Cairo, the sexual abuse of women us a real worry. Egyptian women's groups say 25 women have been assaulted in the past few days. To try and protect women, one group has developed a tool called HarassMap - a website when victims of assault can report an incident and identify a trouble zone on an online map of Egypt.

Volunteers can then spot danger zones and issue warnings. The organizers behind HarassMap also work with the community to find solutions. Rebecca Chiao is one of the co-founders of HarassMap. She's on a Canadian tour talking about her work. She joined us from Vancouver.

This segment was produced by The Current's Josh Bloch and Naheed Mustafa.

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Other segments from today's show:

Diagnosis through medical apps: Should you trust them?

The rise of E-cigarettes: Helping to quit or encouraging to smoke?

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