Continuing Work

The women in the NGO were very busy today. The website team was being trained on new software and formats to help improve the websites over all appearance and accessibility. Due to this I was sent to the library to work on editing and research.

Shaimmaa sent me her two articles late so I focused the majority of my morning on correcting her articles. I have to say, her writing has already improved greatly. I am happy because I am the one helping her with her skill and it is making a difference for her. Right now she is working on translating the Tabbaa volumes from Arabic into English. So far, she has Volume One, Two, and Three done. I was sent Volume Two and Three, so those are the ones I edited. Volume Two discuses the different types of resistance that women face on a daily biases, this resistance can be explicit or implied. The volume mainly focuses on Palestinian resistance to the Israeli army and the differences of the Intifada of 1988 and 2000. It also mentions the role that Arabic American women play in the resistance to this type of enmity. Volume Three discuses the different cultural discourses that contribute to the formation of social roles of men and women in Arab societies. Media and literature appear to play the biggest role in helping to shape those identities. From this editing ,I learned a lot about the roles of men and women in Arab societies.

I am worried that I am not having the same type of experience as other people working in different NGO, or even as Heba may be having in ours. Even though the women are friendly language does seem to be the biggest obstacle. I am usually given my assignment at the beginning of every meeting and expected to have it done by the time I leave. The women on my campaign team, the website team, are always hard at work so talking about how they feel about the work they are doing rarely happens. I feel like I am at a slight disadvantage, because if I spoke Arabic, I think the conversation would happen more naturally. Instead when I try to raise these questions, while we are all working, I do not think the women realize I am talking to them, even though I address them by name. I know they think the work they are doing is important, otherwise they would not be working at this NGO, but as of right now I do not know more than that. I feel as though my first meeting with the NGO was my first and really only insight into understanding how these women feel and think about their lives and the lives of other Arab women, and this mainly has to do with the fact that Heba was with me and translated most of the conversation for me. I am going to continue to look for opportunities to have these discussions again, even if I have to schedule them.

November 4ths meeting

I meet with the New Woman Foundation every Wednesday from 8:30-1:30. Last Wednesday was the first time that I started one of the projects the NGO wanted me to work on. I am editing English translation of Arabic publications so the NGO can add more to their English website. Up until this point the woman, who's work who I am editing, had not been able to meet with me, and on Wednesday we were finally able to meet.

I did not think editing was going to be as difficult as it turned out to be. I overestimated her ability to write in English. It took me two hours to edit two pages of the translation. It was very tiresome. However, I hope that my editing will help her with her English writing. She was very sweet and sat with me and told me what she wanted to say. Her English is very good, she just needs to learn where to place periods and comma's so her ideas make sense and an English reader can understand.

At the end of our time we set up a schedule that would allow us to get as many works translated and edited as possible. We decided that we would try to get two works done by every Wednesday. She will send me two works every Sunday, I will have them edited by Tuesday and we will discus any issues on Wednesday.

On top of this I am still conducting research and writing about issues facing women in the Middle East specifically issues in Egypt.

Thought of sharing

This is one of the writings that the NGO wanted me to translate, i thought of sharing it as i found it very informative.

Establishment Declaration

All working organizations in the field of women rights united their efforts through many studies and supporting the case of WOMEN SEXUAL ABUSE for many years.

They were able to put it on the top of the general agenda discussion and as a result drama and different programs adopted the case, which helped focusing the light on it.  Especially with the nonstop increasing level of sexual abuse and taking the form of social violation. However blame is still dropped on women and excuses are found for criminals. Which point to very serious problems the inferiority of women and their responsibility in a way or another. Moreover sexual abuse according to social and cultural recognition is a form of sexual need and demand. Simplifying that serious case is totally against reality and fact. What is actually happening is a sort of men abuse and a mean to prove men authority and superiority over women either by threatening them or abusing them and is a profiling form of roles in society.

 

  Although the inferiority thought about women is still adopted socially we could sense a kind of change in the reaction taken in the case of Noha Roshdi – the first women who reported her experience – the criminal was sentenced to 3 years in prison for sexual harassment. Islam Magdi as well was sentenced to one year imprison with labor and access in Gamea al Dual Al Arabia Street for sexual harassment. On the 25 of Nov. Giza court sentenced tough Prison against an uncle who raped his niece and as a result she gave birth to a baby girl. On the 14 of Dec. the convicted that rapped the lady in her house was referred to a speedy trial and sentenced to 15 years prison.

All the members who signed the declaration show gratitude and satisfaction and they all insured their trust in the honesty of the judicial

 Justice and fairness system.

 

   On the other hand other parties suggested severe punishing laws against women violence in general as (EL NADIM CENTER). Other parties suggested reforming excising laws to consider harassment a crime as (THE EGYPTIAN CENTER FOR WOMEM'S RIGHTS, KHALIL KOWAITA A MEMBER OF THE PARLEMENT, and THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR WOMEN).

That's very important as we still don't have a precise clear definition for sexual harassment and we still deal with it legally as rape. Although the agreement of ending all kind of women discrimination gave us a clear and precise definition for it "Harassment goes under all unwanted acts which has any sexual hints, moves, touches, porn reviews or demands by all means either verbal or practice."

That helps break the wall of silence and defreeze the case specially that some women were treated in a disgracing way when reporting their experience as Shaimaa and Heba.

 

  A group of no government organization was influence by that and decided to move fast and to cooperate to find quick effective solutions specially that this phenomenon is increasing rapidly. This phenomenon is not related to global, financial or political circumstances but it is due to the government established violence so it is about time to break the wall of silence and reveal this case and find the means to face it.

On 3 Dec.2008 the members of "New Women Organization" that a working force is formed to face sexual violence against women. This was associated with another force "The International 16 Days campaign" which had the same motive. All members ensure the continuity of what they have started and to encourage women to protect themselves and their safety at home, work, street or where ever by: -

Offering immediate psychological and legal support.

Changing the attitude and thoughts related to the mentioned case.

Improving the way and attitude of different governmental organizations while dealing with such cases on top the police. Contributing in the improvement of legal dimensions concerning the case.

Offering all means of help for sexual abuse victims.

 

The organizations that signed the declaration.

1- WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.

2- EGYPTIAN COMMITTEE FOR SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION.

3- BALLADY COMMITTEE PORT SAED.

4-ARAB WOMEN LEAGE

5-AL ELEIMY FOR LAWYAL WORK AND LAWYERS

6- THE NEW WOMEN FOUNDATION.

7- Family  Development Foundation.

8- HELWAN FOUNDATION FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

9- EGYPTIAN   INITIATIVE FOR PERSONAL RIGHTS.

10- INITIATORS   TO SUPPORT AND DEVELOP CIVIL EDUCATION IN PORT SAED.

11-AL NADIM CENTER

12-KANA EL SUES CENTER

13- HESHAM MUBARAK CENTER

14 -ARAB LAW BUREU

15-DEVELOPING WOMEN ORGANIZATION.

16- DEMOCRATIC CIVIL FORUM – SUES

 

PERSONELS

 

AHMED FATHY LAWER

ENGY GULAN

ZEYAD EL ELAIMY LAWYER

TAHER ABU NASR LAWYER

MOHSEN BAHNASSY LAWYER.