Egypt criminalises sexual harassment
Witness History17 Sep 2025

Egypt criminalises sexual harassment

In 2014, Egypt’s outgoing president, Adly Mansour, issued a decree which categorised sexual harassment as a crime punishable by a minimum six-month jail term and a fine of 3,000 Egyptian pounds which is around $60.

It was a move campaigners welcomed, saying it was the first step towards ending an endemic problem.

Among those who made the change happen was Engy Ghozlan, co-founder of HarassMap, an online tool to report harassment.

She speaks to Megan Jones about what life in Egypt was like for women before the legislation came into force.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina’s Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall’ speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler’s List; and Jacques Derrida, France’s ‘rock star’ philosopher. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world’s oldest languages.

(Photo: Egyptian women take part in a march against sexual harassment. Credit: Ed Giles/Getty Images)

Episoder(2000)

Tracey Emin’s unmade bed

Tracey Emin’s unmade bed

In 1999, Dame Tracey Emin’s unmade bed was nominated for Britain’s prestigious Turner art prize opening up conversations about how we define art.The installation titled, My Bed, was Dame Tracey’s bed ...

7 Jan 10min

Isabel Allende: The House of the Spirits

Isabel Allende: The House of the Spirits

In 1982, Isabel Allende published her debut novel, The House of the Spirits. The characters are based on her family, and the story reflects Chile’s 20th Century history, including the 1973 military co...

6 Jan 9min

The Hillsborough disaster

The Hillsborough disaster

On 15 April 1989, there was a crowd crush at a football match in Sheffield, England, which led to the death of 97 fans. It was the semi-final of the FA Cup between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest and ...

5 Jan 10min

South Africa's luxury train

South Africa's luxury train

In 1986, South African businessman Rohan Vos was sitting in the bath when he decided to pursue his passion and launch a vintage railway business. However, the venture nearly bankrupted him, and he was...

2 Jan 10min

The American Freedom Train

The American Freedom Train

In April 1975, the American Freedom Train set out on a tour across the United States to celebrate 200 years of American independence.On-board were more than 500 priceless artefacts, documenting import...

1 Jan 9min

The longest musical composition

The longest musical composition

On 31 December 1999, a piece of music started playing in a lighthouse on the River Thames in east London. It’s called Longplayer, and it’s set to keep going, without repeating, until the year 2999. It...

31 Des 202510min

Radio Free Europe

Radio Free Europe

Seventy-five years ago, Radio Free Europe started broadcasting news to audiences behind the Iron Curtain.It initially broadcast to Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Romania and programmes ...

30 Des 20259min

SMS: The invention of text messaging

SMS: The invention of text messaging

In October 1984, as the market for mobile phones was just opening up, one man decided it would be useful if the new technology could be used to send and receive short, electronic messages.But colleagu...

29 Des 202510min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
aftenpodden
giver-og-gjengen-vg
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
konspirasjonspodden
aftenpodden-usa
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
popradet
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
wolfgang-wee-uncut
grenselos
min-barneoppdragelse
synnve-og-vanessa
fladseth
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
frokostshowet-pa-p5
alt-fortalt
198-land-med-einar-trnquist
rss-dannet-uten-piano
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem