Women’s council honors first Upper Egyptian to win harassment case

CAIRO - 6 March 2018: “Rania is an Egyptian icon who broke taboos and gained her rights,” said Maya Mursi, head of Egyptian National Council for Women on Monday while hosting Rania Fahmy, the first Upper Egyptian girl to file a case against a harasser.

Mursi praised Fahmy, describing her as a brave Egyptian girl, a source of honor and pride for the council.


Rania Fahmy (right) with head of the National Council for Women Maya Morsi

Mursi also praised Fahmy’s mother, who had supported her until justice was served.

Rania is a 23-year-old Upper Egyptian girl from Qena who graduated from the Faculty of Sciences. She lives with her mother and three sisters in one of Qena’s villages.

The video of Rania and her harasser went viral on different social media platforms, where most of the

posts

supported and stood up for her brave action against the defendant.

Mursi called on all Egyptian women and girls not to leave their rights and use the harassment law to punish harassers.


Rania Fahmy (right) with officials at the National Council for Women - Press photo

The first harassment law in Egypt was issued in June 2014 during the rule of interim President Adly Mansour, which states that the minimum term of imprisonment for the criminal is six months or the payment of a fine between LE 3,000-5,000 ($170-284).

Qena is an Upper Egyptian governorate with a conservative, religious population. Strong family values are also ingrained in the local culture.