Aswan International Women Film Festival releases ‘Protection Against Sexual Exploitation’ document

 

 

 

As part of the activities of the sixth edition of Aswan International Women Film Festival for Women, Nut Forum  launched ‘Protection Against Sexual Exploitation’ document.

 

 

Scriptwriter Mohamed Abdel-Khalek head of the festival, said: “ Three years ago director of Nut Forum and vice-chairman of the festival’s board of trustees, Dr Azza Kamel began preparing a document on protection from sexual exploitation, which is not a theoretical matter. The launch of this document from a film festival in southern Egypt is the beginning of a path that is more than mandatory.”

 

Abdel Khalek explained that the festival will send this document to cinematic bodies including unions and syndicates. 

 

“We are preparing to produce short Egyptian films on women's issues, which is a kind of activation, confirmation and dissemination of this document” Abdel Khalek added.

 

 

 

Dr. Azza Kamel said: “We thought about policies to protect against sexual exploitation, not only to protect women, but to protect men and children also,as most major institutions and United Nations organizations have protection policies.”

 

 

Kamel further explained that in recent years, there were developmental and cinematic programs that have encouraged girls to talk about the facts of sexual exploitation, and the Cinema Professions Syndicate issued a statement saying that the film crew should not accept being selected in apartments, the selection process should be performed in offices with more than one person to avoid any form of exploitation.

 

 

Kamel noted that the document provides a definition of harassment and sexual exploitation, and clarifies the limits of sexual exploitation.

 

“ The document sets protection or prevention measures, including the reporting mechanisms that we are also looking for, and we want this document to be taken seriously” Kamel recounted.

 

President of the Academy of Arts Ghada Gabara said: “ I am happy that this document was launched in my country Aswan, this document is important because any institution or any small or large entity must have a similar document.”

 

Gabara added that there were red lines that we cannot discuss, but we have reached the point of freedom, courage, and victory for women and addressing all their issues to the point that we are approaching thorny places, and Jabara announced that they at the Academy of Arts will adopt this document.

Gabara added that there were  red lines that we weren't able to  discuss, but we have reached a point of freedom and courage that made us able to discuss all women related issues.

 

Gabara also announced that the Academy of Arts will adopt this document.

 

 

Veteran film critic Kamal Ramzy said that every year Aswan International Women Film Festival surprises him with a new step. 

 

“We used to hear about the duties of citizens , how to be polite, cooperative and influential, but no one spoke about citizen rights. These rights that the United Nations spoke about came after long struggle made  by the whole world” Ramzy recounted.

 

Mervat Al-Telawi pointed out that there are two human rights conventions, one for economic and social rights and the other for political rights.

 

She said we should thank Azza because she prepared this document in a concise manner to facilitate its reading, and indicated that it came at a difficult word for Orientals, which is the word gender, which is now used in the sense of gender or gender. A great weakness that we must overcome.

 

“ We should thank Azza Kamel because she prepared this document in a concise manner and housed the word sex which is critical word for people in the Middle East which we now refer to as gender, this matter is a weak point that we have to put overcome” Tellawi said.

 

representative of the World Health Organization in Egypt Dr. Naima Al-Qusair, said that this is the first document in the world to be launched at a film festival.

“The World Health organization and the United Nations have documents and policies to provide a safe work environment without sexual exploitation or any form of exploitation” Al-Ousair said.

 

Al-Qusair hoper that this document and its policies be implemented in all institutions or festivals that are held in Egypt.

 

 

 Engy Soliman said that she is happy with this document.

 

“ I hope that there will be a simplified version for children. The parents shouldn’t be embarrassed to speak with their children about these matters. The terms of the document may be part of the means of protection provided to protect children in schools” Soliman said.