Egypt: state-sanctioned sexual violence

Image via Al Jazeera English

Egypt has seen a significant surge in sexual violence perpetrated by its own security forces since the military takeover in July 2013, according to a report by FIDH. The report, released in May, details the uses of state-sanctioned sexual violence against opponents of President el-Sisi’s regime, NGO representatives and common-law detainees, amongst other victims. It demonstrates the extension of sexual violence from the public sphere to police, state security and military personnel, and the weaponising of such abuse as an explicit form of state violence.

Interviews conducted with victims tell of sexual abuse ranging from sexual harassment, rape and sexual assault to genital electrocution and sex-based defamation. According to FIDH, sexual violence is used by officials to ‘eliminate public protests’ and ‘legitimise the authorities as guardians of the moral order’. Although women make up a significant number of those suffering the regime, members of the Muslim Brotherhood and other political dissidents are also being targeted.

Reports of state-sanctioned sexual violence follow a three-year period of increased mob rapes and sexual assaults following the revolution of January 2011. The FIDH report shows that the actions of the state highlight the increasingly direct role security forces are playing in the perpetration of sexual violence in Egypt. This trend differs significantly from the public announcements made by President el-Sisi’s government claiming their commitment to fighting sexual violence. In a world that is increasingly questioning the legitimacy and trustworthiness of authority, el-Sisi’s government joins a long line of state powers whose actions deeply conflict with their promises.

The history of sexual violence in Egypt does not, however, begin with el-Sisi’s government. As the FIDH report claims, sexual violence is a historic weapon of the Egyptian authorities. Protest movements in the 1990s saw baltagiya (gangs), deployed by the Ministry of the Interior to infiltrate groups of demonstrators, sexually assault women demonstrators with no interference by security forces. The May 2005 ‘Black Wednesday’ is a further example of sexual assault in the presence or knowledge of state officials, including officers of the Ministry of Interior and the riot police.

The history of sexual violence and torture in Egypt showcases the ability of authorities to weaponise such assault with ease. For women, sexual violence threatens to disgrace not only them, but also their families, because of the taboos of sex and its association with shame. Gay and transgender people are increasingly suffering under el-Sisi’s regime of sexual torture, too, demonstrating the intolerance against LGBTQ people despite no laws criminalising same-sex activity or alternative gender identities. For a government acting in the wake of a revolution, with the hopes of Cairo and the wider Egyptian population resting on their shoulders, el-Sisi’s promises to prioritise the fight against sexual violence was a promising start to a potentially revolutionary leadership. The FIDH report, however, has highlighted the false promises and the hypocrisy of the Egyptian government, and is likely to be the start of a further movement to expose and fight against state sexual violence in the country.

Originally published on The Global Panorama.

Your rape jokes aren't funny.

Trigger warning: rape, sexual violence.

My friend made a rape joke today.

It's not the first time he's told one, and he's not the only person I know who has, either. Today, after he said it, he turned around to catch my reaction and laughed when he got it. He knew that I'd be angry and that I'd object - and he found it funny.

The reason he found my reaction funny is because it fulfilled his expectations of how I'd react from the last time he told a rape joke. And the time before that. And the time before that. And backwards and backwards to the first time I told him that no, I didn't find it funny and yes, I did want him to stop.

A few days ago I got told to get a sense of humour when I was told a rape joke. Apparently, I was the person in the wrong. It was a rape joke! Everybody makes rape jokes! Who doesn't enjoy a rape joke? I must be the odd one out, the unreasonable one, the one who doesn't get it.

Herein lies one of the many, many problematic aspects of rape jokes. The fact that you're told to get a sense of humour when you don't laugh means one thing - that there are enough people who have responded to the jokes with laughter and smirks. That there are enough people who have affirmed the joker's belief that yes, rape jokes are funny.

Laughing at sexual violence, the violation of a person's human rights, the exploitation and abuse of a human being - it's completely normal. It's funny. Start laughing.

The thing is that most people defend rape jokes by saying that they'd never actually rape someone. Don't get me wrong, that's brilliant. Fab. I'm glad you don't intend on committing a sexual offence. Good for you. Have a cookie.

But by laughing, smiling, smirking at a rape joke, and by telling it in the first place, you're showing that there is a part of you - a public part of you - that finds rape funny. That you get entertainment from the concept of it. You're sending that vibe to the people around you.

I won't go into how rape jokes can affect rape survivors and potential rapists. That's already been done to a better standard than I ever could. I have never been raped, so I can't and won't speak for those who have. People are voicing their experiences and their feelings on the subject more and more, and that is a truly brilliant thing.

I won't go into detail about the facts and statistics surrounding rape and other forms of sexual violence. I'd like to think that people already know them, but let's be honest - even if they do, it won't stop the rape jokes.

Because most people who make rape jokes know what rape is. The content of their jokes shows that they know it's a violent, intrusive and deeply unsettling concept. They know it's a controversial topic - just like my friend showed when he glanced at me, waiting for my reaction, earlier today.

But do they know that rape jokes aren't funny? No. They wouldn't make them if they did. There is something ingrained in people that makes them think rape is funny. Despite the facts and figures, the survivor accounts and the social media buzz, they're still making the jokes, and they're still laughing. To them, it's funny that the extreme violation of someone's rights can be made into the butt of a joke. It's funny to make low-key contributions to the rape culture we're all living in, as members of this society. It's funny to watch the reactions of those who object. 

For the rest of us, though, rape isn't a joke. Sexual violence, domestic violence, any violence isn't a joke. To the people who make them into jokes - think about what you're endorsing, and think about what you're implying. Your rape jokes aren't funny.

Why they didn't tell the university

Photograph: It Happens Here Durham

Trigger warning: rape, sexual violence and abuse, alchol abuse. Contains content some readers may find upsetting.

One in seven female students is a victim of serious sexual or physical assault. One in four is a victim of sexual violence in general. Ten percent of these students have reported the assault to the police, and only four percent to their university.

These figures, taken from an NUS ‘Hidden Marks’ survey in 2010, don’t include male survivors of sexual assault: even without these additional statistics, they depict a worrying cultural trend. Whilst sexual violence is disturbingly prevalent, the majority of survivors appear to feel unable to report their attacks to their institutions. Since its publication, the NUS report has sparked conversations in universities around the UK about the level of support offered to survivors of sexual violence and abuse, and about the quality of education that institutions are offering about the issue. It is becoming clear that universities – including Durham – need to offer more in the way of support and advice.

The survey also draws attention to the reasons why the other ninety-six percent of female students didn’t report their attackers: half said it was because they felt ashamed or embarrassed, and forty-three percent thought they would be blamed for what happened. Laura*, a former student who agreed to talk to Palatinate, said that she didn’t tell the university because she felt she wasn’t a ‘good victim’ – ‘I came to university really vulnerable because of lots of things that happened in my life before.’ She became involved in an abusive relationship. ‘I was raped and sexually assaulted a number of times both by him and by multiple other men. I reported the last rape, but I didn’t tell the university, partly because I was about to leave and partly because I don’t think he was a student. All the other sexual violence was from other students who were known to me. I couldn’t tell because I was convincing myself I could cope with it. I told myself I deserved it and could handle it myself.’

It has become clear over recent years that we need to create a supportive, compassionate environment at university which reaches out to survivors. This environment should include a network of people who are trained to deal specifically with sexual violence and support survivors in a positive, constructive way. ‘I can’t imagine how you would just go and tell all of this to a college tutor who has no experience in sexual violence,’ said Laura, of her own experiences. ‘The questions over why I had willingly sought out sex with a stranger, why I’d stayed in a relationship with a man who raped me, why I was abusing alcohol, why I was compliant with some of the violence – as a vulnerable, confused twenty-year-old, I didn’t even have the answers myself.’

Durham’s approach to sexual violence and abuse is changing with the introduction of sexual violence awareness campaigns, particularly the introduction of It Happens Here Durham. The organisation was set up with the aim of educating students about sexual violence and creating a safe place for all members of the community. Since its launch in September 2013, the organisation has led discussions about sexual assault and prompted change in and around the university, and its network of organisers has grown dramatically in recent months. It is creating a culture that gives survivors more options, better support, and a chance to share their story.

Working closely with the university to establish a clear, coherent policy on helping survivors, It Happens Here hopes to explore options for raising awareness about sexual violence and supporting students more directly. The group is using the most powerful tool available at university – the student voice – to initiate action and instigate change. Their hope is that Durham University will continue to engage in discussion and commit to change alongside the campaign. They firmly believe that it is the university’s duty to work to create a culture that supports survivors and educates the student body: It Happens Here, and its affiliated organisations, is the medium through which such a culture can be created.

For more information on the ‘It Happens Here’ campaign and how you can help, visit http://ithappensheredurham.wordpress.com, their Facebook page, or follow them on Twitter (@DU_HappensHere).

*Names have been changed.

Originally published on Palatinate Online.