I have a voice and this is what it says:

Time for me to be brutally honest about the situation in Egypt. The reason for my honesty: I put up with it every day, I read articles in the local magazines and attend seminars, 70% of my conversations are about this, and for those that are visiting, like family, it is important to be informed and keep in mind that this will drive you crazy, but there are things that you can do about it! What am I talking about: Sexual Harassment.

Search any current news about Egypt and this will be at the top of the list. Sexual harassment is on the rise in Egypt. There are many factors that are causing this and mostly it has to do with the media that comes in from the west portraying images of women that are sexual and this is leading to a misunderstanding that foreign women, young and old, are loose in terms of modesty. Also, in a place where there are rigid roles between the sexes, in Egypt's case a male dominant role, women are the more vulnerable sex and are subjected to sexual violence and harassment.

Although, foreign women have seen more of a percentage of harassment, even Egyptian women who dress modestly or wear a head covering receive almost the same percentage of harassment. I actually saw a completely covered woman being harassed by a man while passing her on the streets of Cairo. Unbelievable!

Here are some things that I am doing to avoid situations. If you will be visiting, I suggest you take these precautions too.
1. Avoid crowds (especially large groups of men...they are everywhere)
2. Be in a group or with a man if you are a woman.
3. Dressing modestly helps, even the man should be wearing long pants instead of shorts as to not draw attention. Blending in, as hard as it is, helps a lot.
4. Do not share a taxi with anyone. If you are a woman sit as far away from the driver as you can and do not engage in conversation.
5. If you are a man, have good eye contact with an approaching group of men. If you are a women, look down, avoid eye contact, move away from them, and keep walking.
6. Learn short phrases in Arabic like no, go away, or shame. Say them loud and firm and walk away without looking.
7. Fight or flight...pick one and stick with it. If you hear sexual comments, just walk away. If they touch or grab, be ready to fight with strong words or physical violence.
8. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. If you are a women, know how to avoid people crossing behind you. Try to keep your distance.
9. Find help from store owners, guards, and other women if you are being harassed. The police are not helpful, they are usually the ones harassing, so avoid them.
10. Be prepared in how to defend yourself against a physical attack. Keys in hands and go for the eyes.

Yes, even taking all these precautions, I have still been harassed. The first time was during rush hour on the metro when Jordan and I entered onto the train and a man got in front of Jordan and groped me. I screamed "haram", pointed, made a scene, but nothing was done to report it. Another situation occurred as I was walking behind Jordan with another girl and a young man jumped to my side and kissed me on my cheek. I pushed his body away and caught up a few paces with Jordan. I have had sexual comments and gestures from boys (1o years old) which Jordan quickly defused and scared the daylights out of them. I have even been harassed twice at school by high school boys making kissing actions towards me and cat-calling. On a daily basis, I leave my apartment and get harassed by the workers whistling and screaming out inappropriate remarks. Even driving in the passenger seat of my own car, I get looks and whistles from buses full of men sitting in traffic on the streets.

The speaker from the US Embassy made a good point: The only way to avoid the constant unwanted attention is to move back to the US. You can't fix 80 million people! You can talk about the situation, share, and learn from others.

So if you are brave enough to visit us, and I hope that you do, just be prepared. Oh, and Mom and Dad, mace is illegal, so cross that off my Christmas list.