(Names are altered for safety purposes)
Authorities in Egypt have undermined lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender LGBT rights to privacy with digital targeting, namely entrapment on social media and dating applications, online harassment and “outing,” online extortion, monitoring social media, and reliance on illegitimately obtained digital evidence in prosecutions. – The 2023 Human Rights Watch World Report.
In Egypt, discrimination practices and human rights violations against womn have persisted, especially in the realms of social media. The enforcement of the Family Morals Law, flawed with bias and discrimination, has led to many reports of police targeting womn on social media, accusing them of engaging in sex work or human trafficking without proper evidence.
The 2022 Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Transformation Index (BTI) country report on Egypt stated that: “The 2014 constitution in theory grants equal rights to all citizens without discrimination (Art. 9). However, civil liberties are systematically repressed. Womn continue to struggle to be granted equal rights, as do citizens who, in one way or the other, do not comply with the image of the “normal Egyptian,” such as “homosexuals, transgender persons, atheists, Shi’ite Muslims or Bahai”.
Pushback on this situation has been stifled by the lack of information on the ongoing human rights abuses in Egypt related to the enforcement of family morals laws and the targeting of sex workers (including LBTQI- identifying sex workers). Womn and relevant stakeholders lack reliable evidence to push for changes in government policies and programs aiming to promote accountability and the protection of womn’s rights.
With rapid response funding from CMI through UAF-Africa, a womn’s organisation established with a vision of creating a strong, connected, empowered LGBTQI community in Egypt, stepped in to bring about a systemic change. To identify patterns and trends, the group conducted an extensive review of existing data on the Family Morals Law arrests and sex workers arrests, meticulously documenting cases of police targeting womn on social media platforms like TikTok.
Through this exercise, they gathered evidence of arbitrary accusations and human rights violations and developed a map highlighting the frequency and location of arrests with relevant stakeholders and the public to raise awareness and advocate for policy reforms on womn’s rights in Egypt.
Impact of the Intervention
This intervention had a significant impact, resulting in the production of a comprehensive report summarizing the findings and documentation of the human rights abuses associated with the arrests and violations. Whilst the report serves as an information and evidence tool for pushback processes, the intervention has empowered the organisation to challenge discriminatory norms further and change the government’s perception of womn in Egypt. It further tackles underlying causes of violations against womn for a just and equitable society for all genders and free of threats and harassment.
“This support empowers us to advocate for systemic change, challenge discriminatory practices, and contribute to a more just and equitable society. With this funding, we can make a real difference in the lives of those affected and drive meaningful policy reforms.”-Group Member
This womn’s group leveraged on collaboration with regional partners, international human rights organisations, and networks to access supplementary resources, exchange knowledge, and amplify advocacy efforts. Albeit challenges with accessing vital information due to strict internet censorship, they bypassed restrictions with VPN services and proxy servers, ensuring safety and anonymity of team members. Despite the challenges, their dedication and collaboration with various stakeholders position them as catalysts for change, aiming to make Egypt’s digital spaces safe, empower womn and promote equality and equity in the region.
Moving forward, this group has outlined specific activities to follow-up this intervention for transformative change. These include persistent monitoring of police targeting on social media, active engagement in policy reforms, intensifying public awareness campaigns and exploring legal support avenues.
