The site asks women to report any sexual assault by calling, texting, emailing or tweeting (#harassmap) the site. The reports are then placed on a searchable map and colored by type of abuse. The acts reported can range from catcalls and ogling to more dangerous situations like stalking and even rape. Women who report incidents are given counsel on how to file a police report, find psychological help and self-defense classes.
Using that map, the site can identify abuse hot spots. Volunteers then make calls to local shopkeepers, residents and police explaining how they can make their at-risk communities safer for women.
The project is led by American-born Rebecca Chiao and a group of other local volunteers. Chiao sees the site as the start of a quiet sexual revolution on the heels of Egypt's popular uprising. HarassMap, like the revolutions, will hopefully prove that social media and digital tools can continue to make a difference in Egypt.
Crowdsourcing is a gutsy way to prevent sexual assault, which is historically under-reported by victims that may feel ashamed. This is especially true in Egypt where women can actually be held to blame for being assaulted. “People have been under a lot of pressure, and overcrowding, noise, stress are increasing,” Chiao said of Egypt in an interview with the Toronto Star. “They take out their frustration on people below them. Women are seen as objects of sexual temptation. If you’re harassed as a women, it’s supposed to be your fault.” The consequences for men are often negligible.
As the Star reports, a 2008 survey of more than 2,000 men and women by the Egyptian Center for Women’s rights claimed that 83% of Egyptian females and 98% of foreign females said they had been exposed to some form of sexual harassment.
HarassMap is trying to expand by reaching out to schools and NGOs, but perhaps the most promising note is that about half of the project’s volunteer base consists of men.
What do you think of HarassMap? Do you think a project like this can make a difference?