Egypt recently enacted new amendments to laws that toughen the penalty for sexual harassment and bullying, a much-awaited move in a country whose capital, Cairo, was ranked “the world’s most dangerous city for women”.
The Egyptian parliament approved new government-drafted amendments to the penal code, hardening penalties for sexual harassment and bullying crimes, days ago.
Suppose a sexual harassment crime is committed against a woman at the workplace or in public transportation. In that case, the perpetrator is sentenced to under three years in prison and ordered to pay 300,000 Egyptian pounds (amounting to around US$9,700).
The jail term is increased from 5 years up to 10 years if the perpetrator has authority or is the guardian of the female victim.
An offender of a bullying offence is jailed to no less than a year in prison, and the penalty is doubled if the perpetrator has authority over the victim.