Recent Survey shows 2/3 of Egyptian Men Abuse Women

In Egypt, the most populous of the Arab nations, a recent survey shows that nearly two-thirds of Egyptian men admit to having sexually harassed women, a majority of which claims that women themselves are to blame.

The survey of Egyptians showed that harrassment of women can take the form of touching or ogling them, shouting sexually explicit remarks, and exposing their genitals.

The report, published by the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights notes that "Sexual harassment has become an overwhelming and very real problem experienced by all women in Egyptian society, often on a daily basis," Despite this perpetual abuse, only 2.4 percent of Egyptian women reported it to the police, with most saying they did not believe anyone would help. Some feared reporting harassment would hurt their reputations.

The Egyptian tourism industry, a major foreign income earner that boasts millions of visitors a year, could see serious repercussions from this trend, with 98 percent of foreign women saying they had experienced harassment in the country, the survey said.