On the honeymoon of 34-year-old Safa, her husband raped her. The sexual assault caused injuries to his genitals, wrists, and face. She says, 'My periods were going on and I was not ready for sex. My husband felt that I was avoiding having a relationship with him. They hit me, tied my hands, pressed my face, and raped me.
Fearing social stigma, Safa did not file a case against her husband. Egyptian society is patriarchal and there is a culture of blaming the women who are victims. The moment of change came for Safa when she saw a scene from the serial Newton's Cradle, which was broadcast on TV in the month of Ramadan. In this, a husband was shown raping his wife.
Seeing this scene brought back bad memories of many women. It also allowed them to openly talk about this on social media and share their experiences. Within a few weeks, hundreds of women wrote about their atrocities on social media. More than 700 women spoke on a page called Speak Up on Facebook. Among them was 27-year-old Sana. 'He was like an angel to me. Got pregnant after a year of marriage and my delivery was about to take place.
Sana writes, 'We had a fight over a minor issue and he decided that he would punish me. He forced and raped me. My pregnancy fell. Sana fought the divorce battle alone. Now she lives separately from her husband. She still cries remembering her child. Forced sex with a wife, especially on honeymoon days, is a prevalent social evil in many areas of Egypt.
The debate on the issue intensified when the ex-wife of a well-known singer shared her experiences on Instagram. She narrated the story of rape in her married life while crying. This video went viral in Egypt. This was also written in the media. In response to this, the husband dismissed all the allegations by posting a video on Instagram itself as baseless. His wife has demanded a legal change to make it a crime.
According to the Egyptian government body National Council for Women (National Council for Women), an average of 6,500 cases of rape, coercive sex, and sexual assault are reported annually in married life. Reda Danbuki, who works at an organization that provides legal aid for women, says, 'It is a common culture in Egypt to consider women available for sex around the clock. This belief is responsible for marital rape.
She says the common religious belief in Egypt is that if a woman refuses to have sex with her husband, then she commits a sin and the angels keep giving her a curse all night. To settle the debate on this issue, Darul Ifta, the highest body of religious affairs in Egypt, has said, 'If a man uses violence to force his wife to have sex with him, then he is guilty and the woman is guilty of him. Can go to court against him and get him punished.
Danabuki says, 'The Women's Center for Guidance and Legal Awareness has registered 200 cases of marital rape in the last two years, most of them on honeymoon. The reason for this was the fear of sex. Marital rape is not a crime under Egyptian law. The World Health Organization considers it a form of sexual violence. It becomes difficult to prove this crime in the courts. Most cases of marital rape in Egypt that go to court do not lead to a conviction.
The reason for this is Section 60 of the Egyptian Penal Code. According to it, 'the penal code will not apply in cases done in good faith and justified under Sharia law'.
But Danabuki says a physical examination of the woman can prove marital rape. She says, 'The woman's entire body should be examined and scratches and external injuries should be seen on it. Injuries on the wrists, the face should also be seen. Change in Egypt usually comes very slowly. Traditions and orthodox values still dominate here. But women victims of marital rape have started raising their voices.
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