Egypt’s railways: Safe travels for women

Egypt’s railways: Safe travels for women

The National Council for Women (NCW) along with Egypt National Railways (ENR) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) put their hands together to make Egypt's railway network safer for female passengers. The trio agreed to launch an awareness campaign against sexual harassment on public transport in particular and violence against women in general.  

Safaa Habib, NCW's political coordinator, told Al-Ahram Weekly that the Al-Sekka Aman (Railway is Safe) campaign includes billboards and promotional videos on social media platforms that will be used on the busiest train routes. "The campaign which has already started is assigning volunteers who will inform the public about the campaign and its goals. In addition, passengers will be informed via different social media platforms on how to contribute to a more open dialogue about safe transport in Egypt,“ Habib said.

According to Habib, the ENR has set up hotline 15047 and [email protected] to report any harassment incident against females while travelling via the railway network. The hotline is connected to the railways police officers who will receive the report and take the necessary legal action against the harasser. "The campaign also informs women how to report any harassment incident and follow up on it. Until now