A video from Cairo showing a confrontation on a bus between a woman and a man she accused of harassing her has gone viral, sparking debate about personal safety and public attitudes towards women's rights in Egypt.
The video, filmed by the woman and posted on Facebook by a user identified as Maryam, shows her shouting at a man she accuses of harassing her.
“Look at the camera, you harasser, you thief,” she says, as other passengers look on.
The man is at first angry about being filmed but then appears unmoved as the woman's insults get louder.
After smiling for a while, the man says, “Look at what you’re wearing; you know nothing about religion,” in response to her invoking religious phrases calling for God’s punishment. At one moment, the man lunges towards her as she screams, but passengers separate them.
The clip shows one young man embracing the accused harasser and whispering in his ear while an older passenger carrying religious prayer beads admonishes the woman, telling the man to “ignore her” after inviting him to take the seat next to him.
Several other passengers appear to look on disapprovingly at the woman for raising her voice.
Authorities have said they are examining the video to identify those involved and determine the details of the incident before considering legal action.
The episode has reignited a national conversation about harassment on public transport and bystander behaviour. A UN report from 2013 found that more than 99 per cent of Egyptian women had suffered some form of sexual harassment in their lives.
Many online users commented on what they feel is society’s indifference or misplaced sympathy for the alleged perpetrator.
One Facebook user wrote that the situation was “not about apathy but ambiguity,” adding: “People said they didn’t see anything, that’s why no one reacted. The video doesn’t clearly show harassment. The investigation will reveal the truth; if he did it, he should be jailed, and if not, she should be punished.”
Another supported the woman but said that freedom of dress should be approached with caution, describing Egypt’s streets as “a mix of people, some who fear God and some who don’t”.
Some users echoed the man’s words, arguing that women should “dress modestly,” while others condemned that view.
“The same people, if they worked in the Gulf or Europe, couldn’t stare even at a cat,” another commenter wrote. “Abroad, there are laws that apply; here in Egypt, there’s only the law of ‘never mind’ and ‘God forgive.’”
Another post warned against blaming the woman altogether, recounting the incident. “At first, he was scared. Then, he realised people were on his side, and that’s when he said, ‘your clothes and your religion’. Blaming her is dangerous because it gives people an excuse for harassment. He should be detained and tried, not judged by passengers.”
Sexual harassment remains widespread in Egypt despite years of campaigning and strict penalties. Official data on the issue are scarce, but previous reports and social media documentation continues to show its prevalence in public spaces.
Rights groups have long called for not only stronger enforcement of law but also cultural shifts around accountability and public support for victims.
The Ministry of Interior has yet to release the findings of its investigation.
Subsequent polls following the 2013 UN survey confirmed the persistence of the problem. According to the Arab Barometer’s data in 2020, about 63 per cent of women reported suffering harassment within a 12‑month period, a rate that rose to nearly 90 per cent among women aged 18 to 29.
Despite several legal reforms aiming to curb the problem, including laws in 2020 and 2023 that introduced higher penalties and protections for survivors, harassment remains deeply entrenched.
Official nationwide statistics are still unavailable, but incidents continue to surface through viral videos and social media accounts, often becoming flashpoints for public debate.
Rights organisations have repeatedly said that the lack of consistent data and the social stigma surrounding reporting make it difficult to measure whether women are, in practice, any safer.
