Egypt-Women in Egypt strive to dismantle the complex web of violence and make the ongoing struggle between power and resistance over the female body visible.they affirm that justice is not measured by laws alone,but also by Womem’s ability to reclaim sovereignty over their own live.

Violence against women in Egypt is not limited to individual acts; it is a deeply rooted system embedded within state institutions and has become part of the dominant culture. From domestic violence to legal discrimination, and from media discourse to public policies, a multilayered form of domination continues to restrict women’s freedom and reproduce social hierarchies.

In this section of our report, we will explore the manifestations of violence in Egypt, analyze its structural dimensions, and raise essential questions about justice and women’s empowerment.

The reality of violence today has changed: violence against women is no longer viewed as an individual problem or a behavioral deviation, but rather as a tool used by the patriarchal power structure entrenched within the state to assert control over all spheres of life and keep women’s movements monitored and constrained.

Despite the presence of local anti-violence activism, around 31% of married women or women who were previously married—aged 15 to 49—have been subjected to physical or psychological violence. This fact is crucial for those concerned with women’s issues and researchers in the field, as it underscores the need to understand the realities, complexities, and intersections of violence. This phenomenon profoundly affects women’s lives, their professional and family trajectories, and even determines the scope of their presence in the public sphere and their participation at various levels.

Record of Violence in Egypt

According to the latest report by the Idrak Foundation for Development and Equality in June 2025, 495 violent crimes were recorded in Egypt. The vast majority of these cases were classified as serious criminal offenses, given the severity of the legal penalties associated with them.

The report indicates that homicides against women and girls are the most common form of violence. A total of 156 women were killed, with approximately 120 cases resulting from domestic violence, often committed by the man the woman lived with or had a previous relationship with. The main causes of these crimes include family disputes, economic hardships, and the absence of a democratic system that fosters trust and hope in society.

Regarding the geographical distribution, these crimes were particularly concentrated in central governorates such as Cairo, Giza, and Qalyubia, where 48 women were killed. This was followed by the Upper Egypt governorates with 29 cases of violent assault, and the Delta region with 26 cases. Violent assaults were also recorded in Northern Egypt, the Canal region, and the border governorates.

Notably, the report recorded 14 homicides against non-Egyptian women, highlighting the international dimension of the issue and the vulnerability of foreign women to legal protection in Egypt.

Deep Psychological Trauma That Can Last a Lifetime

Ultimately, the effects of violence are not limited to physical injuries; they also lead to profound psychological trauma that can persist throughout a woman’s life. Therefore, providing psychological support and comprehensive treatment for survivors of violence is essential for their recovery, reintegration into society, and the creation of a safe and just environment for all.

According to UNFPA data, approximately 7.8 million women in Egypt experience one or more forms of gender-based violence annually, whether from a spouse, close environment, or public space.

Regarding women with disabilities, a joint study by the National Council for Women (NCW) and UNFPA found that 48% of women with disabilities had experienced physical, psychological, or sexual violence since age fifteen, and 61% of married women had experienced violence from their spouses.

These figures cannot be seen as isolated incidents; they demonstrate the deep entrenchment of violence in social structures and its connection to sources of authority. Violence against women is a direct outcome of gender norms that produce power: women are expected to obey, remain silent, and be “compliant.” If they resist this role, they are treated as if they deserve punishment.

Forms of Violence and Their Interconnected Dimensions

Violence against women in Egypt takes multiple forms, spanning private and public spheres, and individual acts to institutional practices. This demonstrates that violence is not merely physical assault or harassment; it is an organized social attack structurally linked to political and cultural power systems.

Violence is used to control women’s bodies and restrict their autonomy through an extensive network of practices that legitimize this control, whether through law, media, or social norms. Violence against women is not exceptional; it is part of a social system that continuously reproduces itself, reinforcing subordination and domination under the guise of public order or family protection.

Systemic Violence: Ongoing Bleeding Without Accountability

Institutional violence manifests through policies and mechanisms that marginalize women or push them into positions of dependency. For example, educational institutions, through curricula and pedagogical discourses, continue to reproduce traditional gender roles. The health system sometimes indirectly condones harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM) through silence or justification, becoming an implicit accomplice in the crime.

Although precise statistics are lacking, it is estimated that around seven million girls in Egypt are at risk of FGM from 2015 to 2030. Efforts to eliminate this practice by 2030, as outlined in global goals, must therefore increase fifteenfold.

In July 2025, the National Committee to End FGM, in cooperation with the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood and the NCW, reported thwarting attempts to perform FGM on seven girls in Asyut and one case in Sohag, in coordination with the Public Prosecution.

This reality shows that violence against women is not limited to individuals but is part of an institutional structure requiring radical legal and cultural reform to ensure effective and comprehensive protection for girls and women.

 

Why Does the Family Produce Violence?

Domestic violence is the most widespread form of violence in Egypt, yet it is the least legally recognized. Egyptian laws still lack explicit provisions criminalizing domestic violence. Research by the NCW and women’s organizations indicates that over one-quarter of married women have experienced some form of domestic violence in their lifetimes. Yet society and institutions often ignore this reality, treating it as an “internal family matter.”

Economic violence is equally destructive, depriving women of their primary means of resistance: economic independence. Consequently, dependency becomes a condition for survival. Women experience economic violence through deprivation of resources or exclusion from the labor market. Working women face wage disparities, arbitrary dismissal, and lack of legal protection in informal sectors.

Legal Violence Remains Invisible but Deep

Legal violence is the most hidden but also among the deepest forms of oppression. It is embedded in the law itself: for instance, Egyptian law does not recognize marital rape, grants men broader powers regarding custody and divorce, and labor laws provide insufficient protection against harassment or workplace discrimination.

Media and popular culture are also among the most dangerous arenas for reproducing male-centric discourse. Television series and films often justify violence against women, mock victims, and portray the “chaste woman” as the ideal. Gendered discrimination thus becomes socially normalized. In this context, traditions and certain religious interpretations become accomplices, teaching women that patience is heroic and obedience is virtuous.

Where Is the Struggle Heading?

The struggle is not merely legal or rights-based; it is a deep cultural issue. Violence is no longer external to relationships but embedded within them, visible in language, education, institutions, and households. Women’s resistance, therefore, is not only a pursuit of justice but also a fight for bodily freedom, autonomy of thought, and self-empowerment.

A woman’s true identity is measured by these standards: Can she defend herself? Does she have the right to do so? Can she work? Can she make decisions? Is she respected as an active participant in public life? Answers to these questions indicate a society’s maturity.

Unless the walls trapping women internally—such as stigma, silence, and enforced loyalty—are dismantled, laws alone will not suffice. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted this reality: women in informal sectors or with disabilities bore the greatest burden. As always, women endure the heaviest toll during crises, wars, disasters, and all forms of conflict.

Violence as Structure, Heritage, and Practice

Sociologists, from Pierre Bourdieu to Judith Butler, argue that violence is not only physical but also symbolic, reinforcing social hierarchies. In Egypt, political Islam and patriarchal economics combine into a governance model based on violence. Domestic violence is not treated as a clear crime; some media mock or stigmatize victims while promoting religious narratives that legitimize violence under labels such as “discipline” or “upbringing.” These practices serve as various arms of the same domination system.

At the institutional level, women face bureaucratic violence at work or in seeking justice. Police often dismiss domestic violence reports with mockery or excuses like “maintaining family cohesion” or “discipline should happen within the family.” Despite repeated legal amendments, laws fail to provide effective protection because the legal culture itself sometimes perpetuates discrimination and produces violence.

Songs and Proverbs Reinforcing Gender Discrimination

Violence has permeated art as well, where male-centric mindsets are reproduced through proverbs, narratives, and songs. Phrases like “a woman’s place is at home” or “a man is never at fault” deepen the problem and implicitly legitimize violence. Gender discrimination is culturally encoded, linking masculinity to control and power, while girls are raised to endure suffering as a virtue. This socialization grants moral cover for violence, making women appear culpable for the crimes committed against them.

Studies by the National Center for Social and Criminological Research show that over half of Egyptian women who experience violence do not report it. Key reasons include fear of shame, loss of children, or loss of hope in justice, cementing violence culturally through language, upbringing, and media.

Limited Women’s Activism

Egypt lacks a comprehensive legal framework. Institutions often treat violence as a “social problem” rather than a structural issue. The real problem is not resource scarcity but a mentality that sees violence against women as merely a family issue and overlooks its systemic legitimacy.

Violence in Egypt stems from a patriarchal system extending from home to state. It is not limited to physical harm but reaches symbolic extermination, infiltrating all societal domains: art, politics, religion, economy, and media. From this perspective, Egypt represents a back alley of religious and gender discrimination in the Middle East.

Feminist struggle against this system remains limited and unorganized. Women’s inability to mobilize effectively perpetuates a culture of violence. Egypt faces two core crises: widespread violence and weak women’s activism. The popular uprisings of the Arab Spring failed to eradicate anti-women mindsets. Without genuine internal democracy, women’s identity cannot fully develop, making Egypt’s escape from this crisis nearly impossible