MALVA MOHAMMED

NEWS CENTER_Amid the escalation of violence against women and growing fears of femicide and assault, the need emerges for intellectual and societal approaches that transcend traditional solutions, and examine the roots of the problem within the family and society, and the relationship between law and prevailing culture.

To learn about the causes of the escalation of violence against women, the challenges facing women's protection and empowerment, and the role of scientific research and education in building a more just society, our agency conducted the following dialogue with Dr. Dina Mohsen, president of the Jineology Center for Thought and Studies in Egypt and a professor of political media:

What distinguishes Jineology from traditional women's studies? And how can it be transformed from a cognitive framework into a tool for change, especially in light of the escalation of violence against women in Egypt?

The reality of Egyptian women cannot be understood in isolation from the society in which they live, as their status and rights are affected by customs, traditions, and historical and popular legacies, which may sometimes precede the law, especially in the fields of education, work, and societal participation.

Egyptian society is characterized by diversity between governorates, rural and urban areas, and between the northern and southern faces and the coastal and border areas, which is reflected in the conditions of women and girls and the challenges they face. Therefore, studying women's reality requires understanding the specificity of each environment, and benefiting from global experiences in a way that suits the local reality.

Economic pressures, intellectual closure, and adherence to some old legacies also constitute obstacles to women's education, development, and cultural, political, and societal participation, as some women are preoccupied with securing basic needs at the expense of opportunities for learning and advancement.

It is wrong to reduce Egyptian society to Cairo and Giza, as the reality of women in Aswan and the governorates of Upper Egypt differs from their reality in Alexandria, Matrouh, Port Said, Suez, and Sinai, which requires diversifying awareness methods according to the conditions of each society and its social and cultural constraints.

Awareness efforts include fundamental issues, such as combating female genital mutilation, rejecting child marriage, ensuring girls' education, eradicating illiteracy, and enhancing women's right to work and societal participation. However, these efforts may face resistance due to fear of violating the prevailing norms or being subjected to rejection and social ostracism.

Here the phenomenon of social silence emerges, which pushes the individual to conform to the group for fear of consequences, even if they are not convinced of what is prevailing. Therefore, awareness should not be limited to conveying information, but should include building women's and girls' self-confidence, and empowering them to express their opinions and make their decisions.

Hence, enhancing women's rights begins with helping them overcome the fear that prevents them from expressing, participating, and demanding their rights, in parallel with addressing the social and cultural structures that entrench discrimination, including the masculine mentality and customs and practices that diminish their status.

Is the role of Jineology limited to studying women's suffering, or does it extend to criticizing power relations within the family and society and reshaping them?

The role of Jineology extends to studying power relations and discrimination within the family and society, because the family represents the first environment in which a person's ideas about themselves and others are formed. In some families, forms of discrimination begin from childhood, through differentiation in treatment between males and females, or giving priority to the son's education at the expense of the daughter, especially when economic capabilities are limited.

These practices may also appear in restricting the girl's participation in public life, or limiting her ability to express her opinion, or preventing her from making decisions related to her future.

One of the most dangerous forms of discrimination is allowing the boy to practice violence against his sister, while asking her to accept it or remain silent about it. In this case, the matter is not limited to individual behavior, but relates to entrenching an unequal perception of power and rights within the family. When a girl grows up in an environment that considers her less deserving of education, freedom, or participation, these perceptions may transfer to her subsequent relationships and her position within society. For this reason, addressing violence and discrimination must begin from the family, by reviewing upbringing and education patterns, enhancing equality in rights and opportunities, and entrenching the idea that human dignity is not a privilege linked to gender.

A just society cannot be built if women are treated as second-class citizens. What is required is full recognition of their humanity, their rights, and their ability to participate and make decisions.

How can women within the family and society be involved in producing knowledge and formulating solutions to confront discrimination and violence?

Awareness is the fundamental entry point for changing ideas and beliefs, but change does not happen overnight, nor is it achieved by merely giving advice or issuing judgments on others. When a woman says that a woman's place is limited to the home, husband, and children, this idea may be the result of the upbringing she received and the references she grew up on. Therefore, confronting it is not by mocking or condemning her, but through dialogue and giving her the opportunity to learn about different experiences and viewpoints.

We need to reach the largest possible number of women and girls, and use diverse tools, such as seminars, training workshops, lectures, media campaigns, digital platforms, and direct meetings within local communities.

Women must be a partner in producing knowledge, not just a recipient of it. It is important to listen to women's experiences, understand their actual needs, and involve them in identifying problems and proposing solutions appropriate to their environments. Awareness programs should also take into account social, cultural, and economic differences, because what suits a certain environment may not be effective in another.

The ultimate goal is not only to change ideas, but to contribute to changing behaviors and social relations, and enhancing women's ability to participate, make decisions, and defend their rights.

How can scientific research and data be employed to monitor indicators of femicide risk and early intervention to prevent crimes before they occur?

Scientific research represents one of the main foundations for understanding societal problems and developing appropriate solutions for them, but its success depends on the credibility of information, the accuracy of data, and the objectivity of the researcher.

The researcher bears a great responsibility, because the information they provide may be built upon for public policies, awareness programs, or field intervention plans. If the data are erroneous or inaccurate, they may lead to inappropriate decisions, and perhaps to misleading society and decision-makers. Hence, the correct beginning for any scientific research is reaching reliable information and accurate statistics, then analyzing them in light of the social and geographical context.

For example, if reliable data show high rates of illiteracy among girls in a certain area, educational and awareness campaigns can be directed to this area. If data reveal the spread of harmful practices against girls in another area, intervention programs targeting families, community leaders, and concerned parties can be designed.

The same applies to violence against women. The more accurate data are available about patterns of violence, the places where it occurs, the conditions associated with it, and the extent of its recurrence, the more effective preventive policies can be developed. Regarding femicide crimes, what is required is moving from merely recording crimes after they occur to studying the indicators that may warn of danger, such as repeated threats, escalation in assaults, previous violence, and the availability of protection and response means.

These efforts should be based on coordination between concerned parties, researchers, and protection institutions, while maintaining the confidentiality of victims' data and ensuring their safety. Accurate data do not only describe the problem, but help determine priorities, direct resources, design appropriate interventions, and evaluate the extent of their success in reducing violence.

What has the Jineology Center for Thought and Studies achieved since its founding? What are the most prominent challenges it seeks to overcome? What is the first practical step that must be taken today to ensure the protection of women and achieve justice for them?

The Jineology Center for Thought and Studies is a recently established institution, as it began its work about five or six months ago. However, since the beginning, it has been keen to move from the theoretical framework to practical application, by organizing training workshops for girls, youth, and women, and holding awareness seminars and lectures that discuss women's and societal issues.

The Center has also worked on developing its media platform, launching its website, and building partnerships with institutions concerned with women's, youth's, and scientific research issues. In the coming phase, we seek to expand our activities to include the governorates of Upper Egypt, Sinai, the Delta, the Canal, and the western regions, while designing awareness and training programs that suit the specificity of each region.

We also have a network of women and those interested in women's issues in a number of Arab countries, including Sudan, Yemen, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine, and we work to enhance communication between them, exchange expertise, and develop mechanisms for joint cooperation.

We believe that institutional work requires continuous evaluation, listening to positive and negative criticism, learning from mistakes, and correcting shortcomings. What matters is not claiming perfection, but the ability to evolve and continuously improve.

As for priorities, I believe that education and eradicating illiteracy represent the real starting point for women's empowerment. A woman cannot be asked to know her legal rights or reach the bodies concerned with protecting her if she is deprived of the simplest tools of knowledge, such as reading and writing.

Education is not just a fundamental right, but is an entry point for social, economic, legal, and political empowerment. Hence, protecting women must begin with providing education opportunities and eradicating illiteracy, then integrate with awareness of rights, training, legal empowerment, providing protection mechanisms, and ensuring access to justice.

Sustainable programs targeting the most deprived girls and women should also be invested in, while addressing the economic and social obstacles that deprive them of education. There is no real development without women's participation, no effective empowerment without knowledge, and no complete protection without justice that guarantees their rights.