Established in July 2020, the Speak Up Movement has emerged as a central force in combating gender-based violence in Egypt. Harnessing the transformative power of social media, the movement has demanded accountability from perpetrators in a context where traditional systems have proven inadequate, while simultaneously bringing widespread sexual violence into public visibility. The movement was catalyzed by online campaigns surrounding high-profile cases, most notably those involving Ahmed Bassam Zaki and the Fairmont Hotel gang rape. These campaigns enabled survivors to overcome fears of social stigma and share their stories anonymously through digital platforms.
Speak Up has played a pivotal role in translating online outrage into tangible legal and social change. Confronting a deeply entrenched culture of impunity, the movement has actively advocated for legal reforms, culminating in significant legislative developments such as the 2020 law protecting the anonymity of victims. However, these achievements remain fragile due to the complex and often contradictory nature of the Egyptian state’s response. While the government has adopted certain reforms to appear responsive to public demands, it continues to impose restrictions on digital expression through ambiguous “morality” laws. This paradox creates a persistent environment of tension, risk, and uncertainty for activists.
Culture of Impunity: Gender-Based Violence and the Legal Framework in Pre-2020 Egypt
The Emergence of the Speak Up Movement in Egypt: A Context of Systemic Gender-Based Violence and Legal Inadequacy
The emergence of the Speak Up Movement in Egypt was the result of a longstanding context characterized by pervasive sexual violence and the persistent inadequacy of legal and social systems to address it. The period preceding 2020 was marked by striking data that underscored the deeply entrenched and systemic nature of the issue.
According to a study published by UN Women in April 2013, 99.3% of Egyptian women reported experiencing sexual harassment, while 91% stated that they did not feel safe in public spaces. Similarly, a 2008 report by the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights revealed that 86% of surveyed men admitted to engaging in sexual harassment. These figures highlight not only the scale of the problem but also the normalization of harassment within Egyptian society, emphasizing the urgent need for structural and legal reforms.
A 2013 survey conducted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation ranked Egypt as the worst country in the Arab world for women. This alarming assessment was reinforced by a 2017 survey by the same organization, which identified Cairo as the most dangerous megacity in the world for women. These findings highlight the profound structural and institutional gaps at both legal and societal levels that perpetuated an environment of gender-based insecurity.
On the legal front, the Egyptian Penal Code criminalizes rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment only partially, reflecting significant shortcomings in both scope and enforcement. The legal definition of rape is narrowly restricted to vaginal penetration, thereby excluding other forms of sexual violence, such as assaults committed with objects or sharp instruments. This restrictive definition has allowed many perpetrators to evade punishment. Moreover, the implementation of existing laws remains inconsistent and inadequate, fostering a pervasive culture of impunity.
At the societal level, the burden of shame and accountability is often placed on survivors rather than perpetrators. Traditional and patriarchal norms frame sexual violence as “a woman’s problem,” prioritizing scrutiny over where the victim was, what she wore, or how she behaved instead of focusing on the offender’s actions. This victim-blaming mentality, coupled with weak institutional protections, has sustained systemic gender inequality and silenced survivors within both public and private spheres. Women’s rights activists argue that these “centuries-old traditions” and deeply entrenched social norms make it challenging to take “radically progressive steps” in advancing women’s struggleS.
The events of 2014 once again exposed the systemic deficiencies within Egypt’s legal and institutional framework. Since 2012, protests in Tahrir Square had been regularly overshadowed by mass sexual assaults against women. On the day of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s inauguration in June 2014, at least nine women were sexually assaulted by crowds. When the incident dominated national headlines, the government was compelled to respond.
President Sisi publicly condemned the attack and personally visited one of the survivors, offering an apology on behalf of the Egyptian state. In addition to these symbolic gestures, a new law was introduced criminalizing sexual harassment, prescribing a minimum sentence of six months’ imprisonment. However, activists widely criticized this legal reform as a “purely political maneuver”. Despite the passage of the law, convictions remained exceptionally rare, underscoring the persistent shortcomings in the implementation and enforcement of the legal framework.
“The 2020 Catalyst: Social Media as a Transformative Turning Point
A significant turning point in Egypt’s struggle against gender-based violence emerged in 2020, when social media bypassed traditional institutional mechanisms and served as a powerful catalyst for a mass movement. This period was particularly defined by two high-profile cases that reshaped public discourse and mobilized unprecedented levels of online activism.
The first major wave of activism was triggered by the case of Ahmed Bassam Zaki, a student at the American University in Cairo (AUC). In July 2020, social media accounts that enabled anonymity began to host hundreds of allegations of sexual assault, harassment, and blackmail against Zaki. Accounts such as “Assault Police” provided survivors with a safe public space to share their experiences, encouraging them to recognize that they were not alone.
The anonymity afforded by these digital platforms allowed survivors to overcome barriers that traditionally inhibited reporting, such as fears of reputational damage or public shaming. The sheer volume of online testimonies reached a level that could no longer be ignored. Ultimately, women engaged the National Council for Women, which submitted a report to the public prosecutor on behalf of the survivors, resulting in Zaki’s arrest and prosecution.
The momentum generated by the Zaki case led to the resurfacing of another previously obscured incident. Allegations against Zaki prompted the reopening of the investigation into a 2014 gang rape case at the Fairmont Nile City Hotel in Cairo. An anonymous Instagram account called “Gang Rapists of Cairo” detailed accusations that a group of young men from wealthy families had drugged and assaulted a woman, recording the incident on video. This case sparked widespread outrage on social media, and public pressure ultimately compelled the prosecutor to issue arrest warrants for nine men in connection with the incident.
These two cases illustrate how digital platforms have become a transformative force for feminism in Egypt. While earlier initiatives, such as HarassMap, represented initial technological interventions, the events of 2020 marked a qualitative leap. The anonymity provided by accounts like “Assault Police” enabled individuals to achieve collectively what they could not accomplish alone: mobilizing thousands of people into collective action. A digitally aggregated power emerged, bridging the gap between survivors and authorities capable of taking legal action. This development demonstrated that the issue was not a lack of victims or perpetrators, but rather the absence of a platform where stories could be shared safely.
Table 1: Chronology of Key Events in Combating Gender-Based Violence in Egypt (2013–2025)
| Approx. Date | Event / Milestone | Description / Significance | Related Source ID |
| April 2013 | UN Women Report | Report published indicating that 99.3% of Egyptian women had experienced sexual harassment. | |
| June 2014 | Assaults during Sisi’s Inauguration | At least nine women were sexually assaulted in Tahrir Square, sparking nationwide outrage. | |
| June 2014 | New Law Against Sexual Harassment | In response to the incident, Sisi enacted a law criminalizing sexual harassment; however, enforcement remained weak. | |
| July 2020 | Ahmed Bassam Zaki Case | Allegations of sexual assault and blackmail against Zaki spread on social media, with hundreds of women sharing testimonies. | |
| July 2020 | Reemergence of the Fairmont Hotel Case | The momentum from the Zaki case prompted the resurfacing of the 2014 gang rape incident on social media. | |
| July 2020 | Establishment of the Speak Up Movement | Founded by Gehad Hamdy as a feminist initiative to combat sexual harassment and violence. | |
| August 2020 | Law Protecting Victims’ Identities | Parliament approved legislation safeguarding the anonymity of survivors. | |
| 2020 | Arrest of “TikTok Girls” | Women social media influencers were detained for allegedly violating “Egyptian family values.” | |
| March 2021 | Criminalization of Female Genital Mutilation | Campaigns led by Speak Up resulted in legislation criminalizing female genital mutilation. | |
| 2022 | Gehad Hamdy Listed in BBC 100 Women | The founder of Speak Up was recognized by BBC as one of 100 inspiring and influential women for her activism. | |
| 2024 | Launch of Speak Up Helpline | Speak Up launched Egypt’s first online helpline to combat online violence and digital harassment. | |
3. The Speak Up Movement: Origins, Strategy, and Impact
This new wave of digital activism institutionalized in July 2020 with the establishment of Speak Up, a feminist initiative founded by dentist and activist Gehad Hamdy. Despite initially created to combat sexual harassment and violence, the movement has since expanded to address a broad range of gender-related issues. Speak Up’s mission is to provide support and solidarity to survivors of violence while encouraging legislators to enact laws that ensure safe, violence-free communities in which women can thrive. The vision driving the movement is the creation of a society free from all forms of gender-based violence.
The effectiveness of Speak Up stems from its multifaceted strategy. First, the movement has become a leading platform for survivors seeking to expose perpetrators of sexual violence and rape through social networks. This digital exposure campaign directly contributed to the arrest of Ahmed Bassam Zaki, with Speak Up playing a frontline role. Efforts to ensure accountability have also led to campaigns resulting in the life imprisonment of a rapist and kidnapper in Egypt, demonstrating the movement’s capacity to translate online activism into tangible legal consequences.
Second, Speak Up provides practical support to survivors, including legal guidance and psychological assistance. One of the key strengths of the movement is its network of sympathetic officials, which serves as a bridge between survivors and authorities, accelerating arrest and prosecution processes. In a context where traditional systems have often failed individual complaints, these strategic connections are vital for transforming online protests into concrete legal action.
Third, Speak Up actively advocates for legal reforms. Its campaigns against female genital mutilation (FGM) directly contributed to legislation in March 2021 criminalizing the practice. This demonstrates that the movement extends beyond targeting individual perpetrators, pressing for systemic reform. Such efforts align with its core mission: urging lawmakers to enact policies that ensure safe, violence-free communities for women.
- 4.A Dual Reality: Legal Gains and Persistent Pressure
The impact of the Speak Up Movement and other online campaigns it has spearheaded has resulted in a dual and contradictory response from the Egyptian state. On one hand, public pressure generated by the movement led to significant legal reform. In August 2020, the Egyptian Parliament approved a legislative amendment that automatically protects the identities of individuals reporting sexual violence crimes. When presenting the bill, Minister of Justice Omar Marwan emphasized that the law was necessary to encourage citizens to report such crimes and to alleviate concerns regarding the reputations of survivors. This legislation was a direct consequence of both public outrage and pressure from social media activism.
However, this progress is contradicted by the state’s ongoing efforts to control the digital sphere and freedom of expression. While passing the law to protect survivors, the government has simultaneously used vague cybercrime legislation to arrest and imprison young women social media influencers known as the “TikTok girls.” These women faced ambiguous charges such as violating the family principles or values of Egyptian society or promoting immorality. According to lawyer Hany Sameh, the legal vagueness of the term “values” provides a legal basis for arbitrary arrests.
This contradictory approach is part of a calculated strategy by the state. By enacting the survivor protection law, the government appears to respond to public outrage and bolster its international image. The law serves to partially appropriate the successes of civil society as the state’s own. At the same time, the arrests of TikTok influencers and even witnesses from the Fairmont case demonstrate that the government has no intention of relinquishing control. The state permits acts of “raising one’s voice” only when they align with its own narrative and remain under its supervision. Independent and popular expressions, particularly those coming from women in lower social classes, are perceived as a threat to “family values” and are violently suppressed. This creates an extremely complex and high-risk environment for activism in Egypt.
- 5. Ongoing Challenges and Future Directions
Despite the legal gains and social change facilitated by the Speak Up Movement, fundamental challenges persist. The enforcement of new laws remains inadequate, and convictions are rare, as campaigners have noted. The country’s economic decline since 2011, characterized by high unemployment and the erosion of economic opportunities, has contributed to the deprioritization of women’s issues on the national agenda. Women’s rights activists emphasize that transforming “centuries-old traditions” is a long-term struggle.
In the face of these challenges, the Speak Up Movement continues to refine its strategy. Future plans include expanding the initiative’s reach to broader audiences and launching specialized campaigns addressing issues such as sexual health, legal matters, and harassment. A particularly notable development is the launch of the Speak Up Helpline in 2024. This is Egypt’s first online helpline dedicated to combating online violence, blackmail, and technology-facilitated gender-based violence. The helpline collaborates with major technology platforms such as Meta and TikTok to assist survivors in removing abusive content, providing digital security guidance, and offering legal support.
This strategic initiative demonstrates that the movement is evolving beyond reliance on public social media “outbursts,” moving toward a professional and institutional support model to sustain its presence in an increasingly restrictive digital environment. It also represents a direct and coordinated response to the Egyptian state’s attempts to constrain the digital space through cybercrime legislation.
Conclusion
The Speak Up Movement in Egypt represents a significant example of a new wave of activism that leverages the transformative power of social media to combat decades of entrenched gender-based violence. Building on the public outrage generated by the Ahmed Bassam Zaki and Fairmont Hotel cases, the movement has provided survivors with a safe space to voice their experiences anonymously. This collective effort has pressured authorities to enact tangible legal reforms, such as the 2020 law protecting the identities of survivors, and has contributed to legislative changes including the criminalization of female genital mutilation.
However, this progress is overshadowed by the Egyptian state’s contradictory and complex response. While the government appears to respond to public demands by enacting certain laws, it simultaneously suppresses independent digital expression through vague “morality” legislation. This dual strategy allows the state to control and legitimize the movement’s efforts while creating a high-risk environment for activists. The future of the movement faces significant challenges, including weak enforcement of legal reforms, ongoing economic difficulties, and deeply entrenched social norms. The strategic evolution of Speak Up, such as the establishment of an online helpline, demonstrates a resilient and adaptable approach to these challenges. In conclusion, although digital activism has the potential to generate meaningful change in Egypt, this change remains fragile until the underlying systems of impunity and state control are fully addressed.
