ASMA FAATHI

Cairo- The number of women subjected to violence has been increasing in Egypt. One of the excuses of men for using violence against women is ‘because they seek divorce’. Shaima Jamil, not her real name, is one of the women, who was subjected to violence because she asked a divorce.

‘I endured violence for seven years’

She began to receive death threats after she asked a divorce. “My husband threatened me with death hundreds of times, but I could not prove his threats. I was subjected to threats and violence for years. I endured violence for seven years for my children.”

‘Our families saw violence against me as normal’

‘I felt like I was in a coma whenever I was subjected to violence,” said Shaima Jamil. “I knew I could die at any moment. My family and his family saw violence against me as normal. I lived in fear for years because of death threats.”

‘I did not take the decision to divorce easily’

Despite her fear, she decided to divorce. “I did not take the decision to divorce easily. Whenever he beat me, I felt that my life was going to end. Now, I am trying to get a divorce.” Shaima Jamil dreams of living with her children and having a life without violence. “I wasted my seven years. My husband began to inflict violence after I gave birth to my first child. I was seriously injured and went to my family house; however, they sent me back. Now, my family does not support my decision, asking me how I can earn a living for my children.”

‘Women face social oppression when they decide to ask a divorce’

In an interview with NuJINHA, feminist writer Shaimaa al-Shorby spoke about the increase in gender-based violence in Egypt. “Women face social oppression when they decide to ask a divorce although they are subjected to violence. Most victims of violence do not talk about violence against them due to social oppression. I have met many women who decided to escape from their husbands to survive,” she said.

Speaking about the divorce process in Egypt, she said, “Women face a long divorce process. When women have no child, they have no rights after divorce. There is an increase in domestic violence in recent years. Some think the reason for the increase is the financial problems while others think it is because of the Covid-19 outbreak. Some think the reason for the increase in domestic violence is the culture of education seeing women as the property of men.”

‘The number of femicide cases increases due to the lack of deterrent legislation’

Underlining that the number of femicide cases has been recently increasing in the country, she said, “This number increases due to the lack of deterrent legislation. Parents grow their daughters to obey men in the future. For this reason, men inflict violence against women.”