(CNN)–The brutal killing of Naira Ashraf, 21, in broad daylight on a street in Egypt shocked the Arab world, highlighting the country’s crisis of gender-based violence.
The Egyptian Public Prosecution said that Ashraf was fatally stabbed on Monday by a young man who refused to marry him. The prosecution added that the suspect was arrested outside Mansoura University in northern Egypt, where the victim is studying, where the incident occurred.
A video clip taken by a camera that was close to the scene of the accident spread, showing a young man attacking the victim outside the university, and Ashraf’s family’s lawyer confirmed to CNN that the video showed the killing.
The Egyptian Public Prosecution said that the accused was referred to the Criminal Court and will be tried for premeditated murder.
The first court session is scheduled for Sunday, and CNN was unable to reach the suspect or his family for comment, and it was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer.
Women’s rights experts in Egypt say that the problem of gender-based violence is widespread in the country, and that there are a number of social and legal shortcomings that still hinder proper work.
“Sure, Naira’s killing was not an isolated incident but we are currently witnessing more coverage of violence against women,” Lubna Darwish, gender and human rights officer at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, told CNN.
Data is not available because such incidents have not been properly documented by the state, Darwish said, but cases of abuse appear in the news almost monthly. “We are seeing alarming patterns,” Darwish said.
The hashtag “Haq Naira Ashraf” has been widely popular across Arab countries since the murder.
“We need a law that combats violence,” said Azza Soliman, an Egyptian lawyer and head of the Egyptian Women’s Legal Aid Center, adding that there was also a need for a respectful and dignified discourse on women in order to create trust between women and the state apparatus.
The father of the murdered young woman, Ashraf Abdel Qader, told CNN that the suspect asked to marry her several times but was refused, adding that the suspect also created fake accounts to follow her on social media. Become a flight attendant.
Lubna Darwish stated that the victim and her family had exhausted all measures to protect the daughter, “and once again the whole system, whether social or legal, has failed.”
Soliman said that in order for women to feel comfortable reporting such incidents, there is a need to “rehabilitate justice channels that include the police, judges and the public prosecution.”
Some blamed the victim, such as controversial preacher Mabrouk Attia, who said in a video on social media that women should “cover up” to prevent men from killing them, adding: “Women and girls should cover up and wear loose clothing to stop the temptation if they feel like it.” Your life is precious, put it on hold.”
Attia’s comments sparked outrage on social media and a campaign calling for his arrest.
Darwish noted that while Egypt is moving forward with stricter laws on sexual harassment, there is still a lack of enforcement by both the police and society, which in turn discourages many women from seeking legal aid.
The State Information Service in Egypt did not respond to CNN’s request for comment, and the National Council for Women could not be reached.
According to state media, in June last year the state tightened laws criminalizing sexual harassment, raising fines and extending prison sentences.
In 2019, the United Nations Development Program ranked Egypt 108th out of 162 countries measured on the basis of gender inequality in health, empowerment and economic activity.
Last year, nine women were prosecuted for “violating family values” after posting videos in which they dance, sing and invite millions of followers to earn money on social media, according to Reuters news agency.
