The Epidemic of Sexual Assault in Egypt

More on the rash of attacks on female journalists in Egypt, from a Daily Beast article by Sophia Jones and Erin Banco:

What we believe many people around the world are unaware of is that these situations happen to female journalists in Egypt on a broad spectrum--those working in film, TV, print, and photography. And they happen to journalists like Natasha who are trying to make a start in their careers. The assault, though not always physically brutal, happens to one of us almost every single time we head out to report. It's not a conflict of trenches and flack jackets, but rather a physically and emotionally exhausting war where we are outlets for sexual frustration, economic instability, anger towards the "foreign hand" and "spies," and other excuses."

We want to love Egypt. We watched her transition, studied her politics, and tried to master her language. We have stood among thousands in Tahrir, and braved tear gas and intimidation by security forces in order to inform the rest of the world. At the end of Natasha's detailed description of her assault, she didn't throw in the towel and announce defeat--even some may see this as an entirely appropriate response. "Nothing, and nobody, will hold me back," she said. "When I'm ready, I'll finish this. The show must go on."