Women in Egypt’s slums

Slums offer a horrifying glimpse into the existing class inequality in Egypt. They also reflect the unjust distribution of wealth after it had been taken over by the powerful and influential minority following many years of corruption whose end does not loom anywhere in the horizon.  According to official data, the number of slum-dwellers in Egypt was
2015-03-29

Mona Ali Allam

Egyptian Journalist


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Slums offer a horrifying glimpse into the existing class inequality in Egypt. They also reflect the unjust distribution of wealth after it had been taken over by the powerful and influential minority following many years of corruption whose end does not loom anywhere in the horizon. 
According to official data, the number of slum-dwellers in Egypt was estimated at 15 million back in 2007, 20 per cent of whom lived in the Cairo governorate and another 13 per cent in Giza. 
If we focus on the situation of women who reside in these slums, the picture becomes even bleaker and so does the suffering. 
For instance, the lack of private toilets and bathrooms for each family, and hence the need to share these facilities with many neighbors, creates many difficulties for the population in general, and for women in particular. Additionally, insecurity and the constant fear of harassment are ubiquitous.

 


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