By Dr. Laila Risgallah Wahba | Founder
Protect Yourself – Project Report – February 2025
Train 5 to 12 year-olds Against Sexual Abuse
(#19978)
The Problem:
Sexual harassment remains a pervasive issue in Egypt, with alarming statistics from a 2008 study indicating that 86.2% of women and 34% of married women, as well as 99% and 37.4% of unmarried female youth, respectively reported incidences of verbal and sexual harassment. These statistics highlight the urgent need for early intervention and the importance of instilling anti-abuse values in children from a young age. By teaching children how to recognize, refuse, advocate, and report sexual abuse, this curriculum seeks to break the cycle of silence and empower young individuals to stand against sexual harassment.
Research indicates that it takes an average of 18 to 224 days to change behavior, and the curriculum aims to support this process by reinforcing new habits and values throughout the school year. The goal is to overwrite existing harmful behaviors with positive ones, fostering a generation that rejects harassment and advocates for a safer, more respectful society.
Our Solution:
The curriculum focuses on addressing and promoting positive change within the target group, empowering children to make informed decisions, modify their behavior, and adopt appropriate practices both individually and within their families and communities. It seeks to build a movement that stigmatizes the behavior of harassers and shifts societal attitudes toward harassment, encouraging the creation of safer spaces for all individuals.
Key objectives include:
The curriculum builds long-term, sustainable change by reinforcing these values over the course of the school year, ensuring that students internalize anti-abuse practices and contribute to a safer society.
Outcomes:
The program is delivering very encouraging results. For example, a young girl approached one of the facilitators after a recent session, sharing that her uncle had been kissing her, making her uncomfortable. She expressed uncertainty about how to handle the situation and who to talk to. The facilitator gently reminded her of the discussion in the session—seeking help from a trusted adult—and reassured her that she could turn to a teacher if speaking to her mom felt difficult.
This conversation highlights the critical impact of the training sessions. It provided a safe space for the child to voice her discomfort and led to a constructive conversation about seeking help. The emotional weight of this moment was palpable, as other children were visibly moved, likely reflecting on their own experiences and struggles with speaking out.
The use of the video Salma, which was added to the session, helped engage the children and encourage them to reflect on the importance of addressing uncomfortable situations. The facilitator observed that this moment demonstrated the profound need for such programs—many children suffer in silence, unaware of where to turn for support.
By providing these educational workshops, we are not only addressing immediate concerns but also creating an ongoing movement that empowers children to speak out, advocate for themselves, and protect their peers.
Thank you for making this work possible.
Dr. Laila Risgallah Wahba
Founder
Links:
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