One visible woman in Cairo...

Maybe some lighter discussion today? We'll see how this entry turns out.

First, I should mention that one of my biggest concerns about this trip was my inability to deal with sexual harassment and discrimination. Egyptian men are fairly notorious for their treatment of women. For new readers and those who don't remember, I took a trip to India last Easter and got some very unwelcome attention that left me spitting mad for about a week after my return to Kenya. A few of my friends were concerned that I'd have the same reaction to Cairo, which made me worry as well.

I wrote a lot about my experiences as a white American in Kenya, but there isn't nearly as much to say on the subject in Egypt. There isn't a standard Egyptian appearance, really, so I've actually been taken for an Egyptian on a couple of occasions. My blue eyes are the only thing that conclusively sets me apart from a brown-haired, light-skinned Egyptian.

This doesn't mean I blend in, however. Being female feels like the Cairene equivalent of being white in Nairobi. I'm going to try to discuss this without launching into a rant about how much I dislike this particular element of Egyptian culture, because I understand that it's what the Romans do here in Rome, cultural relativist stuff, blah blah blah.

First of all, women are always the minority in public spaces (the university being an exception, of course). At times, I realize I haven't seen an Egyptian girl for hours. Women are the invisible half of the population. Many of them work before marriage, and a few work afterward, but most girls become housewives in their 20s and don't really enter public space anymore. Men pray in mosques, but women pray in their homes. There are shisha/coffee/backgammon cafes where women just don't go. I've never seen a woman in a restaurant or a movie theater without a man by her side. The growing professional class is certainly challenging these practices. I have two American professors and three Egyptian professors at AUC, and the Egyptian professors are all women. Professional women do exist, but there don't seem to be too many.

I can't offer a definitive explanation as to why there are so few professional women, but I can discuss my own experiences. I should mention that I've become a fairly brave traveler over the last couple of years, and I've gotten used to meeting strangers and making new friends. Here, however, my female friends and I are often totally ignored if we're with male friends. Taxi drivers, waiters, and people on the street will always talk to the men in the party before a woman. This can be annoying as all hell, particularly because we're often in charge of the expedition and are sometimes better at communicating. Women just aren't considered equal to men in this society. Being the friendly person I am, I still manage to make new friends, but I can't help wondering what Egyptians think about me being the spokesman of our group (which includes several men).

Anyway, in a city of invisible women, my female friends and I attract a lot of attention walking down a street. A LOT. It's a lot of stares, like in Nairobi, some of the catcalls and singing I heard in Mumbai, people taking pictures of us on their cell phones, and the occasional lude comment or spontaneous "I love you, you're beautiful." Only once has someone tried to follow me and touch me (it happened in Khan el'Khalili, actually, in a very crowded area of the market. I shouted at him and shoved him into the crowd moving in the opposite direction. It felt damn good).

Although these things do qualify as harassment, I don't feel particularly threatened. Of course I'm being cautious and never walk more than a block or two alone, but I doubt I'm at much of a risk. Muslim men are really very conservative. I went out to a few clubs on Thursday night and had no one bother me (though that's partly thanks to male Egyptian friends who were along). We girls get attention because we're adult women walking on streets, going to the movies, and eating in restaurants without men. This has little to do with our skin color or the fact that our hair is uncovered (which, by the way, isn't all that unusual for Egyptian women). It's just unusual to see women here, and catcalls are the standard reaction for men. I ignore them, and I keep moving.

Anyway, just some thoughts. I'm trying to maintain respect for cultural practices, but it's still exhilarating to break down some of these barriers, go places without boys, shove the creep in the market, or successfully barter with a taxi driver who tries to overcharge my male friends. It's the little things sometimes.

By the way, thanks to all the wonderful boys back home for being who you are.

This weekend was fairly quiet - today I spent a few hours exploring the first quarter of the Egyptian museum, which is PACKED with amazing things. I did see King Tutankhamun's exhibit, which was more impressive than I ever dreamed. Tourist attractions are generally worthwhile, even if I secretly don't want them to be. I'm starting another crazy week of school tomorrow. There are lots of plans floating around for next weekend, so we'll see where I end up. Sunset over the Black Desert, to end the day.