London, we need to talk about sexual harassment

Monica Ibrahim, originally from Egypt, questions her previous assumptions that living in ‘the west’ would mean enjoying a hassle-free environment of gender equality. Having worked in the field of countering sexual harassment and assault in Egypt, I thought I had heard every story, every gruesome detail of harassment incidents in the streets, at work or even at home. Such stories became mundane in a country where more than 99% of women have admitted to be subject to sexual harassment according to a recent UN study.