Men are a Problem for Women Going on Egypt Tour

Women Travellers

The biggest problem women travellers face while on an Egypt tour is the perceptions that Egyptian men have. Unless accompanied by husbands, women tourists are seen as loose, willing to have sex at the most casual opportunity, and – in Egyptian social terms – virtually on a par with prostitutes.

While Hollywood films are partly to blame for this view, the root cause is the vast disparity between social norms in Islamic and Western countries.

Many women visitors do a range of things that no respectable Egyptian woman would consider: dressing "immodestly", showing shoulders and cleavage; sharing rooms with men to whom they are not married; drinking alcohol in bars or restaurants; smoking; even travelling alone on public transport, without a relative as an escort. While well-educated Egyptians are familiar with Western culture can take these in their stride, less sophisticated ones are liable to assume the worst. Tales of affairs with tourists, and the scandalous Russians of Hurghada, are common currency among Egyptian males. In Sinai, however, unaccompanied women experience few hassles, except from construction workers from "mainland" Egypt.

Without compromising your freedom too greatly, there are a few steps you can take to improve your image. Most important and obvious is dress: loose opaque clothes that cover all "immodest" areas (thighs, upper arms, chest) and hide your contours are a big help, and essential if you are travelling alone or in rural areas (where covering long hair is also advisable). On public transport (buses, trains, service taxis), try to sit with other women – who may often invite you to do so. On the Cairo metro and trams in Alexandria there are carriages reserved for women. If you're travelling with a man, wearing a wedding ring confers respectability, and asserting that you're married is better than admitting to being "just friends".

As anywhere, looking confident and knowing where you're going is a major help in avoiding hassle. It's also a good idea to avoid making eye contact with Egyptian men (some women wear sunglasses for the purpose), and it is best to err on the side of standoffishness, as even a friendly smile may be taken as a come-on. Problems – most commonly hissing or groping – tend to come in downtown Cairo and in the public beach resorts (except Sinai's Aqaba coast, or Red Sea holiday villages, which are more or less the only places where you'll feel happy about sunbathing). In the oases, where attractions include open-air springs and hot pools, it's okay to bathe – but do so in at least a T-shirt and leggings: oasis people are among the most conservative in the country.

Your reaction to harassment is down to you. Some women find that verbal hassle is best ignored, while others may prefer to use an Egyptian brush-off like khalás (finished) or úsqut (be quiet). If you get groped, the best response is to yell áram! (evil!) or sibnee le wadi (don't touch me), which will shame any assailant in public, and may attract help. Groping an Egyptian woman would be judged totally unacceptable behaviour, so there's no reason why you should put up with it, either. Some women find that it occasionally helps to clout gropers, if only to make themselves feel better.

Conversely, enough foreign women have relationships with Egyptian men to justify a warning about gigolos. Every year, dozens of women are persuaded to invest money in Egypt and find themselves exploited due to ignorance of the language and local law. Although foreign women needn't be married to an Egyptian to buy property or become a partner in a business, it's vital to find a good lawyer whom they can trust as an intermediary; preferably one who has worked abroad and is familiar with western ways.

Many women in relationships with Egyptian men enter into so-called Orfi marriages (aka "Dahab marriages"), arranged by a lawyer, to circumvent the law that prohibits unmarried couples from sleeping under the same roof, or public displays of affection. These allow couples to rent a flat without hassle from the Vice Squad (thereby also providing cover for prostitution) and can be annulled without a divorce. They don't confer the same legal rights as a full marriage in special registry office (Sha'ar el-Aqari) in Cairo, which is the only kind that allows women to bring their spouse to their own country or gives them any rights in child custody disputes. Women can bolster their position by insisting on a marriage contract (pre-nuptial agreement). A useful factsheet, Notes on Marrying an Egyptian, is available from the British Embassy in Cairo.

On the positive side, spending time with Egyptian women can be a delight, if someone decides to take you under their wing. The difficulty in getting to know women is that fewer women than men speak English, and that you won't run into women in cafés or tourist facilities. However, public transport can be good meeting ground, as can shops and, best of all, local schools (Egypt has a high proportion of women teachers). If asking directions in the street, it's always better to ask a woman than a man.