The posters were torn to shreds, laying in scattered piles at the south end of Tahrir Square, where Egypt’s anti-government protests began on Jan. 25.

Some had giant X marks scrawled across them, others had been covered in writing reading “Not now.” All the posters were covered by the marks of dirty shoes, as hundreds of reactionary Egyptian men trampled them underfoot.

The posters were simple in their few demands, aired as part of International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate women’s achievements and promote gender equality: They called for harsher punishments against sexual harassment; they called for fairer representation in Parliament, and for a woman to stand for Egypt’s presidency.…  Seguir leyendo »