In Cairo, an effort to put sexual harassment on the map – via Twitter and text

They may even ask the shop owners to also host “safe spaces” where women can go to escape sexual harassment.

Is technology accessible enough?

HarassMap is a completely volunteer project and does not accept funding. Chiao speaks excitedly about the sense of involvement the project engenders among volunteers and support they’ve received from individuals and organizations donating time, technological help, and publicity.

But that independence also poses challenges – chiefly, raising awareness without funds to conduct a campaign or post advertisements. Noha Aly, of the Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Aid (CEWLA), says it will be difficult to reach many women, particularly those who don’t regularly use the Internet.

“The main challenge of this methodology is the use of technology, because not all women have access to technology,” she says. “A lot of molestation or sexual harassment is performed against women in poorer areas, and many women who live in such areas do not have such technology.”

Some women may not trust that the reporting will be anonymous, she says, and admitting harassment or molestation can be shameful in a society where it's taboo to mention it. Many women who come to CEWLA are reticent to speak about such issues. But that’s changing, says Ms. Aly, thanks in large part to a woman who pressed charges against a man for groping her in 2008 – a case discussed widely in the media.

HarassMap creator Engy Ghozlan points to the fact that there are 55 million mobile phone subscribers and counting in Egypt, a nation of nearly 80 million. That makes HarassMap accessible to a large segment of the population, if they know about it.

Rights groups: Egypt needs law defining sexual harassment as crime

Chiao said the group is working on awareness strategies. Significantly, the creators of a new film coming out in Egypt, "678," that deals with the topic of sexual harassment have offered to promote the site in the movie advertisements. That will be a huge publicity boost, says Chiao, and she hopes to have the site up and running by the release of the movie in mid-December.

HarassMap is currently in a testing phase, accepting online reports only. The site received such an overwhelming response on its first day, Nov. 4, that the server was temporarily overloaded.

Hurdles remain, however. Women’s rights groups say Egypt needs a new law that clearly defines sexual harassment as a crime and eases reporting of incidents to police, which is nearly impossible in a country where the abuse isn't widely seen as a problem.

The creators of HarassMap don’t deny the difficulties. “We’re not claiming that HarassMap is going to solve the problem of reporting,” says Ms. Ghozlan. “But it will give you a window, an opportunity to say, ‘This is happening. Do you want to be part of solving this problem?’”

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