National Council for Women Connects Domestic Abuse Survivors to Support Through Free Hotline

Along with the rise of COVID-19 cases, there has been an unprecedented surge in domestic abuse in all areas of the globe. Many women are finding themselves subjected to more violence in the home, while feeling like they've got nowhere else to go due to the lockdown measures.

Here in Egypt, there are various local resources available to help survivors of domestic abuse. The Ministry of Social Solidarity inaugurated a number of women’s shelters to protect those who have faced domestic abuse, the last of which being a women’s shelter in Giza that was opened in December 2019. Currently, there are women’s shelters in Cairo, Qalyubiya, Alexandria, Beni Suef, Daqahlia, Minya and Fayoum. The shelters offer clothing, food and resources for psychological counselling as well as legal aid.

Additionally, the National Council for Women have a hotline dedicated to supporting women who have been subjected to domestic violence. By calling this number, women experiencing domestic abuse will be led to various psychological support tools, in addition to being put in contact with resources for legal support. In severe cases, the hotline will connect them to shelters following an assessment of the case. The hotline number is: 15115 (on mobile phones and house phones).