Gehad Hamdy is an Egyptian dentist and feminist activist working against gender based violence. She was named as one of the BBC 100 Women in 2022. She founded Speak Up and is one of the leaders of Connecting Humanity.
Hamdy received a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from October University for Modern Sciences and Arts
Sexual harassment is a daily fight, but change is happening.
Gehad Hamdy reflects on the persistence of sexual harassment in Egypt while expressing optimism that public attitudes and legal responses are gradually improving through sustained activism.
We wanted women to know they are not alone.
Explaining why she founded Speak Up, Hamdy says the initiative was created to provide survivors of sexual violence with support, solidarity, and a platform to report abuse.
Social media became our courtroom before the courtroom.
Hamdy explains that online platforms enabled victims to expose perpetrators and build public pressure in cases where formal legal mechanisms had often failed them.
Every woman who speaks up makes it easier for another woman to speak.
Discussing the impact of the Speak Up initiative, Hamdy emphasizes the importance of survivors encouraging one another to break the silence surrounding gender-based violence.
Our role is not only to expose perpetrators but also to support survivors through every step.
Hamdy describes Speak Up's mission as extending beyond public advocacy to include emotional support, legal guidance, and referrals for survivors of abuse.
I hope we see a lot of platforms like this in Egypt because we need a lot. There is space for all of us to work on this.
Discussing the growth of Speak Up, Gehad Hamdy expresses her hope that more initiatives addressing gender-based violence will emerge, emphasizing that the scale of the problem requires many organizations working together rather than a single movement.
