Nadeen Ashraf (Arabic: نادين اشرف; born 12 March 1998) is an Egyptian feminist activist. Her use of social media instigated the #MeToo movement within Egypt. She is part of the BBC's 100 Women of 2020 list.
I want to create an entity on a wide scale where women can go to when they experience any violence to help them get their rights.
Explaining her long-term vision for Assault Police, Nadeen Ashraf says she wants to transform the Instagram initiative into a permanent organization that provides legal, psychological, and practical support for survivors of gender-based violence.
I got really angry because the girl was pressured to delete the post.
Ashraf recalls the incident that inspired her to create the Assault Police Instagram page after seeing a woman publicly identify an alleged harasser and then face pressure to remove her account.
Sexual violence crimes in Egypt are built purely on silence; they're enabled by silence, by the fact that it's taboo to talk about sexual activities.
In an interview about Egypt's #MeToo movement, Ashraf explains that social stigma and the cultural taboo surrounding discussions of sexual violence have allowed abuse to continue unchecked.
I'm just a little girl, I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm just trying to pull it off.
Reflecting on the rapid growth of Assault Police, Ashraf speaks candidly about the emotional burden and responsibility of managing a movement that thousands of survivors rely upon.
I grew up surrounded by women who dedicated their lives to pushing for change; I never thought I would be in a position to amplify their voices. It's never too late to do something you believe in.
After being named to the BBC 100 Women list, Ashraf reflects on the women who inspired her activism and encourages others to act on causes they believe in.
I was just angry and annoyed that the voices of my friends and classmates weren’t being heard, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and create this platform dedicated to exposing these crimes.
Nadeen Ashraf explains the motivation behind creating Assault Police in 2020. After hearing repeated accounts of sexual harassment and seeing complaints ignored or removed online, she created a platform where survivors could speak out.
Change is already happening and we will keep pushing for more changes.
After launching Assault Police and seeing women come forward with experiences of harassment and abuse, Ashraf described her goal as continuing social change and encouraging more survivors to speak.
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