Egypt: Female doctor pushed to her death from balcony after receiving male visitor

A female doctor has been pushed from her sixth-floor balcony in Egypt allegedly after she invited a male colleague into her apartment.

Local media has reported that her landlord, doorman and a neighbour broke into the 34-year-old doctor’s apartment in the Al Sallam neighbourhood, beat her and either pushed her off or she fell during the assault.

Her body was found outside another building in the neighbourhood.

Egyptian women’s rights activists have called her death an honour crime which came from oppressive social norms that hold it is shameful for a woman to be alone with a man who is not related to her.

Egyptian authorities have pushed disturbing views of women in recent months, arresting and prosecuting several social media influencers accusing them of “debauchery” and “violating family values.”

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Advocates have called on authorities to prosecute the suspect and have condemned ongoing gender-based violence in Egypt.

Last month there was outrage after a draft bill was put forward allowing a woman’s father, brother or male guardian to annul a woman’s marriage.

The Personal Status Law also prevents a woman frombm owning her own house and gives male relatives the power to prevent her from travelling.

Last year Egyptian women launched their own #MeToo campaign following rape and sexual assault allegations made online against a former student, Ahmed Zaki.

Women in Egypt suffer widespread sexual harassment yet are treated as the perpetrators rather than the victim, regularly accused of “dressing provocatively”, whilst the real perpetrators go unpunished.