New Online Group Is Saving Thousands of Women from Sextortion

Egyptian women now have a life-saving tool to fight off sextortion in the shape of an online platform designed to help women confront their perpetrators and make sure the intimate images are destroyed.

“Now is … the right time to push for more social awareness about a topic like sextortion, which isn’t talked about a lot in such a conservative society,” says Mohmed Elyamani, marketing manager, social media activist and founder of the online platform. “We hope Qawem will play that role, and help hundreds or even thousands of girls understand that the blackmailer is the one who should be held socially and legally accountable – not her.”

Founded in the mid-2020, Qawem – which means “Resist” in Arabic – received so far more than 250,000 appeals for help from women whose intimate pictures are used for extorting money or sexual favors. In 80% of cases, a settlement is reached with the perpetrators. If not, Qawem helps victims report the crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Following the arrest of a man accused of raping and extorting many women, authorities have toughened penalties against female genital mutilation and sexual abuse, and initiatives like Qawem are part of the solution.