Gehad Hamdy
{{Short description|Egyptian dentist and feminist activist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Gehad Hamdy
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| nationality = Egyptian
| education =
| alma_mater = October University for Modern Sciences and Arts
| occupation = Dentist, activist
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| known_for = Speak Up organization
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| awards = BBC 100 Women (2022)
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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.{{Cite web |title=BBC 100 Women 2022: Who is on the list this year?|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-75af095e-21f7-41b0-9c5f-a96a5e0615c1 |access-date=16 May 2024 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}
Hamdy received a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from October University for Modern Sciences and Arts.{{Cite web |title=Gehad Hamdy |url=https://www.vitalvoices.org/fellow/gehad-hamdy/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |website=Vital Voices |language=en-US}}
Career
=Speak Up =
Hamdy founded Speak Up in 2020, a feminist initiative that works through social networks to identify aggressors of gender violence, sexual harassment and rape.{{Cite web |date=3 July 2021 |title=Founder of Egypt's Speak Up: 'Sexual harassment is a daily fight, but change is happening' |url=https://globalvoices.org/2021/07/03/founder-of-egypts-speak-up-sexual-harassment-is-a-daily-fight-but-change-is-happening/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |website=Global Voices |language=en}} Speak Up encourages women to speak out about harassment,{{Cite news |title=Por que assédio de médico brasileiro preso no Egito revoltou árabes |url=https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-57363146 |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=BBC News Brasil |language=pt-BR}}{{Cite web |last=admin |date=9 March 2023 |title=Gehad Hamdy: Supporting Egyptian Women from Sexual Harassment |url=https://tycoonsuccess.com/gehad-hamdy-supporting-egyptian-women-from-sexual-harassment/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |website=Tycoon Success |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Can social media help in the fight against sexual harassment in Egypt? |url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/north-africa-west-asia/can-social-media-help-fight-against-sexual-harassment-egypt/ |website=Open Democracy}} provide legal and emotional support.{{Cite web |title=The hashtag "Mary's body is hers" tops social media and revives the discussion about women's rights in Egyptian law |url=https://arabic.euronews.com/2022/03/21/egypt-woman-whose-husband-refuses-hysterectomy-discussions-women-rights |website=EuroNews}}{{Cite news |date=14 July 2021 |title='My husband was an angel – then he raped me' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-57694110 |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=From a post to an initiative... Get to know those demanding both women's and men's rights |url=https://www.elbalad.news/4662804 |website=elbalad.news|date=19 January 2021 }} It also pressures authorities to prosecute{{Cite web |date=25 August 2022 |title=Victor Sorrentino oferecia consultas em Portugal sem ter diploma validado no país |url=https://revistamarieclaire.globo.com/Noticias/noticia/2021/06/victor-sorrentino-oferecia-consultas-em-portugal-sem-ter-diploma-validado-no-pais.html |access-date=16 May 2024 |website=Revista Marie Claire |language=pt-br}}{{Cite web |date=25 August 2022 |title="Uma luta diária e constante", diz ativista egípcia após prisão de brasileiro |url=https://revistamarieclaire.globo.com/Mulheres-do-Mundo/noticia/2021/06/uma-luta-diaria-e-constante-diz-ativista-egipcia-apos-prisao-de-brasileiro.html |access-date=16 May 2024 |website=Revista Marie Claire |language=pt-br}} and change laws, and highlights narritives of rape culture in the media.{{Cite news |last=Berger |first=Miriam |date=30 December 2021 |title=The car ad tried to extol its HD camera. Instead, it promoted sexual harassment in Egypt, critics say. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/12/30/citroen-egypt-sexual-harassment-amr-diab/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}{{Cite web |last=Fustany |title="Speak Up" Founder Gehad Hamdy's Journey: Overcoming Obstacles to Support Victims of Violence |url=https://api.fustany.com/en/lifestyle/interviews/interview-with-speak-up-founder-gehad-hamdy |access-date=16 May 2024 |website=api.fustany.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Mobilização para denunciar médico no Egito envolveu brasileiros e ativistas feministas egípcias |url=https://www.estadao.com.br/brasil/mobilizacao-para-denunciar-medico-no-egito-envolveu-brasileiros-e-ativistas-feministas-egipcias/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |website=Estadão |language=pt-br}} Speak Up was involved in the criminalization of Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt in March 2021 and the prosecution of Michael Fahmy for sexually assaulting 6 girls.{{Cite web |last=ElGendy |first=Abdelrahman |date=26 December 2022 |title=Women's Rights Groups in Egypt and Lebanon Take Aim at Saad Lamjarred |url=https://newlinesmag.com/spotlight/womens-rights-groups-in-egypt-and-lebanon-take-aim-at-saad-lamjarred/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |website=New Lines Magazine |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=says |first=Egyptian Sheikh Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Raping a 10-Year-Old Girl {{!}} Egyptian Streets |date=10 November 2021 |title=Michael Fahmy Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Sexually Assaulting Underage Coptic Girls {{!}} Egyptian Streets |url=https://egyptianstreets.com/2021/11/10/michael-fahmy-sentenced-to-life-imprisonment-for-sexually-assaulting-underage-coptic-girls/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=9 November 2021 |title=Egyptian Doctor Michael Fahmy receives life imprisonment for sexually assaulting 6 girls |url=https://el-shai.com/egyptian-doctor-michael-fahmy-life-imprisonment/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |website=El-Shai |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=The disturbing case of Michael Fahmy, a sexual predator who spent 20 years preying on Coptic Orthodox girls |url=https://www.italianinsider.it/?q=node/11653 |access-date=16 May 2024 |website=www.italianinsider.it}}
= Speak Up Helpline =
In 2024, Hamdy launched Speak Up Helpline, the first online helpline in Egypt, it is a digital reporting and support tool for individuals—particularly women—facing online violence, blackmail, harassment, and Technology-facilitated gender-based violence. The helpline enables users to report harmful content on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and TikTok. Speak Up acts as a trusted escalation partner with Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and Aylo helping victims remove abusive content and access digital safety guidance, legal information, and psychological referrals. The helpline receives hundreds of messages daily and represents a core part of Speak Up’s direct support strategy.
= Connecting Humanity =
Hamdy is one of the leaders of Connecting Humanity, an activist collective which provides internet access to people in Gaza using donated eSIMs, allowing them to connect to networks outside of Gaza.{{Cite web |last=Shabana |first=Yasmin |date=7 December 2023 |title=Tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are staying connected to the world via donated eSIMs |url=https://qz.com/tens-of-thousands-of-palestinians-in-gaza-are-staying-c-1851078107 |access-date=16 May 2024 |website=Quartz |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Vo |first=Lam Thuy |date=7 November 2023 |title='Let Me Tell Them Goodbye Before They Get Killed': How eSIM Cards Are Connecting Palestinian Families – The Markup |url=https://themarkup.org/news/2023/11/07/let-me-tell-them-goodbye-before-they-get-killed-how-esims-cards-are-connecting-palestinian-families |access-date=19 March 2024 |website=themarkup.org |language=en}}{{Cite news |last1=Kershner |first1=Isabel |last2=Nereim |first2=Vivian |last3=Shankar |first3=Vivek |last4=Rogers |first4=Katie |date=29 October 2023 |title=Gazans had no cell service. An effort led from Egypt helped reconnect them |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/29/world/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news#gazans-had-no-cell-service-an-effort-led-from-egypt-helped-reconnect-them |work=The New York Times}}
Awards
- BBC 100 list of "inspiring and influential women", 2022
- Gold Award Winner: Social Change Maker of the Year in Gender by The Stevie Awards, 2022
- Finalist for the Equal Rights and Non-Discrimination award at the World Justice Forum, 2022
- Finalist for Aidex Humanitarian Hero Award, 2022
- The Changemaker and The Humanitarian awards by Women SME Leaders Awards by Entrepreneur Middle East and Mastercard, 2022
- International Humanitarian award by Women4Africa, 2021
- Finalist for the Women Empowerment Award by Africa Women Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF), 2021