End Sexual Harassment Day in Egypt: No mercy

I am furious that we've allowed 50% of our society to feel uncomfortable every single time they step out of their house.
What kind of a embarrassing weakling of a society are we?

Today is Blog Against Sexual Harassment Day so I'll keep it brief and sweet.

Sexual Harassment is a crime that is hard to predict, hard to prove, and more importantly is potentially present everywhere. It takes no skill to be a harasser - anyone can be one. So prevention by legal means - having policemen on every corner - is effectively impossible.
But when the crime has occurred and was proven, legal means can be used. And should.

So intervention needs to be two-pronged.

a. Upstream, the change needs to be societal. We need to teach people to frown upon harassment - actually to find it repulsive. It's not easy but it's unavoidable. People need to not only reject the mere idea of doing it but also of seeing it around them. For kids not to let their buddies do it because "ewww, that's gross!". For teenagers to look with disgust at their friends and say "Duuude, I can't believe you did that, you're a jerk!".
And more importantly, for people to be willing to step in and give a hand to the victim when she needs help.

b. Downstream - so post-crime - the intervention needs to be legal. And swift. And insanely harsh. Solid jail time. Treat harassers as you would treat rapists. Hell, cut their balls off and shove them down their throats for all I care. Tattoo it on their foreheads. No mercy.

We should stop finding excuses for harassers. I don't care if they're sexually frustrated or too poor to marry. That's finding excuses for criminals. And there's a thousand articles, studies, and personal stories proving that harassers are single, married, and that their victims can be young, old, hot, ugly, veiled or not, etc. Sexual Harassment is an equal opportunity crime. Everyone is potentially a victim.

NO. This ends here.

Do the 'social' interventions upstream as much as you want. But once they're guilty, khalas. Their chance is over and it's time for a ruthless reaction.

And women - need to be armed. With attitude and words, first. Stand up to your harasser. (again, I refer you to many other articles). Shame him, insult him. Kick him in the groin, punch his throat, dig your nails in his eyes (I reckon those are the basics of self-defense). Use mace. Profusely. Blind them.

We - women and men - need to fight back.