Daijiworld Media Network - Dubai

Dubai, May 4: Hefty fine and jail term await eve-teasers in the UAE as authorities have recently declared that action would be taken against those making nasty gestures that make women feel uncomfortable and infringed. Gestures such as long stares, suggestive remarks, dropping phone numbers, stalking and outright groping can attract punishment.

According to article 359 of UAE’s penal code, those found guilty of molesting women through words or deeds will be imprisoned for a maximum period of one year and will have to pay a fine not exceeding Dh 10,000 or both. Punishment for such misdemeanour may also include deporting the convicted expatriate as the charge falls under the category of ‘crimes against honour’.

Eve-teasing usually refers to a kind of sexual harassment women face in public places from men or a group of men who often make obscene comments on a woman’s body or abuse them verbally or through unwelcome sexual jokes.

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Leading newspaper of UAE Khaleej Times reported that Dubai police have issued this warning while announcing recently that 19 people were arrested after they were found guilty of harassing and eve-teasing women in public places such as malls, roads and in beaches. In UAE harassment law covers winking, whistling, blowing kisses, commenting on their bodies and even taking their pictures without their consent. The extreme form of physical assault such as pinching, fondling and rubbing against women or following women in vehicles also comes under the ambit of eve-teasing.

Reiterating the warning, director general of the department of criminal investigation Brigadier Jamal Salem Al Jallaf said that all women have the right to feel safe, secure and protected, and such harassment of women is alien to UAE culture and established traditions. The strict warning is long overdue and comes at a time when there is a loud cry for dealing with increasing phenomenon of eve-teasing and sexually suggestive remarks against women in the UAE.

Brig Jalaf also revealed that police patrols are working round the clock to ensure people especially women feel safe at the beaches. He assured the public that officers in plain clothes and plain clothes are deployed across the emirate that include public beaches like Jumeirah Open Beach, Umm Suqeim Beach, JBR and Al Mamzar Beach Park where most of the offenders were caught in the last one year. Not surprisingly, most of the eve-teasers caught are in the age group of 16 to 40. Brig Jalaf has urged women to report such incidents of harassment rather than the usual practice of ‘just ignoring’, so that they can against the offenders.

According to available reports beaches and malls are often the most common areas where such crimes against women take place. As per available statistics in 2018-19 alone a total of 1725 persons were arrested for various offenses in Dubai beaches. Of these 289 were charged for taking photos of women without their consent, 743 were arrested for disturbing beachgoers and 256 were found guilty of swimming in their underwear. It is said though many men pretend they take photographs of the sea at the beachside they in fact snoop on women and click their photographs.

Women in UAE also have complained that men purposely brush past them in crowded places and when objected to pretend as if it was an inadvertent act. But now if women complain against such persons the authorities are sure to act against the perpetrators who can longer pretend the act was accidental and not intentional.

Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE has put in place stringent measures to counter the menace of eve-teasing and as per the new laws adopted a few years ago stiff penalties have been imposed on offenders. For repeat offenders the punishment includes one year imprisonment and fine up to Dh 60,000.

In the recent years it is noticed that with easy access to technology eve-teasing has shifted from public places to online platforms which equally endangers a women’s safety.

In UAE there is no special regulation law to deal with sexual harassment which is rampant and often goes unreported. The only recourse available is article 359 of the penal code which the authorities want to implement strictly to deal with eve-teasers.