Disgraced footballer kickstarts fresh #MeToo debate in Egypt

After getting kicked off the national squad, Egyptian footballer Amr Warda, accused of rampant sexual harassment, has been reinstated for the African Cup of Nations amid a heated debate about women's rights.

In a scandal that emerged online last week, social media became the vehicle for driving the vexing issue which has taken on more prominence in the #MeToo era.

The midfielder was sidelined by the Egyptian football federation last week but in a stunning reversal, that took less than 48 hours, he was on the pitch Saturday with a beaming smile and waving a peace victory sign.

Multiple women had posted screenshots and testimonies of Warda's alleged lewd comments, as well as explicit videos attributed to the player.

A day after the initial ban last Wednesday, Warda apologised publicly to his family and teammates in a brief, 16-second Facebook video, but pointedly did not mention his victims.

Egypt, the most populous Arab country, continues to be one of the worst offenders for sexual harassment. Reactions have ranged from the pious to the political, with many celebrities coming out to defend Warda and others pointing out his lurid history of sexual misconduct.

A 2013 United Nations survey noted that 99 percent of all women in Egypt have been sexually abused, either physically or verbally.

- 'Socially devastating' -
==========================
- 'Getting away with harassment' -
===================================