Automaker “encourages sexual harassment”

In Egypt, Citroën recently advertised a commercial that attracted a lot of criticism. “They encourage sexual harassment,” it said, among other things. Now the car manufacturer has withdrawn the film.

French automaker Citroën withdrew a controversial commercial in Egypt after the company was faced with allegations of promoting the sexual harassment of women. The advertisement has been circulating on the country’s social networks since the beginning of December and shows the singer Amr Diab, who is popular in the Arab region, sitting in a Citroën.

A short sequence shows how he uses a camera installed on the rearview mirror to take a photo of a woman crossing the street in front of him – without her knowledge or consent. The 60-year-old then smiles when the picture appears on his smartphone.

Criticism for Citroën commercial

In the further course of the commercial you can see how the two get to know and approach each other during a joyride together. In the networks, Citroën met harsh criticism. In Egypt, 90 percent of women between the ages of 18 and 39 report having experienced harassment.

It is “scary” to take a photo of a woman without her consent, wrote women’s rights activist Reel Abdellatif on the Internet service Twitter. “They encourage sexual harassment,” she added, addressing the French automaker. Another user wondered how seriously anyone could have been of the opinion that such an advertisement was a good idea.

Internet users also criticize pop singer Amr Diab

Citroën finally said on Thursday that the company had been informed that a scene from the commercial had been “perceived as inappropriate”. The corresponding version has been withdrawn. “We apologize to anyone who feels offended.”

Internet users also criticized the pop singer Amr Diab. One user tweeted that he was seen as an idol and knew very well that Egyptians were exposed to permanent danger. “It’s shocking that he didn’t see the problem.”