Washington, Dec 20 (ANI): US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has accused Egyptian authorities of failing the country's women since the revolution to ouster president Hosni Mubarak began, and denounced the stripping and beating of a female protester as "shocking" and a "disgrace".
Clinton accused Egypt's new leaders of mistreatment of women both on the street and in politics, The Telegraph reports.
"This systematic degradation of Egyptian women dishonours the revolution, disgraces the state and its uniform and is not worthy of a great people," Clinton said in a speech at Georgetown University.
"Recent events in Egypt have been particularly shocking. Women are being beaten and humiliated in the same streets where they risked their lives for the revolution only a few short months ago," she added.
Clinton denounced a "deeply troubling pattern" of military authorities and the major political parties alike keeping Egyptian women out of decision-making.
"At the same time, they have been specifically targeted both by security forces and extremists," the paper quoted her, as saying.
"Women protesters have been rounded up and subjected to horrific abuse. Journalists have been sexually assaulted and now women are being attacked, stripped and beaten in the streets," she added.
Responding later to a question by a student, Clinton said that Egyptians and not Americans should be the first ones disturbed by poor treatment of women.
"Beating women is not cultural, it's criminal and it needs to be addressed and treated as such," she said. (ANI)
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