Everywoman
Everywoman

Egypt’s drug problem

How do women deal with their families when their husbands get hooked on drugs?

undefined
The problem is now so common that many women find
themselves the sole provider for their family

There is a growing problem of drug addiction in Egypt. With soaring unemployment and few leisure opportunities, many men are vulnerable to substance abuse.

They may start with drugs like marijuana or hashish, but this often leads to harder drugs like heroin and cocaine.

The problem is now so common that many women find themselves the sole provider for their family.

Wives are forced to get low paid jobs to feed their children, and as well as struggling to keep the household together as they also face the stigma of having a husband who does not work.

Dr Madiha el-Safty from the American University in Cairo joins the Everywoman to talk about how widespread the phenomenon is becoming.

The true numbers of drug addicts in Egypt are very hard to find – the most recent estimates put hashish users at one and a half million, but that could be just the tip of the iceberg.

Everywoman talked to some of the women forced to become the breadwinners and to their husbands who describe the slippery slope to addiction.

Maoist female fighters

undefined
About 18 per cent of registered
former combatants are women

This month’s key elections in Nepal have taken the Maoist party from undergroud guerillas to elected governing body. But their election is only the beginning of the wider challenge facing the country.

There are currently more than 30 thousand ex-rebel fighters in camps around Nepal.

For the last 10 years, many have known only armed struggle and 18 per cent of registered former combatants are women.

But no attempt has been made to rehabilitate them, and whilst living in these squalid conditions they have little hope of finding a job or a husband. 

Just before the recent elections, Everywoman travelled to Chitwan, one of the biggest camps in Nepal.

There we met Gyanu Tamang, who told us of her hopes for the future.

Yakuza’s daughter

undefined
Yakuza have incredible tattoos all over their
upper bodies to show their allegiance

Everywoman travels to Japan, where the shadowy criminal gang-members known as Yakuza were brought into the spotlight by a best-selling author.

Yakuza have incredible tattoos all over their upper bodies to show their allegiance.

Shoko Tendo is the daughter of a Yakuza boss, and she wrote a book about her life and struggles. Everywoman met the writer in Japan.

Watch part one of this episode of Everywoman on YouTube

Watch part two of this episode of Everywoman on YouTube

This episode of Everywoman aired on Friday, April 25, 2008


Do email us with your views, our address is everywoman@aljazeera.net or you can contact us by clicking on ‘Send your feedback’ at the top of the page

Watch Al Jazeera English programmes on YouTube

Join our debates on the Your Views page