Female Violence during the Egyptian Legislative Elections 2005 Egyptian Women Baltajiya

The 2005 Egyptian Legislative Elections turned out to be a beneficial time for the baltajiya (bouncers in Egyptian dialect). The baltajiya is a group of muscular men or women hired by candidates to attend electoral rallies and support them. They are also hired to beat up and harass opponents and their supporters. The trend of spending lavishly on votes is espoused by wealthy candidates (described as electoral bribery), and has contributed to the expansion of the baltajiya phenomenon. Profits are fast and generous. A baltaji s salary varies from 300 to 500 Egyptian pounds on a single election day, which is equivalent to the monthly salary of some employees