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Lebanon – Women Activists Protest Against Political Corruption, Garbage Crisis, Patriarchal Control
The Daily Star – By Ghinwa Obeid – September 12, 2015
BEIRUT: Though rarely represented in Parliament, on the
streets they participated in droves and raised their voices against the
corruption of the political class – indeed, the role played by women in the “You
Stink” campaign can’t be ignored. Lebanese women have been at the forefront of
the protests that have taken Beirut by storm in recent weeks to force officials
to find a solution to the garbage crisis. Among the campaign organizers is
Farah Shaer, a director, actor and activist.
Shaer told The Daily Star that she was involved with the
You Stink campaign on several levels, including organization and
decision-making.
“Each one of us, including myself, we take part in
making decisions,” she said.
Shaer has emerged as among a core group of campaign
leaders through the democratic nature of the campaign and the support she
receives from her colleagues. “This isn’t a masculine campaign, I feel like I
take my full rights,” she said. “During press conferences, demonstrations and
protests women are in the front.”
In Lebanese society, women are considered a marginalized
group because there are few laws offering them protection at home and at work.
They are also almost invisible in the political sphere, which in Lebanon is
dominated by men.
Yet being a member of a leading civil society group
affords women different opportunities to stand out.
“The beauty of this is that if I want to compare it to
political parties in Lebanon then of course the difference in You Stink is that
I have a voice,” Shaer explained.
Some women have seen the campaign as an outlet to
express themselves and their needs. The movement includes a substantial number
of female volunteers, Shaer said, which is evidence of the exciting role women
can play as the protests continue to take shape.
During the recent rallies, many of the main speakers
were women and some women were also wounded after violence erupted between
demonstrators and riot police. Activist Nehmat Badreddine from the “Want Want
Accountability” group was badly beaten by riot police when the You Stink
campaign stormed the Environment Ministry on Sept. 1.
Nadyn Jouny, another organizer with You Stink, is, like Shaer, not new to activism. Jouny has been lobbying for women’s rights in the country for years.