Collective Action
Women march through Beirut
BEIRUT: A few hundred people walked through the streets of Beirut for the annual International Women’s Day March Sunday, although it had officially been cancelled amid fears of the spread of the coronavirus.
They carried Lebanese flags, calling for a "feminist revolution" and the fall of traditional patriarchal structures. Many wore medical masks in an effort to prevent catching the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Women have been at the heart of Lebanon's mass protests that erupted on Oct. 17, often acting as human barriers between security forces and demonstrators. They consider feminist demands such as gender equality and the fall of religious courts central pillars of a successful revolution against Lebanon's entrenched sectarian system.
The organizers of the march posted on their Facebook page earlier in the day saying "the march we had initially organized is postponed to a later date, to be announced. However, today on March 8, people are still taking to the streets and doing actions of their own, wherever they are."
"Our revolution is feminist, and it lives on"
The march had been postponed because of what organizers described at the Lebanese state's failure to prepare for the coronavirus, which arrived in Lebanon at the end of February.
The statement added that the decision took into account the concerns and interests of people, especially since many would be taking shared transport to reach assembly points.
International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8 around the world. Lebanon ranked 138 out of 145 countries in the World Economic Forum’s 2015 gender gap and labor participation assessment.
As of Saturday there have been 28 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Lebanon.
Health Minister Hamad Hasan said earlier Friday that "the phase of containing the coronavirus outbreak in Lebanon is over.” He called on the public to take personal responsibility to follow directives issued by the ministry and limit the spread of the disease.
Venue closures include nightclubs, museums, cinemas, theaters, sport clubs, conferences and exhibitions. The ministerial committee for combating the coronavirus also extended the closure of schools, universities and nurseries until March 14.