Lebanon has been suffering from an economic collapse, government ineptitude and the COVID-19 pandemic. With the explosion of August 4th, it was brought to its knees2. In this unstable context, women are the first to be thrown under the bus. With larger priorities at stake, women’s issues are undermined, and their concerns are deprioritized, throwing them into the vicious circle of silence. Despite it all, women were playing a crucial role in Lebanon, from being at the forefront of the revolution, to fighting the pandemic. They have been providing safety to the world around them; however, they still do not feel safe in a patriarchal and violent society.

“Baklava” is a well-known Arabic sweet, and this type of sweet is as known in our culture as is the meaning behind it, which has been used by men as part of the patriarchal culture to harass women throughout the years. So, it is a common scenario for women who are minding their own business and going about their day to be grossly referred to as “Baklava” by sexist men. But the problem goes beyond everyday catcalling. Although some view it as innocent fun, it’s ultimately been forcing many women to simply adapt to it because there was no law in place to protect them. The problem is also that such cultural aspects have normalized harassment, even allowing men today to use the country’s circumstances as an excuse to undermine the safety of women due to the absence of the law.

Consequently, Abaad wanted to push the topic of women’s safety within the context of harassment and prioritize it among the many other issues we are facing. Its second aim was to spark this debate with the purpose of pushing for a law that criminalizes sexual harassment.

The strategic idea: Bring Back Safety for Safekeepers.

We first told the story of 16 remarkable women3, who protect their surroundings, yet never feel safe. We did it in an inspiring short film and an online photo exhibition by a famous female photographer. We then opened the debate on women’s safety and co-created a video4 with a provocative content creator, tackling the campaign idea in a bold way by depicting the patriarchy in a daring approach and requesting safety to all women5. The video hijacked the entire conversation for a week, becoming viral in less than 48 hours6, and opened the debate on harassment without taboos. Meanwhile, we triggered influencers to fuel the debate, which got picked up by local and international media. Our execution was resonating with women in Lebanon, and around the world. With women who never felt safe and needed a law to protect them against sexual harassment.