16 days to make girls heard: day 2

Twenty-sixth November is the second day of '16 days to  make girls heard'. Today we look at one of the ways Lebanese Girl Guides have been speaking out and taking action.

To celebrate International Women's Day, promote gender equality and empower women in line with the third UN Millennium Development Goal, the Association des Guides du Liban ran an awareness-raising campaign for the Lebanese public in March 2011.

 Around 50 uniformed senior Guides paraded through the business districts of Beirut, the capital city, informing the public about their commitment to gender equality and encouraging them to celebrate International Women's Day, which takes place every year on 8 March.

The Girl Guides travelled in a bus covered in balloons, with large signs highlighting the role of women in society. The Girl Guides continued by bike and on foot once they reached the centre of Beirut.

During their march, they handed out leaflets to encourage passers-by to reflect on the role of women in Lebanese society. They also distributed purple ribbons with the logo of the Association to commemorate the day.

Each group held short interviews with members of the public to survey their opinions on the difficulties faced by Lebanese women, and to gather ideas on how to promote their role in society. Finally, they encouraged them to sign petitions against gender violence.

After the day, descriptions and photos of the activities were displayed on bulletin boards. The campaign also received media coverage from a local channel, and the Section Commissioner and her deputy appeared on a news programme the following day to explain the initiative to viewers.

'The aim of the campaign was to make every possible effort to mobilise public opinion and to encourage the general public to reflect on progress made to date, to seek further change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played such an extraordinary role in society' says Sandra Chaoul, who leads the young women's section in the Association.