Marie’s Story - 6

There is an ongoing and divisive debate around the question of when feminism began in Lebanon. Most studies take the early nineteenth century as a starting point for the examination of social movements, and especially women’s movements, in the Arab world. This is also true for Lebanon, which means that this history begins even before the country’s formation as an independent state. For our part, we decided to start during the period of the French mandate after WWI, in which working class women and men played a crucial role in the fight for national independence against colonial domination. It should be noted that our story is rooted in the personal narratives of Lebanese feminists. We opted to tell a personalized history of feminism(s) rather than adhering to a strict typography of the varying currents of feminisms that have appeared in Lebanon over time, or providing a survey of their achievements.

Panel 2: The Régie Company (or Régie Libanaise des Tabacs et Tombacs) was formed in 1935 during the height of French colonialism in Lebanon. It held a monopoly over tobacco production and was often associated with colonialism and labor exploitation. 

Panel 3: Banner translates to “Strangers In Our Own Home”‎.