What is the Right that I miss the most as a Lebanese Women? This is the question I as a women rights activist is always asked, and my answer is Clear: the Right to transmit my Nationality to my Children is THE Right we need to work on in Priority.
As a Women, the nationality law that dates from 1925 in Lebanon still prohibits Lebanese women married to foreigners from granting their nationality to their husband and children. 
the Article 1 of the 1925 Nationality Law states that citizenship is granted to those born of Lebanese fathers only. Not Lebanese Mothers. The implication is dreadful for Lebanese women and mothers: Children born of Lebanese mothers are not granted citizenship in Lebanon. that means no Lebanese passport, No lebanese social security, No access to Public schools, no access to Lebanese universities, no Access to Lebanese jobs protected by Syndicates…. In addition to all that a new Law passed in November 2015 in the Lebanese parliament, granting the expatriates who have male ancestors only to get Lebanese Citizenship. Even the Constitutional Council wasn’t able to reject such a law that clearly violates the principle of equality between men and women enshrined in Article 7 of the Lebanese Constitution. (Read more about the rejection of annulment of such a discriminating law here)
Citizenship in Lebanon is based on ancestry from the FATHER /Men Side only, not where one is born. In my opinion this is a discrimination showing how Lebanon is a patriarchal society !
Today I read that Salma Hayek the Hollywood famous actress with Lebanese origins have clearly highlighted that women in Lebanon need to be able to TRANSMIT Their Nationality to their Children. True!! if as activists and lobbyist and advocates our voice is not heard by our elected Members of Parliament, maybe the voice of a Hollywood actress is more Powerful??? They can hear her voice easily???
Il faut noter que Shakira est d’origine libanaise, Salma Hayek Aussi, … mais la nationalite ne peut leur etre octroyee car elles sont des femmes, d’origine libanaise. Mika aussi est d’origine libanaise par sa mere non??? donc il n’y a pas droit non plus! On le cree ce Lobby d’Acteurs et actrices et chanteurs pour demander ce Droit Primordial pour Nous Libanais et Libanaises???
Rita Chemaly
below are some of the links and article I wrote previously in English , french or Arabic about this issue:
Lebanese women not satisfied with second class
Cartographie des discriminations qui atteignent les femmes au Liban
Le Dossier que j’ai prepare sur la Nationalite pour le Magazine
Les femmes libanaises insistent pour transmettre leur nationalite a leur famille
Transmitting the Nationality in Lebanon is only for Men
La nationalite a ceux qui sont d’origine libanaise … aux hommes pas aux femmes!
je reve : je suis libanaise de 2nde classe?
Kindly note that in this blog, I featured more than 20 articles and short movie and covered plenty of protests and street movments about this issue. they are all featured under this tag: Nationality tag ; Discrimination tag; women rights tag
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