Women in Cabinets/ Governments in Lebanon with Ministerial Portfolios

A strategy is needed for equality and an effective political participation of women in the Public sphere in Lebanon. this simple info graphic shows who were the women responsible of a ministerial cabinet in Lebanon and for which year since 1942. IN brief just 7 women were since 1942 were appointed as MINISTERS in Lebanon. 2 of them without a portfolio ! 😦

Only 6 Cabinets/ Governments out of 74 Governments in Lebanon have appointed Women!!!!

We need to ACT!!!!

Rita Chemaly

This pic is taken from the Women participation in Elections prepared by UNDP in Lebanon http://www.lebanon-elections.org/Modules/Document/UploadFile/6171_12,02,YYWomen-in-Elections-accordion.pdf

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Recent legal achievements about women in Lebanon… latest researches 2014

I am lost with some “studies” using 2005 as a baseline. I can’t stand duplications in the work of International Organisations. They are ready to pay amounts for  compilations that exists already, and for action plans that already have been developped in a participatory manner by numerous NGOs and  Govermental organisations.

In Lebanon, numerous authors, researchers and Organisations have worked on studies and documents that go beyond that date (2005) or 2006.

For all those who want to do a research about women rights in Lebanon, please do go back to the core CEDAW reports,

please do call NGOs working on legal issues (they are not numerous and phone calls wont take a whole day). (The goodones I advise you to call are : Abaad, Crtda, LFPA, LADE, CFUWI, KAFA, and of course the National Institution that that holds a coordinative and consultative mission that is NCLW:

Moreover you can check some Websites: all Information is available online, this is normal access to information right:

CEDAW report published in 2014 is available online!

Additionly to follow on legal issues, do not hesitate to check the easy and friendly tables published in NCLW reports:
Annual report 2013 (available in English and Arabic) is comprehensive related to the National Campaigns organised by numerous NGOs.

Annual report 2012 covers what happened till the end of 2012. (available in english and arabic)

and Annual Report 2011, shows the great work and details all laws related to women and the efforts done to implement them .

Moreover a full compilation of all the laws that exist in the Lebanese parliament drawers and the decrees presented to/or studied by the council of ministers have been compiled thematically in this big study funded by UNFPA lebanon. (Arabic version)

There is the  raodmap worked on with the Lebanese Parliament funded by UNDP and compiling  all laws related to women and that has been published in August 2013. AVAILABLE IN arabic .

For those who want to go back to the core texts developped and updated in a participatory manner here is the link for the Women National Strategy 2011-2021 (available in French, english and Arabic). Here is the Link to the National Action Plan 2013-2016 (available in arabic) and that aims to follow up on the implementation of the national strategy goals by various stakeholders.

More than that, all texts quoted previously give credit to all NGOs that have worked on a certain issue, so hearing again the “assumption” that NGOs in Lebanon do not work together or collaborate is in my opinion misleading! and using numbers from 2005 2006 reports a baselines for “legal and contextual researches” is in my opinion outdated.

Rita Chemaly.

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Maternity leave in Lebanon Still 49 days only… and No Paternity leave yet…. We must Act!

Last Year, the Maternity leave extension project law in Lebanon made some progress in the Parliamentarian commissions only.

But, we ( = Lebanese Citizens) are still waiting for the Vote in the GENERAL ASSEMBLY of the Parliament for the extension of the maternity leave from 49 days to 10 weeks….

I am a pregnant woman, and I think that I will need to rest with my baby , I will need to feed him, will need to sleep at night and not think how to get to work early in the morning, after having a long night feeding, burping, changing….

Do you Know that maternity leave in Lebanon ( the 49 days) we are entitled to, are counted with the days that are public holidays and Sundays, and Saturdays???

Employees  can just benefit from their annual leaves, if they kept some left, the maternity leave as stipulated in the labor law in Lebanon is clearly not sufficient!!!!!

as for Paternity leave, this is something that doesn’t exist!!!! how a dad can feel that his is a dad, and can participate in the education of his child, if he can’t even participate in taking care of his baby at the early stages of his coming to life????!!!!!

We should act, but how??

Just ask and lobby the Members of Parliament in Lebanon ( who reconducted for themselves in a weird way) to DO their Job and to work on changing the legislation!!!!

 

 

Rita Chemaly

 

Previous posts about the same issue:

https://ritachemaly.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/congratulations-lebanese-women-can-now-have-60-days-of-maternity-leave/

 

https://ritachemaly.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/lebanese-mothers-missing-their-babies-an-article-about-maternity-leave-by-c-benoit/

 

https://ritachemaly.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/droits-des-femmes-au-liban-conge-maternite-et-conge-paternite-par-rita-chemaly.jpg

 

https://ritachemaly.wordpress.com/2013/06/13/members-of-parliament-we-want-an-extension-of-the-maternity-leave-in-lebanon-now/

 

https://ritachemaly.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/maternity-leave-in-lebanon-is-in-the-drawer-of-parliament-because-of-political-problems/

 

https://ritachemaly.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/march-21-is-mother-day-but-in-lebanon-women-are-not-treated-fairly-maternity-leave-is-a-must/

https://ritachemaly.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/maternity-leave-in-lebanon-too-short-campaign-rita-chemaly.jpg

 

 

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Sexual Harassment in Lebanon remains unpunished and is not criminalizesd

Lebanese Labor Law is not criminalizing sexual harassment at the work place yet.

Many activists and organisations have tried to change the law, legislators and responsibles didn’t take any action yet.

The consequences of Sexual Harassment are huge: not only psychological, but also economical and financial.

Lebanese women working and that are subject to sexual harassment will have to quit their work, and therefore lose their job…..

Dear Member of Parliaments who have reconducted for themselves, please do the job you are paid for, WOMEN in Lebanon Need Protection!

Rita Chemaly

 

 

Sexual harassment is:

Any physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature and other conduct based on sex affecting the dignity of women and  men, which is unwelcome, unreasonable and offensive to the recipient. Where a person’s rejection of, or submission to, such conduct is used explicitly or implicitly as a basis for a decision which affects that person’s job.

 Conduct that creates an intimidating, hostile or humiliating working environment for the recipient. For more information about it follow the link http://www.wunrn.com/news/2013/07_13/07_01/070113_jordan.htm

 

 

 

 

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Beirut Marathon Association fun is sexist and discriminatory against women

I am angry and truly disappointed by the movie created by Beirut Marathon Association for the #women race on 26 of may, those who talked at the beginning are sexist!!! and what they said is DISCRIMINATING against women!!!!! I refuse totally to be a part of such an initiative!

People should understand that verbal abuse is Refused, that stereotyping women as incompetent is refused!! Stereotyping women as unable to drive is not Funny, this is discriminating!!!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Myzuvg0hGg

we want people to RESPECT women and the causes the women movement in Lebanon is supporting! such as the nationality cause, the criminalization of violence , the criminalization of sexual , and verbal harassment, the respect for our bodies, and our brains , the causes the women movement in Lebanon is supporting are so important, and not funny, e political participation of women is a must, respect of women bodies is a double must, respect of women intelligence and participation even in a race is a triple must! what I keep in mind after watching less than 1 minute of this movie is sexism, stereotyping, and discrimination against Lebanese women!!!

Rita Chemaly

I am truly sad that they mixed important issues with such “maskhara” as we say in Lebanon.

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Lebanese Women All over the world claim those rights… Act! and Vote correctly!

Lebanese Women claim their rights:

the right to live safely at home

the right not to be harrassed at work

the right not to marry her rapist

the right to transmit her nationality to her children

the right to Live and To be A Lebanese CITIZEN!!!!

Rita Chemaly,

also for those who feel that big rage I feel,

do not hesitate to wath this short short movie, that is translated to English….

a great initiative bt the take back the parliament movement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5dTJKwIMb0

 

 

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A massive e-mailing campaign by Equality now organisation to revise the Nationality law

The Equality now organisation, is asking web users to participate in a massive e-mail campaign, urging the Head of Lebanese state, the head of government, the Ministers, and parliament to revise the Nationality law in Lebanon. Harrassing people by the same letters and requests have not shown any results in my opinion, mainly regarding issues such as citizenship. Anyways,

the Campaign is called: 

Lebanon: Give women equal citizenship rights to men under the nationality law.

the campaign had been launched in 2010. according to the website of Equality now,  and a new update had been published explaining the latest actions done in that matter mainly after the denial by the ministerial committee of the right for women to transmit their nationality.

 

Update: 

11 February 2013 UPDATE: The Ministerial Committee established to study Lebanon’s nationality law has failed to meet the aspirations of Lebanese women married to non-nationals. In a disappointing decision, the Ministerial Committee concluded on 14 December 2012 that Lebanese women should not be granted the right to pass their nationality to their children and spouses, a decision made public on 16 January 2013. Instead, it recommended to the Prime Minister that restrictions on children of Lebanese women married to non-nationals relating to resident permits, education, work in the private sector and access to state medical care should be eased. If implemented, these recommendations are welcome in that they should alleviate the hardships experienced by the children of Lebanese women married to non-Lebanese men. However, campaigners still want removed, once and for all, the discrimination that treats Lebanese women and men differently under the nationality law.

>> TAKE ACTION NOW! Please continue, in support of Lebanese women campaigning for their rights, to urge the President and the Prime Minister to revise the nationality law urgently and comprehensively to ensure that all Lebanese citizens, male and female, have the equal right to confer their Lebanese nationality on their spouses and children.

the campaign is asking web-users to write e-mails to the head of state, and the government, and the ministers.

“Please continue to write to the Lebanese authorities listed below welcoming these new labor regulations but asking them to revise the nationality law urgently and comprehensively to ensure that all Lebanese citizens, male or female, have the equal right to confer their Lebanese nationality on their spouses and children.Please continue to write to the Lebanese authorities listed below welcoming these new labor regulations but asking them to revise the nationality law urgently and comprehensively to ensure that all Lebanese citizens, male or female, have the equal right to confer their Lebanese nationality on their spouses and children.|

the equality now page even propose a letter to be sent to all:

Letters: 

‘Dear President/ Prime Minister:

I am writing to express my support of Lebanese women campaigning for their rights to pass their nationality on to their children and non-national spouses. I am concerned that the Ministerial Committee established to study Lebanon’s nationality law did not meet the aspirations of Lebanese women married to non-nationals by failing to recommend ways to revise the nationality law in order to guarantee full equality between women and men in this regard.

I understand that the Ministerial Committee concluded on 18 December 2012 that Lebanese women should not be granted the right to pass their nationality to their children and spouses, and instead recommended only that restrictions on children of Lebanese women married to non-nationals should be eased in relation to resident permits, education, work in the private sector and access to state-medical care.

While I welcome these recommendations to alleviate the hardships experienced by children of Lebanese women married to non-nationals, they do not treat Lebanese women as equal citizens under the nationality law as required by the Constitution and Lebanon’s international legal obligations. These women and their families will continue to face difficulties in their daily lives. I therefore urge you to revise the nationality law without delay to ensure that all Lebanese citizens, male and female, have the equal right to confer their nationality on their children and spouses.

Thank you for your attention.”

For more information about the campaign follow the link http://www.equalitynow.org/take_action/discrimination_in_law_action362

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Hourray! a new Step toward equality between women and men rights in Lebanon

 

The Lebanese Council of Ministers, during his session held on the 12 december 2012,
decided to give LEBANESE WOMEN such as Lebanese Men same rights. Congratulations Lebanese Women, and specifically Lebanese women civil servants 🙂
in details, in his session, the Council of ministers amended the law 3950 of 1960, regarding civil servants access to family compensation and assistance benefits! ( Nizam el ta3widats wal mousa3adats), and now if a couple of civil servants, both can choose who can benefit from the Family compensations and assistance.

the National Commission for Lebanese women, worked a lot to achieve equality in this domain:
as the Annual report stipulates:
“The objective is to achieve equality between husband and wife who are both civil servants in terms of the entitlement to family compensation and assistance benefits. The conditions governing civil servants’ access to such benefits are not the same for the husband and his wife.

Currently, a male civil servant benefits from family allowance (and takes priority over his wife in the access to such benefits despite her being also a civil servant and possibly being in a higher rank to his). The conditions governing the husband’s entitlement are clear. In contrast, the conditions governing the wife’s entitlement to this same family allowance are more stringent. Hence, women civil servants and men civil servants are not placed on an equal footing when it comes to family allowance entitlement and do not benefit from the equal opportunity policy. Clearly, men enjoy a preferential right to receive such compensation. This imbalance needs to be corrected in that entitlement to this family allowance shall be decided based on the rank of the civil servant, whether they be the husband or his wife.”
so at this end, thanking the Councils of Minsiters for this Beautiful step forward, and while still hoping to achieve equality and complete citizenship for Lebanese women and Men!
Rita Chemaly

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The Nationality Newsletter Is Out….

The Women’s Right to Nationality Campaign is pleased to introduce the zero issue of its new Nationality Newsletter.

The Nationality Newsletter seeks to highlight key news related to this advocacy campaign.  It also provides regular updates on the campaign’s activities seeking to reform the nationality law in Lebanon.

 

This ad hoc newsletter will also include a regular feature which provides information on important and relevant legal and administrative procedures of interest to Lebanese women married to non-nationals. Each issue will also profile one of the women leaders of the campaign in an effort to recognize the daily struggles of women in Lebanon in seeking justice, equality and an end to discrimination.

 

We hope that this newsletter will contribute to mobilizing more supporters for this just cause and to the recognition to women’s full citizenship rights.

 

To access this issue, kindly click the following link: http://crtda.org.lb/webfm_send/7

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Nationality campaigners vow to fight on despite obstacles

Source: Daily star

BEIRUT: Talk among those in the know suggests that many Lebanese MPs, when asked about the two most irksome issues facing them in Parliament, cite the domestic violence and nationality draft laws.

Lina Abou-Habib, coordinator of the campaign for equal citizenship rights for women, is delighted by the rumor.

“I think it’s an excellent sign,” she says. After years of campaigning on the issue, Abou-Habib is sensing a change in momentum.

“I think something that has happened is that people, and particularly women, have realized it is their right to have rights.”

“That awakening is irreversible,” she adds.

As the law stands, Lebanese women are not entitled to pass their citizenship onto their children, meaning that if they marry a non-Lebanese citizen, they are unable to pass on their nationality, rendering it difficult for their children to receive state benefits such as education and health care.

Campaigners handed a draft law on the issue to Parliament last July, but have yet to receive a response from Prime Minister Najib Mikati. For Abou-Habib, the executive director of CRTD-A, a regional gender-research nongovernmental organization based in Beirut, while legal change is eventually vital, a widespread change in attitudes is more important at this stage.

This is finally beginning to happen now, she believes, thanks to simultaneous efforts from various women’s rights movements, including those speaking out against domestic violence and sexual harassment and nationality campaigners.

“I think women’s organizations have been able to make these issues public issues, but at the same time make them individual issues,” she says.

Women are realizing that “it’s not just bad luck if you happen to be married to a foreigner, and it’s not just bad luck if you are beaten by your husband,” but “that actually it’s a violation of rights.”

Nadine Moawad, a member of Nasawiya, the Lebanese feminist collective, agrees. “Everyone knows it’s an issue. They understand the suffering of people who live here and can’t put their children in public school.”

“There’s a lot of anger and resentment, which is good. I think what we’re seeing here is more important than legal change. This is exactly the definition of active citizenship,” Abou-Habib says.

Now that there has been this gradual change in thinking, on the part of the general public, it is now time for that mentality shift to reach Parliament, Abou-Habib says.

After a protest in late December, 2012 will see the campaigners continue with such civil mobilization, but also begin to lobby every bloc in Parliament, in an effort to garner support for the draft law.

But Abou-Habib believes the time for semantics is over. “I think we’re now beyond explanations, we’re at the level of challenging and making sure it’s on the agenda.”

The process of arranging meetings with parliamentarians can be extremely time consuming, as Abou-Habib says, “It can take you five months to get an appointment with a politician.” However, as she stresses, meeting with campaigners “is not a favor: it his duty. He needs to listen.”

It is vital to meet with every group within Parliament, she says, as “at the end of the day, everybody is failing in being a true democratic decision maker. Everyone is equally failing women. And all their political differences don’t matter. When it comes to the denial of rights, they all converge.”

Leader of the opposition Saad Hariri in January tweeted that he was in full support of the nationality campaign, saying “I am all for women giving the #Lebanese nationality to their children and husbands, I think it’s shameful that we don’t.”

However, Abou-Habib is skeptical saying nationality campaign is usually the last item on the agenda of politicians.

For many, the pervasive hypocrisy among Lebanese politicians on this cause was further exemplified by the announcement late last year that the Cabinet had passed a draft law allowing the descendants of Lebanese fathers or grandfathers to apply for citizenship, even if they themselves had never lived in the country.

For Moawad, “This was the final straw. It really became obvious that it’s not an issue of population or a sectarian issue,” as politicians insisted for so long, she says.

“It’s now strictly a misogynist issue. Lebanese mothers are not recognized as people,” Moawad adds. “I think it’s very simply stripped down to an issue of state misogyny.”

Activists were further incensed when Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi last month said full nationality rights for women would be “dangerous.”

“This is the minister of justice? I think they should change the name of his post. It should be the minister of discrimination. The minister of inequality, the minister of machismo and sexism,” said Abou-Habib.

However, she insists, “I’m not going to be dispirited by a bigot.”

Campaign leaders met Monday with Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas to discuss last year’s Cabinet decision to issue work permits to the non-Lebanese husbands and children of Lebanese women.

“We wanted to share with him exactly what is happening on the ground, and individual cases where some people are having difficulties.”

“It was a frank discussion, and he showed real concern for citizens and citizens’ rights.”

The major challenges that remain, according to Abou-Habib, are that, primarily, “the people in power … do not take rights seriously, and secondly, that their interests come first. And I think these are very powerful obstacles.”

For Moawad, the nationality campaigners are not going to give up their struggle any time soon, but the final stretch may take some time.

“I don’t know what the campaign could do that it hasn’t done already,” she says. “No draft laws are budging in Parliament, on violence or nationality.”

“Anything short of a whole refurbishment of the entire system of government,” might not be enough to usher in these social reforms, Moawad believes. “I don’t really know what else there is to be done apart from changing the sectarian, corrupt system of government.”

“Maybe all women should go on strike,” she suggests.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on February 09, 2012, on page 4.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Feb-09/162688-nationality-campaigners-vow-to-fight-on-despite-obstacles.ashx#ixzz1lxt2Cry5
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)

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