:: Strategy / Women in political life ::
III Women's Participation in the Political Decision-Making Process
Objective
One of LCW constant objectives is to call for the ratification of laws that promote a more active participation of women in political life.
The Council believes that women ought to be considered as a minority whose rights need to be protected by a system of proportional representation in administrative and elected bodies the same as other Lebanese minorities.
Justification
Protective legislation for women has been a controversial issue throughout the history of the women's rights movement. Opponents of protective legislation have argued that special rules for women would inhibit women's struggle for equality with men and upheld stereotypes of women as weak and defenseless.
Yet it is a fact that throughout much of our history, deep-seated cultural beliefs allowed women only limited roles in society. Historically, Lebanese women have been denied their civil rights in suffrage (they were unable to vote until a 1953 constitutional amendment), employment, and other areas.
Although women have gained significant legal rights, and made gains in certain trades and professions, including financial services, medicine, and law, but problems remain in many areas and women's share in governmental decision-making remains limited.
Given that the state has a positive role in ensuring all citizens equal protection under the law and equal opportunity to exercise the privileges of citizenship and otherwise to participate fully in national life, regardless of race, religion, sex, or other characteristics unrelated to the worth of the individual, the Lebanese state is called upon to remedy the effects of past discrimination against women.
This can only be achieved in a timely manner by giving women the protection that sectarian minority groups get according to the Lebanese constitution, a proportional representation in elected bodies.
It is true that minority groups are usually groups of people sharing common ethnic, racial, or religious backgrounds, especially when constituting a comparatively small proportion of a given population, yet differences between diverse elements of the population can become more pronounced, causing inequalities through discrimination thus forming minority groups based on gender or any other human specificity.
Lebanese women fit this definition and ought to call on the state to ratify reverse-discrimination laws.
Plan of Action:
The Council is aware that this is a very ambitious objective.
More than 100 countries worldwide have no female members in their legislative bodies and women constitute approximately 9 percent of parliamentary representatives in industrialized countries and 12 percent in developing countries.
Lebanon is no exception. Lots need to be achieved in order to overcome the stereotype that considers women to be better suited for childbearing and homemaking rather than for involvement in public life or politics.
The Council has a solid base to start from. During 2002 a project titled “political involvement of Lebanese women” was conducted by LCW and supported by the European Union. It constitutes a solid base to develop upon.
- Working towards changing the outdated attitudes toward the role of women in society through children publications, and media broadcast
Changing the social perception of an issue is a tedious and long term struggle. Targeting those who have not yet a preconceived approach can be quite effective. Children soak information without preconceptions. It is important to work on making sure that children books and school books do not restrict the role of women to motherhood and housework. Stories about women presidents, war heroes, or any other leadership role can form the minds of young boys and girls to accept the presence of women in decision-making positions. The same goes for cartoons and children's movies.
It is important to note that this project is not restricted to the aspect of the role of women in society, but can be developed to include all the concepts that LCW promotes.
- Awareness: Seminars, conferences, grass root action via our regional organizations, and media campaigns.
This entails training the volunteers in charge of organizing the seminars and discussion sessions.
In addition to paid media campaigns the council will have to mobilize the women already working in the media and enlist their help in giving exposure to the benefits of having women participating in the political decision-making process.
- Elections: Supporting and encouraging more women to seek elected positions by providing logistic support and legal advice.
This entails lobbying with the various Lebanese parties, calling on them to present more women for parliament and local council and municipal elections.
The Council is also consider the possibility of having some its members running for local, municipal, and parliamentarian elections on the basis of an electoral platform that stresses women's rights beside national issues.
- Alliance and a Broad Front: The Council will try to coordinate its efforts with the parties and political movements that have accepted to promote the issue of advancing women's participation in the political decision-making process.
[Back to Top]] |
Public Opinion Poll in Lebanon
Lebanese Women and Their Role in Parliamentary Elections