Achievements and Implementation Mechanisms
• In the Legal Field
The Lebanese Women’s Council succeeded in achieving:
1953 – The right of Lebanese women to vote and run for parliamentary elections.
1959 – Equality of inheritance between men and women within the Christian sects.
1960 – The right of women to chose their nationality after marriage.
1974 – The right of women to travel without prior permission from husband or guardian.
1983 - Abrogation of provisions penalizing birth control measures.
1987 – Consolidation of retirement age for men and women in the social security law.
1993 – Recognition of women’s competence to testify with regard to the Land Register.
1994 - Recognition of married women’s competence to engage in trade without their husband’s permission.
1994 – The right of a female employee in the diplomatic corps who marries a non-Lebanese to maintain her job.
1995 - Eligibility of married women regarding life insurance policies.
1996 - Lebanon’s ratification of “The International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women” (CEDAW), with reservations on Articles 9, 16 and 21.
1999 - Amendment of Article 562 of the Penal Code related to the crime of honor by abrogating exonerating circumstances and keeping extenuating circumstances.
2000 - Amendment of the following articles of Labor Law Number 207:
Article 26: Prohibiting employer’s discrimination between male and female employees.
Article 28: Affirming working women’s right for seven weeks maternity leave.
Article 29: Payment of full wages to women during maternity leave, and the prohibition of dismissing or sending them a warning during the period of confinement.
Article 52: Prohibiting sending warnings to pregnant working women.
2001 - Equality of all insured people with regard to all provisions offered by the private sector.
2001 - Issuance of Law No. 343 regarding equality between female and male worker:
• The system of retirement and dismissal from service.
• Benefiting from the provisions of the “Government Employees Cooperative” stipulated in the benefits and services regulations and in the education grant system, for her and her family members including her husband and her children, whether she receives or does not receive family allowance on their behalf, as well as those who are in her custody.
• The right of a Lebanese woman who is married to non-Lebanese to benefit on behalf of her husband and children from the provisions offered by the “Government Employees Cooperative” in the absence of such benefits from another source.
2002 - Amendment of certain provisions of Article No. 14 of the Social Security Law as follows:
-The meaning of “insured” applies to the “male and female insured equally and without discrimination”.
-The provisions that the insured woman benefit from are legal claims for her and her children.
2003 - Amendment of Articles 625, 626, 627 and 628 of the Commerce Law, abrogating discrimination against women to engage in trading.
In the Development Field
• Develop action plans for the advancement and empowering of Lebanese women at all levels.
• Cooperation with public and private institutions, regional and international organizations and local communities interested in women’s issues.
• Develop effective mechanisms to serve the issues of women in the villages and towns of Lebanon.
• Design and implementation of campaigns, programs and workshops for training and rehabilitation of women and girls in various fields.
• Propagation of the objectives and activities of the associations affiliated with the Lebanese Women’s Council.
• Establishing bibliographic information about Lebanese women since 1972.
• Assisting NGOs and civil society organizations in book-keeping according to rules and regulations applied on the local and international levels (PENTA 1-2).
• Holding various exhibitions: cultural, craftsmanship, nutrition, art.
• Organizing popular movements and civil protests and campaigns to support women’s demands.
• Organize and participate in the implementation of contingency plans for relief and support of groups affected by disasters, and whenever needed.
• Honor prominent and generous women figures in the social national field, and citizens who struggle to raise the level of the Lebanese society and contribute to its progress.
• Cooperation with the media - written, visual and audio - to convey messages to the Lebanese public.
• Organize and participate in conferences, forums, meetings, lectures and international, regional and local symposia.
Other Activities
• 2000 – Organizing a university level competition for directing and producing a propaganda film about “Supporting the Participation of Women in Exercising Political Power”
• 2002 – M.S.I. Multi Data Services Inc. Women in Lebanon 1972-2000 Bibliography
• 2002 – Spot video and information on the integration of women in political activity supported by the European Union
• 2004 – Setting up in Bisharah Khoury Street in Beirut a statue and a wall monument depicting the “Lebanese Resisting Woman” designed by the artist Wajih Nakhleh, supported by the Prime Minister in cooperation with the Municipality of Beirut
• 2006 – Production of a TV Spot supporting women in political decision-making
- Production of video films on the activities of the Lebanese Women’s Council
• 2009 – Production of DVD documenting meetings and round table panel discussions held for female and male candidates for the 2009 parliamentary elections