User:Okidokers/Women in Lebanon

Gender roles in Lebanon are formed early through socialization within the family during one’s childhood. While boys are taught to be aggressive and domineering, girls are instead taught to be gentle and submissive, in line with societal norms and values regarding gender(usta). This is especially true in the Arab world. Women are raised with the expectation that they are to get married, have kids, and then raise the children and deal with matters regarding the house while their husband provides for the family and goes to work. As a result, some women may feel pressured to not focus on their own career and aspirations as it is not in line with the status quo, or even face obstacles in professional contexts because of the outdated traditional perception that women are primarily caregivers and have no place in a work setting(usta).

Married women are expected to prioritize home obligations and are at times criticized by their families or partners for not wanting to stay at home with the children. This creates a power imbalance between men and women, placing men in a more authoritative position which influences the way women are seen and treated in society, in addition to at home. This perception is changing however, with increased discussion and education surrounding gender equality and the marginalization of women in Lebanon. Traditional gender roles continue to be challenged with more women prioritizing their education and careers in attempt to reshape deeply rooted societal expectations (usta).

Usta, Jinan, et al. “Effects of Socialization on Gender Discrimination and Violence against Women in Lebanon.” Violence against Women, vol. 22, no. 4, 2016, pp. 415–431., https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801215603509.

Khatib, Lina. “Gender, Citizenship and Political Agency in Lebanon.” British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, vol. 35, no. 3, 2008, pp. 437–451.

The legal system in Lebanon, particularly its civil laws and personal status codes, significantly contributes to reinforcing gender inequality in Lebanese society. The Lebanese legal system draws its inspiration from the French Civil Code and Egyptian legal systems, and states that all citizens should be treated equally. This is articulated in Articles 7 and 12 of the 1926 Lebanese Constitution, which guarantee equal civil, political, and employment rights for all Lebanese citizens (shehadeh). This, however, is not the case in practice, particularly when it comes to women’s rights and the way they continue to be marginalized in society.

Personal status and civil laws make up the two main categories of Lebanese law, and the former is what plays a vital role in reinforcing gender inequality. Personal status laws, including but not limited to all family-related issues such as inheritance, divorce, and marriage, are enforced by religious courts rather than the state, as members of religious communities are entitled to follow their own laws regarding personal status in accordance with their beliefs as stated in Article 9 and 10 of the Constitution. Consequently, recognized religious groups in Lebanon have their own unique set of personal status codes that they are authorized to legislate and enforce independently of the State (avis).

In a lot of cases, these codes, influenced by religious and cultural beliefs, reinforce the notion that women are inferior to men, thereby treating them as second-class citizens which have disproportionate agency over their own lives in comparison to men. This is exacerbated when women enter marriage (shehadeh). Most of these religious institutions view the husband and wife as one, with the husband acting as the head and representative of the family. In turn, women effectively lose most of their civil rights after getting married and are instead perceived to be an extension of their husband. This is demonstrated in numerous codes across different religious sects in in Lebanon which give more power to the husband in marital issues such as divorce and custody (shehadeh).

Avis, W. (2017). Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Lebanon.

Shehadeh, Lamia Rustum. “Gender-Relevant Legal Change in Lebanon.” Feminist Formations, vol. 22, no. 3, 2010, pp. 210–228.

See also: Women in government

Representation of women in the political sphere of Lebanon has historically been limited and continues to be this way. Following her father’s passing in 1963, Myrna Bustani became the first woman to be elected to parliament. After the fact, there were no female members in the Lebanese cabinet until 2005, when three women ministers were appointed: Wafaa’ Diqa Hamzeh as Minister of Industry, Leila Solh Hamadeh as Minister of State and Nayla Moawad as Minister of Social affairs. ()This was the highest number of women in the Lebanese parliament at the time and despite the accomplishment, Lebanon was ranked 125^th out of 138 nations concerning women’s representation in parliament by the Inter-Parliamentary Union due to women making up only 4.7% of its cabinet ().

In Lebanon, a significant portion of women who have been elected or appointed to important political roles have done so through family ties with existing or former powerful politicians. Nayla Moawad for instance, is the widow of former Lebanese President Rene Moawad who was assassinated; and Bahia Hariri, later elected in 2008 as Minister of Education was the sister of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. ()Stereotypes surrounding women’s lack of interest in politics and power are frequently used as an excuse for the under representation of women in Lebanese politics; however, it is the lack of faith and support for female leaders in members of society due to societal norms and gender roles that causes this discrepancy in representation().

Khatib, Lina. “Gender, Citizenship and Political Agency in Lebanon.” British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, vol. 35, no. 3, 2008, pp. 437–451.

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As of 2009, there had only been 17 women to serve on parliament since suffrage. That number is rather dismal, but it paints the perfect picture of what the outlook of women in parliament is. To combat the low rate of women's participation in politics and government, the Lebanese Women's Council (LWC) planned a conference in 1998. Along with other women's NGOs, the LWC proposed a quota system to the government to ensure women's equal representation in elections.

The Lebanese constitution is a French system, which promotes equality between “all” citizens. However, in Lebanon the governmental power of the country is separated by the religious factions based on the size of each of their populations. These figures are extremely outdated and are based on a census of the country that was taken in the year 1943.

As of 2009 according to Don Duncan of Le Monde Diplomatique (English edition), “With only 3.1% of seats now occupied by women, Lebanon is at the bottom of the table of parliamentary representation of women in the Middle East, down with conservative Gulf states like: Oman (none), Yemen (0.3%) and Bahrain (2.7%) (2), whereas neighboring Syria has 12.4%, Tunisia has 22.8% and Iraq has a 25% quota for women".

After the 2022 Lebanese general elections, a record 8 female candidates of different political ideologies were elected to the Lebanese parliament.

Founded in 1947, the League for Lebanese Women's Rights (LLWR) is a non-profit democratic and secular organization that works with volunteers in several branches dispersed within Lebanon. The organization seeks to implement the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in Lebanon. One convention, as part of CEDAW, seeks to amend Lebanese nationality laws that prevent women from passing their citizenship to their children.

Another organization is "The A Project", a feminist sexual health organization founded in 2014. The organization provides a sexuality hotline, solidarity groups, outreach and training, and conducts research into sexuality issues in Lebanon. In 2016, they received a 20,000 euro grant from Mama Cash, a feminist grant-giving organization that supports services for women, girls, trans and non-binary people, and intersex people.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been several female-led initiatives. Lebanon Family Planning Association for Development and Family Empowerment (LFPADE) has provided life-saving services, including pediatric services, and maintained women and girls’ Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) by keeping its medical centers open and providing these services to marginalized communities —including refugees. The Palestinian Women's Humanitarian Organization (PWHO) is a non-profit organization founded in 1988 that supports Syrian and Palestinian female refugees and children living in camps in Lebanon. PWHO has shared COVID-19 related health information such as symptoms, prevention, and treatment with refugees living in camps in Lebanon via WhatsApp and Facebook. Members from the organization are going door-to-door to provide hard-to-reach displaced persons with health kits, information, and health checkups.

In Lebanon, women in sports have historically faced challenges despite their commitment and passion to compete. This namely includes having to deal with societal norms and perceptions regarding gender roles, limited resources, and insufficient exposure. Despite this, several Lebanese female athletes have achieved great success, not just in Lebanon, but on an international level across different sports.

Some of these athletes include Ray Bassil, a trap shooter; Mahassen Hala Fattouh, a weightlifter; Gabriella Douaihy, a swimmer; and Aziza Sbaity, a sprinter.

All these Lebanese athletes competed during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo except for Aziza Sbaity, who plans to achieve her dream of representing Lebanon in the 2024 Olympics.  

A significant part of Middle Eastern culture is its music, and Lebanon is home to some of the most renowned musicians in the area. There are several Lebanese women artists that have become household names all around Middle East, exhibiting a variety of musical genres and styles over the years. Most notable are Fairuz, Nancy Ajram, Elissa, Najwa Karam and even Shakira who is of Lebanese descent.

Usta, Jinan, et al. “Effects of Socialization on Gender Discrimination and Violence against Women in Lebanon.” Violence against Women, vol. 22, no. 4, 2016, pp. 415–431., https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801215603509.

Khatib, Lina. “Gender, Citizenship and Political Agency in Lebanon.” British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, vol. 35, no. 3, 2008, pp. 437–451.

Avis, W. (2017). Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Lebanon.

Shehadeh, Lamia Rustum. “Gender-Relevant Legal Change in Lebanon.” Feminist Formations, vol. 22, no. 3, 2010, pp. 210–228.

Khatib, Lina. “Gender, Citizenship and Political Agency in Lebanon.” British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, vol. 35, no. 3, 2008, pp. 437–451.