Lebanon
Lebanon
Women’s rights activists focus on ending domestic violence, changing the penal codes, and increasing women’s political participation in Lebanon— particularly within reconstruction and peacebuilding efforts. Women’s security is also a major concern, with extremist attacks along the Syrian border.
Lebanon’s history of instability and insecurity have negatively impacted women. Failed presidential elections, the struggle to host over one million Syrian refugees, and proximity to the Syrian war have sidelined efforts to improve women’s rights. Women are discriminated against in legislation and in the court system, including in the areas of marriage, divorce, and the custody of children. Lebanon’s legal conflicts between criminal, civil, and religious authorities have also made it difficult for women to exercise and advocate for their rights.
In 1997, Lebanon ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). In April 2014, Lebanon also passed the Domestic Violence Law, criminalizing abuse and promising protection and legal recourse for women; however the law has not made a discernable impact on women’s protection. Lebanon does not have a National Action Plan.
Based on the work of the NGOWG and its partners, the NGOWG advocates for the Security Council to ensure that the mandate of the UN mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is strengthened and that gender issues are integrated into all response activities. Specific attention must be paid to women’s participation in all security-related matters, including disarming non-state armed groups, and gender-sensitive needs assessments to effectively coordinate humanitarian assistance.
Current and Past Recommendations to the UN Security Council (Monthly Action Points)
Lebanon (July 2018)
In its discussion of the report on the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), specific attention must be paid to gender analysis and women’s participation in all conflict and security-related matters. Given the current situation, it is essential that Lebanon adopt a National Action Plan on resolution 1325 (2000) with the support of all UN actors, including UNIFIL and the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL) (CEDAW/C/LBN/CO/4-5). Further, the Council must inquire as to the ways in which any humanitarian assistance adheres to existing obligations under international humanitarian law, including customary norms related to non-refoulement, and provides gender-sensitive health services, education, relief and social services. The Council should request humanitarian partners to work with women’s civil society and other governments to support refugees in Lebanon. In briefings and the report, the Council should receive information regarding consultations with diverse CSOs, including women’s groups (S/RES/2122 (2013), S/RES/2242 (2015)), as UNIFIL’s relationship with local communities is essential to its success as a mission (S/2017/202). Amidst the relentless attention to the impact of the Syrian conflict into Lebanon, repercussions of this impact that includes the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and armed violence (S/2018/210) in Lebanon, must not be overlooked or disconnected from the concerning deterioration of the rule of law (HRW, Amnesty International). In this context, the Council should exert pressure on Member States to uphold their obligations under resolution 1701 (2006) to prevent the sale or supply of arms to entities or individuals in Lebanon beyond the control of the State. Further, as evidenced by past gender-blind reporting (S/2018/210, S/2018/480), there is a need for UNIFIL personnel to adopt a gender-sensitive approach in its work, including in any conflict analysis. This can be achieved through mandatory courses on gender, increasing the availability of resources on gender, encouraging women to apply for senior management roles, and most importantly, the establishment of a Gender Team that prioritizes gender issues in specific relief and recovery projects (UNDP). Finally, Government efforts to counter violent extremism should not deviate focus and resources from efforts to build sustainable peace and promote gender equality, both of which are goals of the women, peace and security agenda (S/RES/2242 (2015)).
Relevant Resources
