Human Rights Watch announced on Monday that Lebanese officials have failed to secure and guarantee the protection of women in Lebanon against violence and legal discrimination.
This comes from a report submitted to the United Nations from the Human Rights Watch.
It showcases that Lebanon has failed to make any kind of progress on multiple discriminatory laws against women since the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in 2015.
“Another five years have passed, and Lebanon has done little to end discrimination against women and girls under its international obligations,” said Aya Majzoub, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch.
“Lebanon’s authorities should show that they are serious about women’s rights by coming through on long-overdue reforms before they have to answer to the United Nations again for their failures.”
According to Human Rights Watch, Lebanon has been irresponsive in regards to many issues relating to gender equality.
That includes releasing an optional civil code, revising the unfair nationality law to secure the right for women to be able to pass on their citizenship to their children, as well as laws against sexual harassment and domestic violence.
According to the Global Gender Gap Report in 2020, Lebanon already has one of the highest gender gaps in the world, standing at 145 out of a total of 153 countries.
As Lebanon struggles with its worst economic crisis since the Civil War and the coronavirus lockdown measures being taken, the situation for women in Lebanon is now reportedly worse.
Domestic violence has increased tremendously over the last year during the pandemic as victims of abuse are forced to stay at home with their abusers during the lockdown.
According to a UN report, one in three women in Lebanon said they had experienced gender-based violence.
“While the authorities have taken some steps, they need to begin calls for systemic change for equality,” Majzoub said.
