The Ongoing Fight for Gender Parity in Lebanon

Zwein during one of the 2019 protests in Beirut. Credit: Victoria El-Khoury ZweinBy Maria AounBEIRUT, Lebanon, Mar 12 2021 (IPS) The fight for equality around the globe has taken a few steps forward in some countries which provides a glimmer of hope for future generations for increased female participation and representation. However, that particular fight is taking new shapes and forms in multiple corners of the world, where women are still persecuted, silenced, threatened, killed, harassed, and stripped off their basic human rights on a daily basis. The question today is, when will the world become a safer place for women and girls? While the degree of severity is uneven in countries, Lebanese women and girls struggle each day on multiple fronts. While many Civil Society organizations (CSOs) and United Nations agencies work on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 5) for Gender Equality, facts point towards a reality that will require years to achieve gender parity as per Agenda 2030. In fact, according to the World Economic Forum Gender Gap Index of 2020, Lebanon is ranked 145 out of 153 countries when it comes to gender equality and parity. Lebanese women’s political participation has increased over the years. This was seen especially during the 2018 parliamentary elections, with 86 registered women candidates, according to a study by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), titled “2018 Lebanese Parliamentary Elections: Gender Key Results”. In contrast to the pa...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Gender Gender Violence Headlines Health Human Rights Humanitarian Emergencies Inequity Middle East & North Africa Poverty & SDGs TerraViva United Nations Women in Politics Source Type: news