British Ambassador support women’s quota in Parliament

The British Ambassador to Beirut, Hugo Shorter, said on Tuesday that he is looking forward to greater women participation in Lebanon’s political life, pointing that the minimum representation quota is just a temporary measure to help women rise above the present reality. Shorter was speaking after the launching of the structure of the new women portfolio in the presence of state minister for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, and prime minister Saad Hariri. Shorter described the meeting as “satisfactory” noting that all agreed that “any community cannot advance if half of its constituents remain completely outside public life.” A great number of accomplished women of all affiliations are out there, Shorter stated, yet they are notably absent in politics, he added. He underlined the need for a larger political role for women on par with men, hailing the effective campaigns by concerned political parties, the media and the civil society to achieve this and hoping to see more women in the next Parliament and government. (The Daily Star, March 3, 2017)