Codifying women’s rights in post-Taef Lebanon: gaps in legislation and confessional challenges

Dr. Azza Sharara, member of Lebanese Women Researchers (Bahithaat), presented the major issues related to women and their struggle in the post-Taef era at the conference organized last week by the Civil Center for National Initiative from 22 to 24 October 2014, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Taef Accord.  Sharara noted that women’s struggle over the past twenty years was guided by an interpretation of two clauses of the accord namely Lebanon’s commitment to the UN convention and treaties and the fundamentals of the Republic being social justice and equality in rights and responsibilities amongst all citizens with no discrimination.  As such, Sharara noted that the Taef Accord constituted a small breakthrough for determining women’s legal position as the women movement used it to lobby legislators to adhere to the Accord.  Sharara also spoke about the major demands of the women’s movement whilst expressing her tacit pessimism regarding a possible feminist legislation as, according to Sharara; women’s issues are at the heart of the present confessional regime, the protection of which, as per the stipulations of the Taef Accord, will be entrusted with the-yet-to-formed Senate.

Source: Al-Nahar, 28 October 2014

To read the full article, please click on the following link (Arabic): Women Rights and the Taef Accord