The Women Branch of the Future Movement organized last week, in its offices in Beirut, a training workshop on the party’s vision for building the state and in relation to women’s right in political and public life. The coordinator of the Women Branch, Afifa al Sayyed, outlined the obstacles which limit women’s political participation namely legal obstacles and the absence of empowerment, political obstacles such as the absence of democracy and the predominant tribal and confessional mindset, poor participation of women in political parties and in other political structures. Al Sayed also noted the economic obstacles such as poverty, high unemployment amongst women as well as obstacles that are specific to women such as their limited political experience and high illiteracy rates amongst women (including legal illiteracy). She added that women’s political participation could be encouraged through working to change stereotypical roles and well as predominant mindsets as well as adopting positive discrimination such as the quota system. The responsible of the cultural committee of the women’s branch, Mai Tabbal, lectured about the modern state and its main characteristics and elements. She added that the vision of the Future Movement is based on the principle of a sovereign state free from any for of tutelage. She also spoke about the history of the Lebanese state and the role of the Ta2ef agreement in ending the civil war.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 28 April 2014