The law to protect women and all family members from violence was endorsed in a format that appeases the confessional system

The European Union Delegation in Lebanon organized last week a seminar on Gender-Based Violence at the Haigazian University.  The seminar addressed some aspects related the law to protect women and their families from domestic violence and which was endorsed by government last April, notably how to benefit from the positive aspects of this law and until the needed revisions are put in place.
Judge Ghanem who had taken part in the work of the parliamentary Commission which studied this law acknowledged in his intervention that the confessional system is the cause of the gaps in this law.  According to Ghanem, one has to recognize however the positive aspects of this law.  According to MP Ghassan Mokhaiber, member of the same Parliamentary Commission, efforts should be extended now to explain this law to women and facilitate access to its benefits.  Mokhaiber’s explanation of the issue of marital rape was refuted by members of the audience as Mokhaiber had noted that confirming marital sex as a right came in the form of a civil and not a religious text and was intended to tell men that even if this is a right, it cannot be claimed using violent means. The representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), added that both organizations will be issuing a statement explaining their position vis-à-vis this law.
The director of Kafa, Zoya Ruhana, noted for her part that this new law poses new challenges to women namely in terms of seeking help as it does not give the district attorney a mandate to issue protection memoranda as this was left to the discretion of the investigating judge, criminal court judge, or the urgent matters Judge.  Ruhana noted that the “Coalition” will not accept a law that does not recognize women’s need for protection from gender based violence and, as women, we cannot accept a legislation that condones marital rape under the guise of marital rights.

Source: Al-Safir 26 May 2014