The Lebanese Women’s Council’s Conference on “Human Security: Freedom from Fear and Need” concludes with many recommendations

The Lebanese Women’s Council issued last Thursday March 6th the recommendations of its Conference on Human Security and which was held on February 24th and 25th.  The key recommendations including demanding that the media adopts objectivity in portraying women as well as exercise self censorship when publishing material that may incite hatred.  The Council called on the media to play a role in building a public opinion that is immune to the politics of fear adopted by politicians and which lead to dissension and strife.
 
The Council also reiterated the importance of legislating to guarantee the safety of women and girls especially during wars and armed conflict as well as including women in peace negotiations and in all efforts aiming to reconstruction and on implementing international conventions that seek to protect women from violence before, during and after armed conflict.

The Council asked the Cabinet to put in place strategic studies which would allow it to identify risks and develop strategies that will address needs in addition to being committed to comprehensive economic development and maintain civil peace, empower the private sector through providing a competitive environment that is conducive to investment and to attracting labor.  The Council also called for adopting decentralization of production, diversifying the economy and so as to adapt to globalization and to the opening of markets as well as absorbing labor and to strengthen women’s role in the employment market.  Finally, the Council reiterated its support to the welfare role by the state as well as the need to match the supply and demand within the job market.

Al Mustqbal and Annahar 8 and 10 March 2014