Lebanon’s fourth shadow CEDAW report outlines 18 recommendations to improve women’s status

The NGO Committee to follow-up on women’s issues launched last week the fourth parallel CEDAW report which addresses the implementation of CEDAW.  The launch took place during a press conference held by the organization at the Press Syndicate.  The report which was prepared by the organization with financial support from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, mentions 18 recommendations related to policies and mechanisms that ought to be adopted in order to improve the status of women in Lebanon namely: lifting all reservations on CEDAW, abolishing all forms of discrimination in the nationality law, adopting a civil family code, endorsing the law to protect women from violence, reforming the penal code namely the articles that discriminate against women, endorsing the ILO conventions, enacting a law to protect migrant and refugee women and abolishing trafficking and sexual exploitation.

The Presiding of the organization, Fahmieh Charafeddine, presented the report and noted that it is based on progress made since 2008 and that its preparation was in collaboration with civil society. The report looks closely at advances since then especially at the legislative and executive levels and underlines the struggle of women and civil movements for equality.  She added that the report also looks at areas requiring improvement and intervention by state and non-state actors and which should be discussed by the CEDAW committee.

To access the full report, please go to the following link.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal, 14 April 2014