RDFL organises a training workshop on CEDAW targeting lawyers

RDFL organised in collaboration with the women commission of the bar association a training workshop on CEDAW and Lebanese laws.  The workshop which was funded by Kvinna till Kvinna and targeted women lawyers only, was opened by the president of the women commission of the bar association, Asma Hamade, who talked about the importance of spreading the human rights culture amongst lawyers.  The vice president of RDFL, Caroline Slaibi, gave a comprehensive presentation of CEDAW and emphasized some of the key clauses namely the definition of discrimination (clause 1), combating trafficking and prostitution (clause 6), equality in participation in political life (clause 7), and equality in the family (article 16 which is under reservation by the Lebanese government).  She also highlighted some aspects of women's rights which have not been mentioned by the convention namely reproductive and sexual rights, protection from all forms of violence, and the rights of the girl child.
Manar Zeiater, a lawyer member of RDFL, presented in her intervention the foundations of the international human rights convention and pointed out to those laws which still discriminate against women namely labor laws, the penal code, family laws, laws dealing with honor crimes, adultery, negative discrimination vis-à-vis women in cases of rape and abduction, and finally the absence of laws to protect women from marital rape.
The workshop was concluded with a presentation by a member of RDFL, Carmel Mhanna, on the law proposal to protect women from domestic violence as well as Lebanon's commitments to CEDAW.
Source: Al-Safir, Al-Mustaqbal 25 May 2013