Women activists condemn the flare up of gender discrimination in the South

The latest decision by Al Khiam mayor, Ali Abdallah, banning the registration of women and girls in the H7aramoon Marathon (news: http://bit.ly/29WmG20) , in addition to Jibsheet mayor's decision forcing a computer shop to close at prayer times and enforcing the rule of male- females separation, and the similar decision of Aitaroon municipality to separate men and women in swimming pools, instigated a wave of condemnations amongst human rights and women’s rights circles. To this effect, the president of the Lebanese Council of Women (LCW), Iqbal Dughan, categorically rejected the above prejudiced attitude against women, describing it as “unacceptable and religiously, morally and traditionally forbidden” here in Lebanon. Dughan urged women to protest such line of thought and associated diktats, which will unquestionably backslide the country, as she puts it. For her part, KAFA Enough Violence and Exploitation communication officer, Maya Ammar, terming that Khiam mayor decision as “discriminatory, macho and conservative” and in breach of international human rights conventions, called for the immediate intervention of the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities to clarify the motives of the decision and to cancel it, in respect of gender equality. Afifeh Sayyed, the general coordinator of the Future Movement Women’s Sector also criticized the decision which brings in religious beliefs into civil issues, like sports, noting that religions are not against women practicing sports. In the same vein, Fe-Male association denounced in a statement the “unjustified and intolerable performance and rhetoric of certain municipalities,” reminding them of the principle of equality in rights and responsibilities of all citizens as observed by the Lebanese Constitution, which also admitted the right of all to full citizenship without discrimination. “Hampering the right of women to enjoy sports or enter swimming pools is downright disgraceful,” Fe-Male association maintained. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Akhbar, July 26, 2016)