WVI & Abaad study on women’s and men’s perspectives on rights issues

World Vision International (WVI) and Abaad launched yesterday the result of a field study of women and men's attitudes with regards to the rights of women, and entitled “Varying Perceptions, One Outcome: Field study monitoring the attitudes and perceptions of women and men towards women’s rights in Lebanon”. The event was attended by pioneer women's rights advocate Linda Matar, the director of the Arab Institute for Human Rights, Joumana Merhi, Izza Sharara Baydoun and the Director of WVI office in Beirut, Anita Delhaas-Van Dijk.  The latter noted that it is important to understand people's perspectives and attitudes in order to put in place adequate programmes especially when it is about combating violence against women.  The director of Abaad, Ghida Anani, noted that the study posed a number of questions about women and men's knowledge and their participation in social activism notably in relation to the rights of women.

For his part, Zuheir Hatab presented the results of the study which he conducted and added that the study covered a certain age group and the sample included respondents from rural and urban areas and with different degrees of education.  He highlighted the discrepancies shown by the study which covered various themes: violence against women, marital rape, the rights of elderly women, gender equality and women's rights to nationality.  He concluded with a number of recommendations.

Source: Al-Nahar 3 April 2014