On 24 May 2013, six women members of "Women in Front" lodged their candidacy for the next elections as per the procedures required by the Ministry of Interior and Municipality. These women are amongst the 20 women who received training in communication at the French Cultural Centre in Beirut.
Joel Abou Farhat Rizkallah, one of the founders of Women in Front, noted that the six candidates bear no confessional, geographical or any other consideration, adding that a total of 9 women have until now submitted their candidacy versus 79 male candidates thus signaling an increase in candidacy compared to the previous round.
The responsible of the cultural department of the French Centre, Aurelien le Chevalier, reiterated the continuous interest of the French government in supporting women in political life and in elections. The French ambassador, Patrice Paoli, also indicated that there is a general will to support women's right, noting the limited participation of women in Lebanese political life.
Source: Al-Nahar 25 May 2013