My Nationality is a Right for me and My Family: No true independence with the denial of women’s right to citizenship and nationality

My Nationality is a Right for me and My Family Campaign renewed its demands for equality in the rights of women to transmit nationality as well as for equality in the laws during a national sit in organised yesterday at the Riad Solh Plaza on the 70th occasion of Lebanon’s independence.  More than 1000 persons took part in this event including concerned women and their families, fellow activists, media representatives, representatives of sister organisations and supporters of the campaign.  This particular event was organised on the occasion of the 70th Independence and in commemoration of 70 years of exclusion and marginalization of women in Lebanon.  The campaign coordinator noted that that it is high time for local politicians to take on their responsibilities towards women and to address key issues such as the right to nationality, to political quota, to protection from violence and to a civil family law.  She added that as long as the system in Lebanon is confessional and gives primacy to confessional rights over citizen’s rights, women will remain hostage in a country where politicians are more interested in dividing resources and power amongst themselves and in spreading confessional hatred.
The Campaign noted that this event is to remind politicians of their responsibilities and to remind public opinion to unite and demand full citizen’s rights to both women and men.  Guest speakers included the president of the Lebanese Women’s Council, Ms. Jamal Ghebril, Mada Erslan, Kafa as well as a representative of the Nationality Campaign General Assembly, Mariam Ghazal.
Media reports of the sit in highlighted the next steps of the Campaign and that is to consider ways and means to take up this issue at the international level and to hold Lebanon accountable for failing to secure women’s citizenship rights.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Nahar, Al-Akhbar, Al-Safir 25 November 2013