Workshop by the women sector in the Future Movement on women’s empowerment and political participation

Since women’s political participation is an entry point to challenge social stereotypes and as well as obstacles which bock women from reaching decision making positions, the women sector in the Future Movement organised last week in Beirut a training workshop on empowering women in political participation.  During the event, which was organised within a broader strategic framework, the coordinator of the women sector, Afifa al Sayyed, highlighted the realities of women’s political participation in political life in Lebanon and the problematic related to the weakness of that participation.  She noted that the key obstacles facing women are the predominance of the confessional and family based political system, the confessional electoral laws as well as the overall patriarchal culture which still undermine their role and image.  She also noted that women’s willingness to work and to seek education has produced a change at the individual level.  However, she added, this change was not accompanied by a change at the level of overall social values thus maintaining women’s participation in public and political life limited and poorly reflecting women’s capacities.  She finally disclosed that the women sector in the Future Movement is currently working on a comprehensive plan to support women in political life including a specific sub-plan to improve women’s active participation in the movement itself through providing empowerment support, training and raising-awareness.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 23 December 2013