‘Sit el Baladiyeh’ campaign to boost electoral participation of women in the municipalities

The so-called ‘Nis Binnis’ gathering (equal share) launched last Friday the ‘Sit el Baladiyeh’ campaign to promote the effective participation of women in the upcoming municipal elections for 2016. The National Committee for Following Up Women’s Issues is responsible for the implementation of the initiative with the support of the British Council in Beirut, and in partnership with the National Commission for Lebanese Women, SMART Center, Future Movement’s Women’s Sector, Beirut Association for Social Development, ABAAD, Shabab el Balad and CREADEL. During the launching ceremony, the Nis Binnis gathering submitted a study it implemented over the past three years and which addresses  the status of women in elections and political participation. The above study has shown that the participation of women in decision making remains a social problem, noting a decline in the rate of participation in Parliament from 4.6% in 2005 to nearly 3.13% in 2009, and not more than 2% in the Cabinet. This, the study went on to indicate, despite the progress in the level of women nominees for the municipal elections. While it pointed out to an increase in the number of women candidates from 550 women in the year 2004 (out of which 215 women have won) to 1300 candidates in 2010 (526 have won), the figure remains below the anticipated level. Analyzing the impact of a higher proportion of women candidates on the distribution of quota in municipal boards, the survey showed that about 95.3% of board members are males against 4.7% females only.

(As-Safir 9 April 2016)