Promoting women’s candidacy for upcoming municipal elections

With the upcoming municipal elections, the Lebanese Welfare Association for the Handicapped (LWAH) organized last Friday a workshop entitled ‘Supporting Women in Municipal Elections’ under the auspices of Randa Berri, LWAH President and vice president of the Lebanese Women Association. During the event, Dr. Rabab Aoun, head of the Women Association, pointed out to the low percentage of women (4.7%) in municipalities, and a rare representation at the level of electoral boards.” To this effect, Berri proposed some measures to adjust the present situation: firstly, formation of a follow-up committee from the above association and the women’s offices at the various political factions, with the aim to contact concerned circles, particularly, political parties and pressure them to adopt a women’s quota. Secondly, formation of sub-committees that will work to raise awareness among women about the importance of participation in elections, both as candidates and voters, and thirdly, asking media campaigners supportive of women issues to contribute to the electoral experience. In this context, and as part of the ‘Lebanese Women for Municipalities’ program, the United Nations, the National Democratic Institute and Women in Front organization organized last Saturday a training session in preparation for the municipal and mayoral elections. During the workshop, which was held at the YWCA in Beirut, the organization’s executive director, Samira Maasri, emphasized the need to develop leadership in women, who, she said, have outstanding potentials but need assistance to develop. In the same vein, Al Diyar newspaper reported in its issue of today, that the civil society in the North, led by the head of the Engineering Department at the Mina municipality in Tripoli, Amer Hadda, is finalizing a list of women, in collaboration with activist Huda Sabagh to promote their municipal role. (Al Diyar, April 16 and 18, 2016)