Less than 2% women winners in municipal councils of Beirut and Beqaa

A preliminary gender disaggregated rapid scan of the results of local elections in the Beirut and Beqaa indicates: that, in Beirut, out of a total of 114 candidates, 22 were women of whom 3 won municipal council seats (2.6%).  The three women in questions were candidates of the “Byerteh” list supported by former PM Saad el Hariri and the various other dominant political parties.  In the Beqaa, out of a total of 4427 candidates,159 were women of whom 51 won municipal council seats (1.15%) and were distributed as follows per Caza: Zahleh, 914 candidates, 40 women and 6 women winners (0.6%), Rashayya, 562 candidates, 29 women and of 12 winners (2.13%), West Beqaa 827 candidates, 28 women and 15 winners (1.8%). It is to be noted that the winner with the highest number of votes in that caza was a women affiliated to “Muwatinoon wa Muwatinat fi Dawlat”. Baalbaq recorded 1882 candidates, 53 women and 18 winners (0.9%) with the noticeable result that the winning woman candidate in Arsal collected the highest score. For its part, the casa of Hermel recorded 242 candidates, 9 women with no woman winner. It is also to be noted that the numbers of candidates referred to here are those published on April 28th by the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities before the deadline for withdrawing candidacies. Finally, and whilst the lists of candidates for the remaining regions are still in pipeline, it is worth underscoring that of the opposition list of the Popular Nasserite Organisation in Saida which counts 5 women out of a total of 21 candidates. (As Safir – May 10th 2016)