LWDG drafts law against early marriage

The Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering (LWDG) launched yesterday a draft law proposal on children protection from early marriage which is comes as a contribution by experts in the field, namely, Judge John Azzi, Marie Ghantus, Omar Nashabe and Nada Khalife. During the launch attended by civil and political figures, LWDG senior member Caroline Sukkar Salibi pointed out that early marriage constitutes a violation of a woman’s dignity, a threat to the safety and stability of the family and a hindrance to social development. Salibi underlined the Gathering’s struggle since its inception to counter gender-based violence and the consequent negative social, psychological, physical and health effects of the phenomenon of the marriage of minors on society. Salibi cautioned against the indifference of the government towards an alarming infringement on the rights of the child, which is in clear breach of relevant international agreements to which Lebanon is a signatory. For her part, LWDG lawyer, Otaiba Mera’bi, outlined the explanatory statement of the proposed civil law and its provisos which is to put a minimum age (18 years) for marriage in Lebanon that would be observed by all the Lebanese citizens and foreign nationals residing on its territory. Accordingly, Mera’bi explained, any person involved in the marriage of a minor will be penalized. In conclusion, Mera’bi announced the Gathering’s intention to form a national pressure group comprising allies from different backgrounds and institutions with the aim to lobby for the adoption of the law by the Parliament in preparation for its implementation. (L’Orient Le Jour, November 4, 2016)