My Nationality is My Dignity for women’s rights

On the occasion of Mother’s Day, and under the umbrella of My Nationality is My Dignity Campaign, the Association of Individual Initiative for Human Rights (Massir) staged on Sunday a symbolic sit-in on Ain Mreisseh Corniche in Beirut. Protestors wanted to remind officials of the rights of Lebanese mothers to grant nationality to their children, wondering about the reasons behind intentional violation of the Constitution which guarantees them these rights. Mona Dahabe, the media coordinator of the Campaign, said injustice is still forced on women as a result of mounting restrictions in this regard. “Year after year, the troubles facing Lebanese mothers are snowballing and promises to resolve them are going up as well,”Dahabe stated. Similarly, Mustafa Shaar, coordinator of the Campaign, said mothers cannot celebrate until discrimination is lifted and violation of international conventions cramped. “When you want to impose taxes, you meet, but when it comes to observing the Constitution and allowing mothers to pass the nationality to their children, no one is to be found,” Shaar lamented. He called on women (who represent nearly 56% of voter) to cast an empty vote and to not elect those who discriminate against them in the upcoming parliamentary elections. (Al Hayat, L’Orient Le Jour, March 27 and 28, 2017)