By Elvira Abi Zeid | Junior Editor of News
On Monday 27th of February, 2023, the Embassy of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden in Lebanon, with the Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship at the American University of Beirut (AUB), kicked off their project funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers titled “Shifting Narratives: Women’s Political Participation and Economic Empowerment,” with a workshop about the upcoming municipal elections in Lebanon held at the Asfari Institute at AUB as project implementing partner.
The workshop aimed to address the urgent need to explore the importance of women’s participation in local politics in light of the upcoming municipal elections. According to the 2022 Global Gender Gap Report, Lebanon ranks 119th out of 146 on the global gender gap index, 135th on the economic participation and opportunity indicator, and 110th on the political empowerment indicator. Although the 2022 general election had the country’s highest number of registered female candidates ever, women still only hold 6.4% of parliamentary seats. In the current interim government, only one of the 24 ministers is a woman.
The workshop brought together national and international stakeholders to discuss the barriers faced by women during both campaigning and while in office, as well as the opportunities that lie ahead. The panel included MP Halime Kaakour, Ammar Abboud, a board member of LADE, aspiring members of municipalities Reine Sawane and Eliana Zgheib, and current members of municipal councils, Mona Akl and Ramona Geagea. The event aims to produce an outcome document that will be discussed in a high-level advocacy panel to ensure the channeling of the dynamic and sustainable outputs generated from the project and its encompassing workshops.
The event was an important opportunity to hear from female municipal politicians, aspiring candidates, members of parliament, electoral experts, and local civil society actors on how it is possible to shift the narratives and pave the path for a better Lebanon for all its inhabitants. The discussion centred on the importance of women’s participation in decision-making processes, the need for gender-sensitive policies, and the role of civil society organisations in promoting women’s political participation and economic empowerment.
The event proves to be timely in light of the current Lebanese context; but most importantly, positions the local political participation of women as an instrumental pillar of economic and political development in Lebanon. Moreover, this meaningful participation is essential for peace, and democracy. Women bring diverse perspectives, experiences, and skills to decision-making processes which ultimately lead to more effective and equitable policies. Women’s voices are more often than not underrepresented in policymaking, which actively results in policies that do not reflect the needs of society, especially the most segregated communities. Designing gender-blind policies only incentivizes political institutions that cater to the needs of a privileged minority and furthers the disenfranchisement of vulnerable social groups.
The workshop placed a finger on the significance of promoting women’s political participation and economic empowerment in Lebanon. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, the workshop highlighted the need for a more inclusive and gender-sensitive political system that values women’s various contributions to society. With the municipal elections approaching, it is important to continue to engage women in the political process on all of its administrative levels and to promote their leadership roles in local governance. Only by doing so can Lebanon achieve its full potential as a prosperous and equitable society for all.