The National Federation of Worker and Employee Trade Unions in Lebanon held a meeting with the motto, “The Reality of Women in Society and Gender Discrimination in Law" as part of the campaign called “We are stronger together” in cooperation with the Musawah Association - Warda Boutros for Women's Work in Beirut.

CAROLINE BAZZI

Beirut- The National Federation of Worker and Employee Trade Unions in Lebanon has launched a campaign called “We are stronger together” in cooperation with the Musawah Association - Warda Boutros for Women's Work in Beirut. As part of the campaign, a meeting was held in Beirut with the motto, The Reality of Women in Society and Gender Discrimination in Law.” During the meeting, women focused on women's reality and unjust laws against women in Lebanon. The women particularly discussed on Lebanon’s 15 separate personal status laws and emphasized the importance of having a unified Personal Status Law. At the meeting, the women also called on the Lebanese authorities to “ratify the ILO Convention No. 190 preventing violence and harassment in the workplace.”

“The number of unions has decreased after the war”

Syndicalist Inam Abdullah thinks that women are remembered only a day throughout the year. “We do not want International Women's Day to be spent by holding a seminar on law, women's rights, and women's issues. We have a long way to go to achieve women's rights and demands. We witness that women avoid being members of unions perhaps due to daily economic and social pressures, or perhaps due to conditions they face. In Lebanon, unions have not made any progress for a long time. The number of unions has decreased since the Lebanon war. We can even say that there is no unionization now. The existing unions struggle to be visible.”

“The convention can prevent many crimes”

Neamat Jamal El-Din, a member of the National Federation of Worker and Employee Trade Unions, thinks that the celebrations of International Women's Day in Lebanon are symbolic celebrations. Pointing out that legal and social injustice practices against Lebanese women, Neamat Jamal El-Din said, “If the Lebanese state ratifies the ILO Convention No. 190, the convention can prevent many crimes, violence, and harassment against women in the workplace.”

“Necessary conditions must be provided for its implementation”

Stating that the victims of harassment suffer from trauma for years, Neamat Jamal El-Din said, “I compared the Lebanese law against sexual harassment with the laws in Arab countries. The law punishes sexual harassment with up to 1 year in prison and fines of up to 10 times the minimum wage. The law in Jordan punishes sexual harassment for up to three years while the law in Egypt punishes sexual harassment for up to seven years. After the ratification of the convention, necessary conditions must be provided for its implementation.”

“Women face injustice practices in the media”

Speaking about the reality of women in the media, Rita Shahwan said, “The invisible of women whether as a guest or as an interviewer, is unfair. The language used by the press outlets while reporting on women's issues encourages men. The media outlets should use a language that blames the perpetrators rather than shows women as victims.”