| Country: |
Lebanon |
|
Organization: |
League of Lebanese Women’s Rights |
| Address: |
P.O. Box: 14-5140
Beirut, Lebanon
|
| Tel: |
(961-1) 817 820 |
| Fax: |
(961-1) 817 820 |
| E-mail: |
llwr@t-net.com.lb |
| Coverage: |
National organization operating on the entire Lebanese territory.
|
| Objectives: |
1. Lobbying for the amendment of article 21 of the Lebanese constitution in order to bring down the voting age from 21 to 18 years;
2. Pursuing advocacy efforts towards the adoption of an optional civil code for personal status to ensure equality in marriage and family life;
3. Raising awareness among Lebanese youth on their fundamental rights and freedoms in order to ensure their commitment towards positive action;
4. Promoting women’s and young women’s rights, and lobbying towards the full implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
|
| Approach: |
Raising awareness; capacity building; advocacy. |
| Intervention Sectors: |
Young women’s rights:
Equal opportunities in education and employment; combating child and girl child labor; equal access to social security benefits; political leadership. |
| Leadership: |
Young women’s participation at decision-making levels
As board members-->None
As committee members-->None
As partners in program planning and decision-making-->None
As participants and volunteers-->None
|
| Networking: |
Partners at the national level:
1. Secours Populaire;
2. Democratic Youth Union;
3. Mainly women’s organizations.
Member of national / regional platforms, as follows:
1. The Lebanese Council of Women;
2. Non-Governmental National Committee for the follow-up on Women’s Issues.
3. Arab NGO Network (El-Shabaka)/regional platform. |
| Involvement: |
Involvement in designing, implementing and evaluating national youth policies:
The association is actively involved in national advocacy efforts towards the adoption of an optional civil code for personal status.
|
| Guidelines/ Participation: |
Existing policies and guidelines to ensure young womens participation:
1. Training opportunities;
2. Access to information, including rights and responsibilities;
3. Awareness raising regarding young womens participation in all fields;
4. Encouragement and support.
Challenges facing young womens participation in leadership:
1. Competing priorities in the lives of young women;
2. Declining voluntarism among young women;
3. Young women prefer joining mixed NGOs.
|
| Project: |
Building the Capacity of the Young Women’s Sector. |
| Objectives: |
The program was initiated in the year 2000 to develop young women’s leadership and advance their participation at decision-making levels. It aims at empowering them to address their own needs and interests, and contribute to the development process. |
| Brief: |
Recognizing youth’s contributions to the advancement of the Lebanese women’s rights, the League is currently reactivating the young women’s committee to ensure their participation at decision-making levels in the association. This involves establishing clubs at the university level, and training and involving young women in the work of the association. |
| Duration: |
Since 2000 |
| Location: |
Saint Joseph University in Beirut and the Lebanese University in Beirut and Saida. |
| Target Group: |
Young women who are mainly university students. |
| Challenges: |
1. Competing priorities in the lives of young women;
2. Declining voluntarism among young women;
3. Young women prefer joining mixed civil society organizations.
|
| Project 2: |
Awareness Raising Sessions Targeting University Students. |
| Objectives: |
1. Mobilizing both young women and men to work towards the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women;
2. Empowering students to participate in public life and address their own needs and interests;
3. Educating both young women and men on women’s human rights.
|
| Brief: |
The League organizes on regular basis awareness workshops in universities to inform students on their fundamental rights, and the status of women. The main focus is on identifying issues affecting gender relations in the family, workplace, and public arena; and on exploring current socio-economic trends affecting Lebanese youth. |
| Duration: |
Ongoing |
| Location: |
Lebanese University in Beirut and Saida. |
| Target Group: |
Young women and men, mainly university students. |
| Project 3: |
Annual Contest for High-School Student across Lebanon. |
| Objectives: |
1. Empowering students as responsible citizens who feel ownership towards their society;
2. Fostering critical and analytical thinking among youth and students, and enhancing their understanding of values and issues;
3. Informing students about their rights and how public issues affect them directly or indirectly.
|
| Brief: |
The League of Lebanese Women’s Rights organizes, since 1970, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, an annual contest on issues of common concern, targeting more than 200 high-schools students (age: 15-19) from private and public schools, throughout the six Lebanese districts: Beirut, Mount Lebanon, North Lebanon, Bekaa, Nabatiye and South Lebanon. Students are invited to write essays and voice their opinion on selected topics, such as: Crimes of honor, CEDAW, and violence against women. |
| Duration: |
Ongoing since 1970 |
| Location: |
Throughout the six Lebanese districts: Beirut, Mount Lebanon, North Lebanon, Bekaa, Nabatiye and South Lebanon. |
| Target Group: |
High-school students (15-19 years old). |
| Funding: |
The Ministry of Education. |
