Resident Coordinator's Speech at the Nordic Embassies' event on Women’s Political Participation in Lebanon’s Municipal Elections

Excellencies,

Distinguished participants,

Good afternoon,

On behalf of the UN system in Lebanon, I reiterate our appreciation to the Nordic embassies in Lebanon for co-convening this important and very timely event.

I am very pleased to see among us today some of the women who have successfully frayed their way into Lebanon’s political life.

Women’s political participation is essential for democracies, like Lebanon, to emerge and function properly. Women’s political participation matters because women have an integral role in promoting strong political processes toward inclusive, sustainable, and just societies. It also matters because it is well recognized that the more women are in decision-making positions, the more inclusive decisions are made and different voices are heard, and the more just policies and solutions are likely to be.

Unfortunately, ensuring an inclusive representation in the political sphere was hard to achieve in the context of Lebanon because changing the status quo meant a change in power – in those in power and who have power.

And the fear of disrupting the current status quo leaves women locked out of the corridors of power which prevents them from contributing to the country’s recovery. This must change, and women must be equally and widely represented at all decision-making levels.

The upcoming municipal elections constitute a good opportunity to push further for women’s political participation and ensure their active role in decisions that respond to people’s needs and aspirations.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Gender equality, women empowerment and women’s rights at all levels are at the heart of our work. Through our specialized agency (UN Women), the UN is leading efforts in supporting women’s political participation in the upcoming municipal elections through different ways and mediums:

First, by providing technical assistance and coalition-building on Electoral reforms, through supporting the implementation of temporary special measures, including gender quota that is a necessity.

Second, advocating with leaders of political parties to empower and enable their local female members to run for and win seats in the 2023 municipal elections.

Third, offering targeted capacity development and support to aspiring female candidates who are running for the municipal elections.

Fourth, organizing targeted awareness-raising campaigns to increase understanding of the importance of women’s participation in political and public life.

Fifth, engaging with the media to ensure that women are provided with equitable media coverage and ensure the absence of any media bias that would prevent them from actively participating and winning.

Last but not least, supporting a conducive enabling environment through targeting and combatting cases of Violence Against Women in Politics and in elections.

Distinguished participants,

Lebanon has been a trailblazer on the issue of women’s rights and gender equality – granting women the right to vote and run for elections in 1952 and hitting parity on education and health markers decades before many countries in the world. Lebanon also has more women across the office level of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) than most other UN member states. And this is also a milestone to be hailed!

Yet, in the last municipal and Mukhtar elections that took place in 2016, Lebanon had 663 female municipal members and 57 Mukhtar, which constitutes only 5.4% of the municipal councils and 1.9% of the Mukhtars. While these percentages represent an increase from the results of the 2010 local elections, it is still far from being gender equal. For that, an electoral gender quota remains crucial and fundamental as a temporary measure to secure and ensure women’s political representation.

The great expertise and leadership of women are needed now more than ever, and Lebanon cannot afford to miss it!

I hope the ideas and insights we shared and heard today will be taken back by all of us and move forward with more actions. We all have a role to play in that, in ensuring that we are elevating women’s voices and that we are calling constantly and consistently for effective women’s political participation in all our discussions and advocacy efforts.

Thank you.