Remarks by UN Resident & Humanitarian Coordinator, Imran Riza, on the Occasion of International Women's Day 2025

Your Excellency Prime Minister, Dr. Nawaf Salam, 

Your Excellencies, 

Representatives of the United Nations, 

Dear Guests, good morning,

I’m pleased to join you in observing this year’s International Women’s Day, as we celebrate progress towards gender equality and renew our commitment to breaking down structural barriers that hinder women’s empowerment worldwide, and here in Lebanon.

Today, we honor the unwavering strength, resilience, and leadership of women, particularly those who have been at the forefront of addressing Lebanon’s crises. Despite immense challenges, women and women-led organizations have played a vital role in responding to displacement and humanitarian needs. Women, who were over half of those displaced, have been on the frontlines – providing life-saving aid, running collective shelters, hosting displaced people, and leading efforts to promote solidarity in their communities.

As we honor these women and reflect on their leadership, we must also address the challenges and obstacles that limit their participation in decision-making if we are to fully harness their potential for future recovery, peacebuilding, and reconstruction efforts. 

Throughout my assignment in Lebanon, I have had the privilege of working alongside remarkable women whose leadership, expertise and dedication have driven impactful initiatives. Yet, an enabling environment for more women to develop and thrive remains missing. To foster this, we must prioritize greater political representation, enhance women’s participation in the economic field, and ensure equal legal rights by addressing restrictive legal frameworks and promoting inclusive policies.

Distinguished participants, 

In 1995, world leaders committed to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most comprehensive global agenda for gender equality. Three decades later, we are still guided by this vision. At the 2023 SDG Summit, the United Nations and its Member States reaffirmed their commitment to this agenda, emphasizing gender equality as central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

This year’s theme calls for action. It calls for Rights, Equality and Empowerment for all Women and Girls. In Lebanon, they continue to face significant challenges – from gender-based violence and unequal access to assets and resources to legal restrictions affecting their rights in marriage, divorce, and inheritance. It reminds us that to achieve the SDGs, we must invest more in the removal of these structural inequalities. 

Looking ahead, Lebanon’s upcoming elections in 2025 and 2026 offer a great opportunity to make meaningful progress toward a greater gender parity in political representation. By ensuring equal participation of women at every level, we can foster institutions that are truly inclusive and accountable and push for gender-transformative reforms across all areas of life.

Before I conclude, allow me to express my sincere gratitude to the Government of Lebanon, our donors and partners from the international community, civil society organizations, and all those who continue to champion women’s rights.

Let us continue to work, hand-in-hand, for a more just and equal world.

Happy International Women’s Day!