BEIRUT: Armed with perseverance and determination, numerous elite Lebanese women gathered Wednesday next to the Interior Ministry to stress that the Lebanese political field is incomplete without their participation.
In a patriarchal society where men are in control of most significant decision-making positions, more than 30 women supported by Women In Front NGO are nominating themselves for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
“Our main goal is to shed light on experienced women, push them to decision-making positions and involving them in political life,” said Nada Anid, co-founder of Women In Front.
“The women here today are independent [candidates], but of course they do have their own political views and affiliations,” Anid told The Daily Star while surrounded by enthusiastic women.
Despite women's suffrage in Lebanon being granted in 1953, Lebanese women are still under-represented in the Parliament.
“[Women’s role in political life] is still the same since 1953,” she explained.
“Around 57 percent of parties’ partisans are women, but they aren't in decision-making positions, they are given nonpioneering roles.”
However, Anid believes that over the years, politicians have become more aware about the need to involve women, but don’t know how.
“We know that there’s an intention among [political factions], but it’s yet to be achieve,” she added.
A number of the candidates had nominated themselves for the 2013 parliamentary elections, which were originally set for June 2013 but delayed for 17 months in May last year, Lebanese women will not take no for an answer.
“This is the second time I file for candidacy,” said Olfat al-Sabeh, a business law professor at the Lebanese American University.
Sabeh, an independent candidate, believes that after lawmakers failed to create a new electoral law, a second candidacy became inevitable.
According to Anid, 44 women nominated themselves in 2013, a big increase from the 13 female candidates in the 2009 elections.
“It’s embarrassing when we attend conferences and we tell them that out of the 128 MPs, four are women,” she told the Daily Star.
Explaining that there should be no reason preventing women from contributing to political decisions, Sabeh stressed that women’s quota is the only way out of this problem. Lebanese women are calling for 33 percent of the seats in Parliament to be reserved for female MPs.
“We only want a temporary quota for a round or two, so that people can get used to the presence of women,” she said. “[We want] to prove to the society that women, when sharing political decisions with men, will create great results.”
Although the candidates expressed their rejection of a second extension of Parliament’s term, some thought that it was likely to happen.
“I am going to file my papers today, although I know the elections will not be held,” said Saada Halimeh, a member in the Municipality of Aley.
“However, we can’t leave the political field for them, and we’re here today to make a statement.”
Some candidates had already nominated themselves, while others filed their paperwork Wednesday. Candidates can file their paperwork until Sept. 16.
“We want more support from politicians,” said Elisabeth Sioufi, a lawyer and legal adviser.
Sioufi, a potential candidate, believes these efforts will to empower Lebanese women.
“We were always told that work should be done to prepare Lebanese women to take part in the elections,” she said. “[Well] women are ready now.”
The candidates urged any Lebanese woman who has the potential and fulfills all the legal requirements not to hesitate and nominate herself.
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