The United Nations and FEMALE launch a campaign to impose the first law to combat digital violence in Lebanon

The campaign was launched with a video showing decision-makers and influential figures forming a united front demanding urgent legislation, in light of the escalation of gender-based violence linked to technology.

For her part, Executive Director of the FEMALE Association, Hayat Murshad, stressed the need for a legal deterrent to this type of crime, and said: “Every notification on the phone may seem like just a message, but for many women and girls, it is the beginning of a nightmare.

In Lebanon, at least 300 cases of digital violence are recorded monthly, 80% of the victims are women and girls. Digital violence does not stop behind the screen…it starts online but extends to real life.”

As for the representative of the United Nations Population Fund in Lebanon, Anandita Philippos, she stressed that the rapid technological progress has not been accompanied by development in means of protection, especially for teenage girls, considering that the campaign comes at a time when priorities for protecting women’s rights are declining.