Promoting women’s participation in political life is a national constitutional commitment

The Tripoli Bar Association, in cooperation with the Union of Arab Women Leaders and the “Fifty Fifty” organization, organized a conference entitled “Women and Elections between Legislation and Reality,” sponsored by and attended by the President of the Tripoli Bar Association, Marwan Daher, along with members of the Association’s Council and interested parties.

After a welcoming speech from the conference’s moderator, Ms. Fatima Atershan, the director of the prisoner’s rights center at the union, Ms. Suhair Derbas, delivered a speech in which she stressed that “the partnership between law and civil action is the basis for enhancing the political participation of Lebanese and Arab women.” She said: “Lebanese women have proven their competence in all fields, but they are still excluded from decision-making positions due to an electoral system that needs real reform, foremost among which is the adoption of the women’s quota as a fair and necessary interim measure. The upcoming elections are not just a matter of It is a democratic entitlement, but rather a battle of awareness and culture, which requires fair legislation and a societal will that believes in the role of women as partners, not as a front. The holding of this conference in Tripoli is a clear message that the marginalization of women is not a weakness in them, but rather a national loss, for a country that can only rise to its full potential.”

She hoped that “the work of this conference will produce legal and practical recommendations that reach decision-making centers and provide women with a safe electoral environment, with the support of the bar associations and all partners. Our battle is not against men, but with them, for the sake of a nation that soars with its wings together.”

The head of the Fifty Fifty Association, Joelle Abu Farhat, also gave a speech in which she said: “We meet today not to exchange a theoretical speech about women in politics, but to ask a frank and clear question: What are the chances of Lebanese women to win the next parliamentary elections in May 2026? How do we turn these opportunities into actual parliamentary seats? Lebanese women do not lack competence, do not lack credibility, and do not lack people’s trust. What they lack is a fair system.” And a real opportunity, and unified support, and here we must pause to talk about the Lebanese woman, not as a title or a slogan, but as a human being and a struggling citizen. This woman did not surrender, she did not wait for the state, and she did not ask for privileges, but rather she only demanded her right, and her natural right, to be a partner in decision-making.”

The opening session concluded with a speech by Captain Daher in which he said: “In the decisive moments in the history of countries, progress is not measured by slogans, but rather by the answer to one unambiguous question: Who actually participates in decision-making, and who is left out? And the answer to this question is determined: the image of the state that we want, the justice of the system in which we live, and the credibility of the democracy that we praise. The law, honorable audience, is not fair if it is not comprehensive, and elections are not fair.” Democracy if it is not inclusive, and representation is not sincere if it is based on disguised exclusion or systematic discrimination.”

He concluded: “What we demand is not a privilege for women, but rather a legitimate right, and we do not seek formal representation, but rather a real partnership in making the future of this country. Lebanon cannot be built with half its capabilities, nor does it advance with half its justice, and its democracy cannot be upright except when women are present in the ballot boxes, in the nomination lists, in the elected councils, and in decision-making positions, present, not as a formal presence in democracy, but as an effective force, and an authentic partner in making and preserving the law.” “The state.”

After a first session titled “The Chances of Women in the Northern Governorate,” and a second session titled “The Role of the Media in Shedding Light on Female Candidates in the Elections,” the conference concluded by announcing the following recommendations: demanding a quota for women in the electoral law, establishing controls for electoral financing to ensure equal opportunities, launching legal awareness campaigns in cooperation with the Bar Association, criminalizing political and electronic violence against female candidates, organizing training courses for women leaders on campaign management, and institutionalizing cooperation between civil society and unions to support women legally.