Women on the front line – How are Lebanese women redrawing their role in security institutions?

After they excelled in the physical and theoretical tests, they had to be accepted. بالإضافة إلى كونها متخصصة في تكنولوجيا المعلومات، تعمل العقيد محتار أيضا بوصفها مسؤولة تنسيق للنوع الاجتماعي في قوى الأمن الداخلي.

Champions of gender equality and confidence building

Whether in the Lebanese Army, Internal Security Forces, or General Security, the progress women have made is due to strong leadership. In 2018, the former army commander, General Joseph Aoun, the current president of the republic, launched a campaign to recruit 4,000 female officers at the junior rank. Many of the women who had previous specializations were later given the opportunity to become officers a few years later through separate recruitment for officer cadets.

This was effectively tested in one of the land border regiments in northern Lebanon. وبينما لم تشارك الجنود النساء بشكل مباشر في العمليات عالية الخطورة مثل مكافحة التهريب أو مداهمة النشاطات غير القانونية عبر الحدود، لكنهن لعبن دورا مهما في عملية بسط سلطة الدولة وبناء الثقة من خلال دعم الفئات الضعيفة والمشاركة في المشاريع المدنية-العسكرية.

“Women in the Lebanese Army have proven that their presence is not only symbolic, but also effective.”

Many confirm that these tasks are carried out in a high spirit of belonging and pride. Lieutenant Josiane Habashi, who is currently the only female officer in the Marine Commando Regiment, leading a group of thirty female officers, said: “The most difficult decision I made was when I left my daughter to attend the Military College to become an officer. I faced psychological and physical pressures, but I was not defeated and did not surrender.”

Administrative roles more than operational

Colonel Muhtar, who is now a mother of four children, narrates:

Several sources also confirmed that women receive the same wages and receive opportunities similar to those available to men. However, stereotypes persist within the army and security services, where some women feel greater pressure to prove their worth. With most women working in management positions, it is clear that institutional and societal barriers still exist.

“We encourage more women to apply, and not just to managerial positions.”

Women, Peace and Security Agenda

Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000), which launched the “Women, Peace and Security” agendaIt is an important lever for promoting equality and empowering women within military and security institutions, especially after Lebanon approved a national action plan to implement the resolution, which included recommendations to increase the number of women in the security services and enhance their roles.

But the most prominent factors of change came from within. Brigadier General Saud said: “The establishment of the Gender Department in the army in 2022 was in itself an achievement, as it allowed the introduction of concepts of equality in the development of military policies and training.”

To make the operation more effective, a gender strategy has been developed in the army, and an implementation plan for it is currently being worked on. Brigadier General Saud added: “We also recently adopted a policy to prevent, respond to, and punish sexual harassment and domestic violence within the military institution, in cooperation with the National Commission for Lebanese Women and UN Women, and we are now working on a plan to implement it.”

A positive path towards enhancing women’s representation

For her part, Colonel Muhtar explained that the Internal Security Forces give priority to combating gender-based violence, with a hotline for complaints, in addition to training and awareness campaigns directed at the Office of Combating Cybercrime, Combating Human Trafficking, and the Judicial Police.

“In Public Security, there is no gender department, but we have a gender network that includes female coordinators in various centers, which monitors any incidents related to gender, including intimidation or harassment, whether against Public Security officers or citizens.”

In the Internal Security Forces, an internal audit and gender action plan were completed in 2024. Colonel Muhtar said that a report was subsequently prepared that included recommendations for the senior leadership on addressing obstacles hindering gender inclusion and equal representation of women in the short, medium and long term.

Women also gradually began to assume more prominent field positions. A woman was appointed head of one of the Beirut police stations, while several women manage centers outside the capital within General Security.

“Among the Public Security units that carry out raids and searches, there is one composed entirely of women. They are sent when operations require the presence of women.”

Although there is still a long way to go, the achievements achieved so far have put the military and security institutions on a positive path towards enhancing women’s representation and broader inclusion. While questions increase about the political efforts aimed at stopping hostilities in and around Lebanon, one thing remains certain: women will have a fundamental role in the solution.