The Lebanese Women: Reality and Aspirations
1.The reality of the Lebanese woman is reflected in the active forces of development within
society. The division of work and the fundamental values of Lebanese society all impact on
the kind of opportunities women have at the different stages of their lives and define the role
and responsibilities they must assume. The civil war and the recurrent Israeli aggressions have
led to deep-rooted changes in the social, economic and political structure of Lebanese
society and have impacted on the advancement of Lebanese women in all these fields.
Moreover, the painful events have caused deterioration in all sectors, and this negative
impact has led to a wider gap in Lebanese society in the area of education and the
productive capacity of women and men. In turn, the outcome has been a negative impact
on all development programs and activities.
2. In terms of economic activity, the labor participation of Lebanese women remains very low
and women still tend to be regarded as the secondary breadwinner. This is compounded by
the limited labor opportunities, especially for women; the possible exploitive work conditions;
and the lack of opportunities for promotion and advancement, all create barriers to the full
and effective participation of Lebanese women in the local economy, and decision-making
and planning spheres.
3. In the early 1970s, many women who chose to enter the paid labor force were mainly
found in the following professions: teaching, administrative work, nursing, handicrafts, sewing
and textile industry, various services, as well as working in the agricultural and trading fields.
Meanwhile, between the 1970s and the 1990s, we are witnesses to positive progress and a
noticeable movement of women into new and less traditional sectors. The proportion of
women working in liberal professions – lawyers, engineers, physicians, pharmacists, judges,
bank managers, media figures, university teachers, and researchers in the areas of literature,
art and science – has increased considerably.
4. The reality of education in Lebanon reveals an increase in the enrollment rates at all levels
of education: primary, secondary and post-secondary. And while Lebanon has witnessed an
almost equal enrollment rate for women and men, and despite the positive trends outlined
above, this equality of opportunity has not translated into a more diverse choice of
specialization for women. In effect, the enrollment rate of girls in vocational education
remains low, and their enrollment in the faculties of mathematics, physics, sciences and
chemistry is still minor compared to their male counterparts.
5. Furthermore, for those women who do enter the labor force, many women find it difficult to
balance and fulfill both professional and domestic responsibilities due to the lack of much
needed social services. As a result, women are compelled to accept part-time and nominal
jobs that have restricted hours, and often limited intellectual and physical requirements.
6. There are also other difficulties that persist – the traditional attitude of parents and the
society at large towards women’s work; the pressure on women to marry early and not to
work after marriage; the dedication of domestic chores to young girls; the low level of
vocational rehabilitation and training for working women; the current high level of
unemployment; and finally, the prejudiced laws that don’t ensure women’s equal
opportunities in work, wages, and promotion. As a result, the Lebanese women do not have
a real chance to access executive, legal and judicial decision-making spheres.
7. Some statistics cited in the National Report about the Situation of Women in Lebanon for the
Year 2000 demonstrates women’s limited participation in decision-making at different levels:
Members of Parliament: 3 women out of 128 MPs
Director General: 3 women out of 22 Directors Generals
Mayors: 2 women
The Secondary Teachers’ Union: 2 women out of 18 board members
8. Undoubtedly, the difficult circumstances that Lebanon underwent present notable barriers
to women’s advancement in the various sectors and fields. Sex discrimination still constitutes
a violation of the principle of equality in rights and the respect of the human dignity.
However, still today discrimination impedes the Lebanese woman from taking full part in her
country’s life; hampers the prosperity and development of the family; and complicates her
empowerment in the service of her country and its development.
9. On the level of civil action, the Lebanese women have demonstrated their presence and
offered many important services. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the women’s
movement has mobilized and gathered its experience and expertise in the interest of social
development, as well as achieving just and balanced gender equality.
10. The 1990s have been characterized by the preparation of the Beijing Fourth World
Conference on Women in 1995 that represented a substantial and global change in the
interest of women’s affairs not only on the feminist level, but also in the cultural, social and
educational bodies and unions. A firm conviction emerged and confirmed the necessity and
inevitability of change, especially in the attitude of society, in order to transform the
prevailing thoughts and behavior patterns that are based on stereotypes as to the image,
distribution of roles and responsibilities of women and men.
11. It is also worth noting the creative role of women in the different artistic fields. Women
writers address great issues such as freedom, love and nationhood (its geographical and
human dimensions). In the various literary fields, women are particularly active and have had
numerous prosaic and poetic publications. In addition to literature, women participate in
painting, music and singing through expositions and theater performances. On the whole,
they make significant contributions to the promotion of life and the refinement of the public
awareness and taste. In the area of manual skills, women are active in the organization of
exhibitions for handicraft arts.
12. In the beginning of the twentieth century, the aspirations and ambitions of the Lebanese
women are numerous. Through official and civil institutions, women are seeking to include
their cause in the public interest sphere of civil society, and to place it in the framework of
comprehensive and integrated development, tied to human rights. The vision of reform and
progress can be built only on the basis of the inter-linkages between women and men in all
areas of life, and in facing their common destiny together.
