Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women considers report of Lebanon

Kelli Mack/ January 23, 2008/ 11:05 pm/ Gender Issues

Today the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women considered the third report out of Lebanon. This consideration was to check on the progress made on implementing the provisions of the Convention of Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
In the report, a representative claims that in the last two and half years Lebanon has experienced many dramatic events including assassinations and warfare. However, the state is working to implement concept of gender equality into its programs in several fields, though its first line of duty is to restore its political state back to normalcy and at that point would begin to truly consider the recommendations of the committee and convention.
Lebanon has slowly been integrating these recommendations into its legal system. The largest problem is not making the laws themselves but rather enforcing them throughout the state. Currently, Lebanon's constitution recognizes the equality of all citizens. The government is hoping to soon incorporate the concept of gender into areas such as fiscal, economic, and social policies. Slowly but surely, Lebanon is returning its government to normalcy and actually allowing gender equality in their government and other areas of policy.
I think it is great that there is a committee that is pushing gender equality in other countries because gender inequality is a much greater issue outside of the United States. However, I do not think that it is a good excuse to not be implementing these kinds of policy because a country is trying to recover. I believe it should be a growing process and part of returning to normalcy should be implementing these types of laws as the government is rebuilding itself. I do see it as great strides though that countries that have been historically very discriminatory towards women are starting to change this outlook.