When will violence against Lebanese women get the attention needed?

While gender-based violence (GBV) impacts women and girls worldwide, the lack of rights women hold, gaps in the justice system and limited legal avenues makes gender-based violence of particular concern in Lebanon, often with fatal consequences.

In recent years, Lebanon has seen an alarming increase in the number of women killed by their partners or family members, a phenomenon known as femicide. According to the Resource Center for Gender Equality (ABAAD), an NGO that advocates for gender equality in the Middle East and North Africa, the first seven months alone of 2022 saw 14 women killed by their partners in Lebanon, compared to 18 in the whole of 2021.

Often due to overlooked existing violence, these women lost their lives. Their deaths serve as a tragic reminder of Lebanon's urgent need to address gender-based violence.

In recent years, Lebanon has seen an alarming increase in the number of women killed by their partners or family members. Their deaths serve as a tragic reminder of Lebanon's urgent need to address gender-based violence

While Lebanon does have several laws criminalizing various forms of violence against women, these laws are not properly enforced. Lebanon’s justice system, despite some progress, still has significant gaps that prevent it from responding effectively to gender-based violence. Even as some laws have been updated in recent years, such as those relating to honor crimes or abuse of minors, accountability is sparse and women still do not hold basic rights, particularly in marriage or divorce.

Lebanon's current legal framework does not provide adequate protection, particularly for women with disabilities, as highlighted by the most recent Human Rights Watch annual report. These gaps in the legal and judicial systems, and lack of enforcement, have far-reaching consequences. They perpetuate a culture of impunity that allows perpetrators to continue their abusive behavior. This creates a vicious cycle of violence that affects not only the victims, but their families and communities as well. Femicide is a tragic, and all too common, result of gender-based violence in Lebanon.

Femicide is not a new problem in Lebanon, and it is deeply rooted in societal attitudes toward women. According to a study conducted by the Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering, many of the women killed had previously reported incidents of violence to authorities, but their complaints were not taken seriously. The failure to hold perpetrators accountable and to protect victims fosters an environment of impunity that perpetuates violence against women. It is past time for Lebanon to take concrete steps to address this issue and ensure that women's lives are protected and valued.

Despite the existence of Lebanese Law No. 2932, which aims to protect women and family members from domestic violence, it has failed to effectively protect women from femicide. One of the primary causes of this failure is a lack of law enforcement due to a lack of political will and resources. Furthermore, cultural, and attitudes toward women – holding them as second grade citizens – as well as gender-based violence, contribute to the persistence of femicide.

Femicide is not a new problem in Lebanon. It is deeply rooted in societal attitudes toward women. According to a study by RDFL, many of the women killed had previously reported incidents of violence to authorities, but their complaints were not taken seriously

Therefore, it is critical to provide survivors and their families with support and resources to assist them in recovering from the psychological and emotional effects of gender-based violence. With the aims of promoting gender equality and changing societal attitudes towards gender-based violence, Lebanon must also invest in prevention efforts such as education and awareness-raising campaigns.

Finally, gender-based violence against women and girls is a widespread issue in Lebanon that requires immediate attention. Lebanese authorities and lawmakers must take a comprehensive approach to combating gender-based violence, including femicide, to protect women and girls and hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.

It is long overdue to acknowledge the human toll of gender-based violence and act to prevent further harm and loss of life.

* The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Raseef22