The National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) wishes the national retreat in Baabda success in their mission and calls upon the political powers to reconsider women’s almost non-existent representation among political leaders, which in turn prevents women from partaking in national dialogues.
On the occasion of the national retreat called for by H.E. the President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, which will take place at the presidential palace in Baabda on the 25th of June 2020, the NCLW extends its wishes that the retreat yield positive and constructive results that are in the best interest of Lebanon and its citizens. NCLW urges political leaders in Lebanon to reflect on the fact that women’s near-total absence from this retreat is the result of their almost non-existence in political leadership positions.
NCLW highlights the fact that political pluralism in Lebanon, which is protected by our democratic system, is not paralleled by an equitable representation of men and women in leadership positions. Moreover, NCLW considers women’s near-absence from the retreat of political leaders an element of weakness in Lebanese politics and appeals to political leaders to attentively advocate for women’s participation in decision-making and leadership.
NCLW stresses the need to make use of women’s potentials, which constitute an added value in various domains that would certainly benefit the political parties women belong to as well as the country at large. This particularly applies to the participation of women in national dialogues and in peace mediation to achieve national consensus, which is one of the main objectives of the National Action Plan for the Implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 regarding women, a resolution that the government has pledged to implement.