Written by Hind Atwi

 

Translated by Daisy Khalil

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 8… International Women's day; a day during which the world celebrates the social, economic and political achievements of Women and a holiday for women in some Countries like China, Russia and Cuba.

 

 

 

This day has been devoted for women as per the first congress held in Paris in 1945 by the International Democratic Women union. Some researchers however believe that the origin of March 8 dates back to the year 1857 where thousands of American textile workers demonstrated in the streets of New York, in protest against the inhuman working conditions. On this day, the police brutally attempted to scatter the protesters, but women succeeded to make political leaders include the women labor item to their agenda.

 

Two years later, the first weavers' syndicate in the United States saw the light!

 

 

 

On March 8, 1908 thousands of weavers demonstrated once again in the streets of New York, holding stale bread in one hand and roses in the other... a symbol of a march under the slogan "Bread and Roses," during which women called for lowering working hours, putting terms to child labor and ratifying the right to vote.

 

 

 

"Bread and Roses" marked the beginning of a feminist movement joined by middle class women, calling for fairness and equality between genders.

 

 

 

March 8... This date was devoted as International Women's day in 1910 at the Copenhagen conference (Denmark), which was attended by 17 delegates from around the world. However, 1977 was the year during which the international women's day was declared official by the United Nations which invited all countries around the world to celebrate a day for women's rights, a day for demonstrations around the globe to demand equality, to assess the situation of women in the society and to tickle the international conscience over millions of women's suffering.

 

 

 

The year 1975 had been previously declared as women's year by the UN General Assembly which in 1979 signed an agreement for the abolition of segregation against women.

 

 

 

In 1993, the UN issued a decision by which women's rights became an integral part of the human rights charter.

 

 

 

The fourth international conference for women held in Beijing (China) in 1995 led to a "methodology" to which countries around the world, including Lebanon, are committed... A methodology emphasizing that "the rights of women are those of men", that "discrimination between men and women should trigger international concern" and that "strengthening the role of women so that she becomes a partner equal to men is a possible mission".

 

 

 

In 2010, the United Nations' General Assembly decided to form a committee concerned with women's affairs so as to achieve gender equality and boost women's role.

 

 

 

In 2011, March 8 coincided with revolutions and protests flaring up in the Arab world against injustice, oppression, poverty, discrimination and marginalization, and against those who manipulate nations' security, violate human dignity, tie up freedoms and seize power...

 

 

 

In the midst of these uprisings at the Arab arenas, Women find themselves at the heart of the events, in the streets of Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Iraq, Morocco, Algeria, Yemen and Libya, answering the call of their country, defending its independence, the unity of its land, the freedom of its sons and daughters and their equality in rights and Duties... Not to forget Palestinian women who have been fighting for over 60 years against the Israeli occupation.

 

 

 

It is worth noting that Arab feminist movements have been defending their causes for decades... Causes such as their marginalization in the absence of any recognition to their role in the political and social life... such as non equality between men and women in laws and legislations... such as guardianship rights to which women must comply since birth... such as confessional and familial rules which ban women from boosting their intellectual capacities...

 

 

 

By their fights and struggle, women managed to convey their scream in some Arab societies. They managed to establish equal rights, to change the civil status law, to make their states endorse laws protecting them from domestic violence, and adopt the quota system... Tunisian women, for instance, enjoy a 23% representation in the Parliament, while French women are represented by a quota of 20%.

 

 

 

In Lebanon, "Women renaissance" stopped at the stage of gaining the right of voting and candidacy in the elections of 1953, yet revolutionary feminist organizations and committees of civil society still carry the heavy weight of causes, object of numerous campaigns over the past 20 years to improve the situation of women and change the laws.

 

 

 

Forums, conferences, debates and workshops have been massively organized by feminist committees; awareness which had resulted helped increasing the number of winners in parliamentary elections from 128 in 2004 to 199 in 2010. The winners in the municipal elections reached 530 in 2010, parallel to 207 in 2004.  

 

 

 

Nevertheless, women face problems much more serious and more important: premeditated murder under the pretext of "honor crimes" in many Arab and even foreign countries…

 

 

 

In fact, according to a study conducted by the organization "Stop violence and exploitation", 66 women were killed in Lebanon in the name of honor between the years 1999 and 2007. 66 death cases were followed by legal measures and transferred before the courts. God knows how many women were killed for the same reason, with fabricated death causes so as to avoid judicial procedures and punishment...

 

  

 

Furthermore, what could we say about human trafficking which has become more common in the XXI century, especially within the ranks of domestic workers? A fact which triggers questions about the law-draft stipulating the protection of Women from Domestic Violence ...This project ratified by the cabinet in 2010 still hasn't found its way to parliament's approval...

 

  

 

Dr. Fadia Kiwan, researcher and university lecturer, said in her analysis to the situation of women in Lebanon that "Lebanese labor is still littered with obstacles especially that Lebanese do not earn the same salaries people in other countries do. Not to forget that their chances of getting a promotion and reaching superior posts remain less than others and that they suffer from discrimination in social services, particularly those related to health affairs."

 

 

 

Dr. Kiwan noted that "the law drafts stipulating justice for women (laws related to labor, the CNSS, penal code and nationality...) are still in the drawers of the Parliament " stressing that "the civil status is the origin of discrimination against women".

 

 

 

Testimonies

 

On the occasion of the International women's Day activists opened their hearts to the National News Agency.

 

 The secretary of the National Commission for Lebanese Women's Affairs, attorney Fadi Karam, said "it is about time to give women their essential rights and to halt discrimination against them by applying the stipulations of the Lebanese Constitution and the international resolutions."

 

 

 

"We decided to raise our voices, in cooperation with civil society, to claim women's rights, particularly those related to their rights to grant nationalities to their children as well as those touching on protecting them from domestic violence", he said, deeming the Lebanese women's conditions humiliating for Lebanon's image.

 

  

 

The Lebanese activist Linda Matar estimated for her part that "March 8 is a day to renew women's struggle against injustice, poverty, discrimination, marginalization and wars and to claim women's rights." 

 

 

 

"We feel ashamed, by the twenty-first century, to claim the cancelation of article 562 of the Penal Code, which approves on "Honor crimes", and to request the same salary as men, for the same job", she said, calling for introducing reforms to the electoral system to allow a larger women participation, and to endorse legislations which protect women from domestic violence and implement gender equality.

 

 

 

Head of the Lebanese feminist committee, Amane Kabbara Chaaran, indicated that "the situation of Arab women has improved" and that "the Lebanese must unify their ranks and express more courage in order to exert pressure on the government to ratify their rights, same as in developed countries."

 

  

 

"Our only problem in Lebanon is our commitment to 18 different confessions and not to our country; the political perspective contradicts with feminist organizations' seeking fairness, justice and equality", she claimed, holding the Lebanese state and families responsible for the marginalization of women.

 

 

 

The coordinator of the Arab Women forum "Aisha Network", Joumana Merhi, highlighted the commitment of secular activists to equality between men and women because secularism is a form of democracy, diversity and culture."

 

 

 

 Women are human beings who deserve having a decent life and enjoying their full rights as citizens equal to men. On March 8, 2011 a national campaign was launched to revoke any discrimination against women.