Lebanese Women at the Crossroads: Caught between Sect and Nation

Lebanese women are still struggling for gender equality thirty years after the end of the civil war. This study examines how discourses of secularism and equal civil rights have informed the contemporary Lebanese womens movement in their campaigns for a domestic violence law, womens nationality rights, a womens quota in parliament, the reform of personal status law, and the recognition of civil marriage. The book argues that women are caught between sect and nation due to Lebanons plural legal system, which makes a division between religious and civil law.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 170 pages
Publication date: 15 March 2022
Publisher: Lexington Books

Thirty years after the conclusion of the civil war, Lebanese women continue to face significant challenges in achieving gender equality. This research builds upon recent scholarship on women's activism in the Arab world, particularly in the context of the Arab Spring. It explores how discourses of secularism and equal civil rights have shaped the contemporary Lebanese women's movement in their efforts to advocate for a domestic violence law, women's nationality rights, a women's quota in parliament, the reform of personal status law, and the recognition of civil marriage.

The book makes a compelling argument that women in Lebanon are caught in a complex web of sectarianism and nationalism, largely due to the country's plural legal system that divides religious and civil law. While both jurisdictions grant women relational rights, guided by the logic of patrilineal descent, women's inequality remains a central factor in perpetuating sectarian differences and patriarchal control within the confessional political system.

The study delves into the historical and social factors that have contributed to women's marginalization in Lebanon, including the country's patriarchal society, religious conservatism, and the influence of political and economic power structures. It also examines the strategies employed by women activists to challenge these barriers and promote gender equality, including grassroots organizing, legal advocacy, and public awareness campaigns.

Through its comprehensive analysis, the book offers valuable insights into the ongoing struggle for women's rights in the Arab world and provides a roadmap for policymakers, activists, and scholars seeking to promote gender equality and social justice in the region.

Weight: 281g
Dimension: 230 x 153 x 11 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781498522762