A Future seminar in Baalbek on women's right to transmit nationality

The Women’s Sector of the Future Movement in Baalbek, in cooperation with the Lebanese Democratic Women’s Gathering (LDWG), organized last Saturday a seminar entitled ‘My Nationality is a Right for Me and My Family’ in the presence of representatives from women’s associations and the community. The coordinator of the Women’s Sector in Lebanon, Nawal Mdalali, stressed the role of the women sector in raising awareness on the marginalization of women, with focus on women who suffer from the blatant violation of their rights caused by the prevailing nationality law. Similarly, LDWG activist, Rola Zeaiter, explained how this same discriminatory law infringes on the right of Lebanese women married to foreigners by refusing to give nationality to their husbands and children. Zeaiter also touched on the effects of the above in violating the rights of women to the various social, cultural, health and civil services, besides being subjected to violence, or to the high cost they pay for getting the required residence papers. She finally called on the Lebanese Government to implement its obligations in lifting reservations to the articles, namely Article 9, of the Convention related to nationality. (Al Mustaqbal, November 22, 2015)