To the esteemed decision-makers,
It is impossible to build a safe, just, and progressive Lebanon while half of society remains excluded from decision-making.
Lebanese women are not electoral ornaments nor quotas to fill sectarian balances. They are scholars, professionals, and visionaries whose contributions have been proven in education, medicine, administration, economics, media, and social development. Yet, state institutions continue to be managed through a unilateral, male-dominated mindset that disregards 50% of the nation’s qualified potential.
Why women’s participation is a necessity, not a luxury:
Justice and Equality: No state can claim to be democratic while denying half its citizens a seat at the table.
Scientific and Professional Competence: Lebanese women hold advanced degrees from leading universities at home and abroad, excelling in international institutions, yet remain sidelined from shaping their own nation’s future.
Integrity and Reform: Global evidence shows that women’s participation in governance reduces corruption and enhances transparency.
Peace and Security: Research confirms that the inclusion of women in negotiations and security policies increases the likelihood of lasting peace.
Sustainable Development: Policies for economic and social progress cannot be complete without women’s voices, which are deeply attuned to the needs of families and communities.
Therefore, we demand:
A binding commitment by Lebanese authorities to allocate 50% of executive and legislative decision-making positions to qualified women.
The adoption of merit-based criteria—academic competence and professional experience—for selecting both women and men, free from clientelism and sectarian favoritism.
The launch of national programs to support women leaders in public service.
The time has come for a revolution in thought: to recognize that excluding women is the deliberate elimination of half of Lebanon’s strength, and that inclusion is not a privilege granted, but a right—and a condition for the survival of the state itself.
Lebanon needs the minds of both its women and men, working side by side, as equals. For how can a nation stand on one leg alone?
Signed,
Lebanese Women Towards Decision-Making