Lebanese PM: Women's Rights a Fundamental Benchmark for State-Building

Beirut, October 21 (KUNA) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stressed on Wednesday that women’s rights are a fundamental benchmark for state-building, highlighting the pivotal role of women during crises, as they were the first to shoulder responsibility for their families. This came in Salam’s speech at the opening of the “Women on the Frontlines” conference, organized by the Myriam Chehab Foundation in partnership with UN Women. He added that in the recovery process, “we must not reduce women’s role to merely addressing the consequences of conflicts,” calling for women’s voices to be heard before decisions are taken. Salam said, “International partnership is essential, and we appreciate all sincere support for Lebanon, but the primary responsibility lies with society and the state. Partners can help, but it is up to us to set priorities, ensure transparency and accountability, and make recovery an opportunity to correct imbalances.” For her part, former Minister of State for Administrative Development Myriam Chehab noted, “We speak of economic advancement while failing to harness the capacities of half of society,” questioning, “How can we invest in girls’ education and then place barriers before women in accessing employment, financing, and leadership?” She emphasized that “women’s empowerment is not an add-on to the recovery agenda, but an integral part of recovery itself,” calling for women to be at the forefront of leading recovery, decision-making, and peacebuilding. Meanwhile, UN Women’s Representative in Lebanon, Ghaylan Al-Masri, pointed out that Lebanon is at a highly critical stage as it looks to build its future, underscoring the importance of women’s rights, equality in citizenship, and their effective participation in decision-making. She considered that these issues are closely linked to the strength of Lebanon’s institutions, its economy, its peace and stability, and its ability to harness the full potential of its human resources, both women and men. (End) A.Y.B. / A.M.S.