BEIRUT: The National Committee for Women’s Affairs Thursday launched a “National Strategy for Women” for 2011-21, which lists challenges women in Lebanon face and suggests solutions.
 
Committee member Randa Berri said the strategy, a collaborative effort between the committee and organizations that work with women, represents “an overview of the situation in Lebanon.” The strategy provides an overview of the current situation, lists the challenges for changing the status quo, and gives recommendations on how to move forward. The strategy’s aims are:
 
- Achieving full citizenship based on complete gender equality in all fields
 
- Strengthening opportunities for girls and women in education
 
- Achieving complete gender equality in health care by providing health services, particularly pre-natal care
 
- Fighting women’s poverty
 
- Achieving gender parity for women and men in decision-making positions
 
- Fighting violence against women and girls
 
- Changing stereotypes about women in culture and the media
 
- Increasing the contribution of women to protecting the environment
 
- Strengthening cooperation between institutions that work with women
 
- Protecting women in emergencies, such as wars and natural disasters