UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the need to amplify women's voices in the process of reconstruction and political transformation in Lebanon. As part of his visit to Beirut on Saturday, he met with 20 women's rights activists, feminist organizations and young women peace builders, at a dialogue session organized by UN Women.
Guterres highlighted the crucial role of women in Lebanon's recovery, reconstruction and reconciliation processes. He stressed the importance of women's involvement in decision-making for lasting peace. The discussion focused on the need to ensure that Lebanon's recovery efforts are inclusive and gender-responsive.
“Now is the moment to fight. Fight to defend the presence of women in decision-making bodies in the reconstruction process,” Guterres said.
The meeting also addressed urgent reforms needed to advance gender equality in Lebanon, including increasing women’s representation in governance. Currently, women hold only 6% of seats in Parliament and 5% in municipal councils, far from the 30% target set for gender equality in governance.
Participants also highlighted other key priorities, such as rebuilding Lebanon's food sector, restoring lands damaged by conflict, ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities and adopting gender-sensitive reforms to protect vulnerable women, including Palestinian refugees.
Gielan Elmessiri, UN Women Representative in Lebanon, expressed hope that Guterres’ visit would elevate women’s contributions in the country’s recovery process and reinforce the UN’s commitment to gender equality as vital to Lebanon’s sustainable development.
UN Women calls on Lebanon’s new leadership to seize this opportunity to implement long-standing gender reforms, creating a more inclusive governance framework that empowers women and strengthens their role in shaping the country’s future.
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