On this special day, we are pleased to share with you the UNDP “365 Days of Gender Journey” newsletter 2019 issue.

Below, is the UNDP Resident Representative a.i Celine Moyroud's word for the occasion: 

It is the third year that we are releasing our newsletter “365 Days of a Gender Journey” to mark the International Women Day.

The past twelve months have been critical in terms of women’s political participation in Lebanon, despite the legal apparatus in place. Our focus last year was on the Parliamentary elections, where we witnessed encouraging signs of change, following the unprecedented registration of 113 women’s candidates, among which 86 found their ways to the different lists. While this has not translated in a large representation of women at the Parliament, a momentum has been created – as evidenced by the inclusion of four women Ministers in the new cabinet, including in a key portfolio, the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, a première in Lebanon and the Arab states. We hope that this will pave the way for increased female participation in Lebanon’s political sphere. 

These transformations are encouraging and provide us with an important stepping stone to address many other entry points, including women’s economic participation, inclusion, access, and as well as in the peace and security field. In the past year, UNDP in Lebanon – working in close collaboration with other UN sister agencies – has been working at the national and local levels towards promoting these changes, through partnerships with the Lebanese Government, public institutions, and civil society, capacity building, knowledge creation, and support to legal and policy reforms. 

We commit to maintain our efforts, placing gender at the center of our strategic engagement, as well as UNDP’s programmatic and operational strategies. To do so, we will abide by our global commitment to “Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change” to address the core issues faced by women and girls in Lebanon. 

Celine Moyroud

UNDP Resident Representative a.i.