Ratification of “Convention on the elimination of all form of discrimination against women”

The Lebanese government ratifies the 1979 “Convention on the elimination of all form of discrimination against women,” which entails the enforcement of equal rights to women and men across different social, political, and economic levels, including the rights pertaining to social protection. The Lebanese government, however, expresses several legal reservations regarding, for instance, article 9 (2), which states: “State parties shall grant women equal rights with men to acquire, change, or retain their nationality”; and article 16 (1) (c) (d) (f) and (g) regarding the right to choose a family name. As for social protection issues, and despite the ratification of this convention, 1) women registered to the NSSF can only access child allowances if their husband is not – and cannot – be registered to the NSSF; 2) the NSSF does not provide any paternity leave (and allowance), which implies that the woman must be the one who takes care of the children; 3) women who retire within 12 months of getting married can access end of service indemnities, which pushes them to leave work and lose access to their benefits.