Collective Action

BEIRUT — Dozens of women demonstrated on Saturday in front of the Lebanese Parliament in Beirut's Nejmeh Square to demand harsher sentences for sexual assault offenders in Lebanon.

Videos and pictures of the protest show women dressed in black and holding signs marked with inscriptions such as "Rape is a crime," and "For a punishment commensurate with the crime." The demonstrators also raised their fists and chanted slogans such as "Strengthen the sentences! This crime must be tried!"

On Friday, the Abaad collective reported that about six out of 10 women who are victims of sexual abuse in Lebanon choose not to press charges for fear of damaging their families' "honor." The text, which presents the results of a recent study conducted by the organization, adds that 75 percent of women surveyed believe that sexual abuse is primarily physical and psychological harm, while 71 percent of them emphasize that society sees this type of crime as an attack on the honor of the family.

The director of the organization, Guida Inati, announced the launch of a 16-day campaign starting Saturday to end violence against women and girls. She added that continuous coordination with parliamentary blocs is taking place, in order to amend the penal code so that it protects more effectively the victims and survivors of such aggressions.