US embassy voices support for women municipal candidates
29 أيلول 2014 17:21
US Ambassador David Hale said Monday that Women and girls around the world "hold a key to power and progress," stressing that the full, equal participation of women in the economic, social, and political lives of their countries is an essential element to true stability, prosperity, and democracy in any society.
"We in the United States would like to help societies use those keys to unlock that potential. Countries that respect the rights of women are more prosperous, stable, and secure than those that do not," Hale said during the closing ceremony for “Women in Municipalities,” a project of the NGO Women in Front that identified women from throughout Lebanon and prepared them to run for Municipal Elections in 2016.
"To name just a few: Nayla Moawad, Leila Solh, and Bahia Hariri; teachers like the late Hala Maksoud; writers like Nina Jidejian; human rights pioneers like the late Laure Moghaizel; sports and peace activists like May al-Khalil; and social workers like Rabab Sadr-Charafeddine. Whether in politics, governance, the law, business, education, the arts, or other fields, they and other Lebanese leaders have opened pathways for women and shown how rich a culture can be when all of its members are enabled to participate fully in any and all walks of life," he added.
Over 12 months, “Women in Municipalities” provided extensive professional training to 70 women on key skills needed to be successful municipal candidates such as leadership, campaigning, and public speaking. Participants were also trained on municipal work and public advocacy. “Women in Municipalities” is funded by the United States through the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).
"We are proud to have supported Women in Front on this project, to help female leaders develop skills to run in municipal elections. Only 4.8 percent of municipal council members are women, so we hope this program will result in councils that are more representative of the communities they serve," the US envoy stressed. "Learning how local elections work and the role of the municipal council in the larger picture of the Lebanese government is a key step to success, and to bringing your perspective into councils, so they are more responsive to the needs of your communities."
Hale noted that "you don’t have to live in Lebanon long to discover just how capable and accomplished Lebanese are, women and men alike, when given a chance," affirming that by engaging in the political life, women "will be proving to all Lebanese in all communities that women are not only capable of standing side by side with men, but that you, too, can lead them."