The National Commission for Lebanese Women has concluded the 2026 coordination committee meetings.
The meetings were held as part of monitoring the implementation of the second National Action Plan for the application of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security.
The Commission devoted the last two meetings to strengthening women’s participation in leadership and developing institutional capacities to ensure the plan is implemented effectively.
Representatives of public institutions, civil society, international organizations, unions and political parties took part, alongside members of the Commission.
Supporting women’s participation in leadership
The Commission’s Secretary-General, lawyer Natalie Zaarour, affirmed the importance of activating coordination and following up on interventions that support women’s access to decision-making positions.
These efforts cover the political, administrative, security, military and diplomatic sectors, in addition to the judiciary and unions.
She also stressed the need to prepare internal plans that take women’s needs into account and enable them to take on leadership positions at both the national and local levels.
Institutional development and follow-up on implementation
In the same context, the meetings addressed documenting the reality of women within institutions and analyzing the obstacles limiting their participation.
Participants also discussed developing policies to prevent harassment, exploitation and sexual abuse, as well as responding to and punishing such practices.
The discussions also focused on supporting gender equality units and gender focal point officers, and strengthening their capacities in data collection and monitoring implementation indicators.
After a speech by Jumana Zabaneh, Programme Management Specialist at UN Women, lawyer Lara Saadeh reviewed the interventions under the two priorities.
The two meetings concluded with a discussion of progress made and challenges faced, and the identification of next steps to strengthen coordination and implementation.
