United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024, Online Edition. Estimates 2024.
(1) Ensure the effective enforcement of the sanctions provided for in Law No. 293; (2) Establish without delay specialized courts for dealing with cases of gender-based violence and a special fund to support women victims of gender-based violence; (3) Strengthen support services for women victims of gender-based violence to match demand, including by ensuring a sufficient number of adequate shelters, and to allocate sufficient funding to ensure their sustainability; (4) Amend Law No. 205 to include key protections and to consider ratifying the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190), of the International Labour Organization (ILO); (5) Ensure that cases of assault and rape committed against women by members of the security forces are investigated ex officio by an independent judicial authority.
(1) Adopt an optional civil marriage contract and a unified civil personal status code, based on the principles of equality and non-discrimination and the right to choose one's religious affiliation, in order to ensure equal rights to women and men in marriage and family relations; (2) Adopt a law that provides for an alternative legal regime to regulate civil marriage in the State party, that is accessible to all women and that takes precedence over religious marriage; (3) Adopt a law to prohibit child marriage and setting the minimum age of marriage at 18 years for women and men, in line with international standards, and eliminate the harmful practice of child marriage within refugee and internally displaced communities.
(1) Expedite the adoption of the draft amendment to Law No. 164; (2) Build the capacity of the judiciary and law enforcement officers to identify, protect and refer women and girls victims of trafficking, and ensure that women recruited through the “artist visa scheme” and found to have engaged in prostitution are exempt from criminal and any other liability and considered as victims of trafficking; (3) Ensure that victims of trafficking, including women recruited through the “artist visa scheme”, may lodge complaints about abuses without fear of arrest, detention or deportation; (4) Ensure the investigation of all cases of trafficking and exploitation, as well as the prosecution and punishment of those responsible, including public officials involved in such acts, and guarantee that victims of trafficking and exploitation for the purpose of prostitution are exempted from criminal liability; (5) Ensure that victims of trafficking are provided with medical treatment, psychosocial support, legal assistance and interpretation services; (6) Conduct awareness-raising campaigns for the general public on the criminal nature of trafficking in women and girls; (7) Collect information on trafficking in women and girls and strengthen cooperation with other countries to facilitate information exchange and the prosecution of traffickers.
Lebanon's Constitution does not include provisions on violence against women and girls.
Lebanon does not have a stand-alone law dedicated to eliminating violence against women (EVAW). It does have a law specific to addressing domestic violence: Law No. 293/2014 (Law on Protection of Women and Family Members from Domestic Violence), which was amended in 2020 (Law 204/2020), including penalties for particularly severe cases of economic and psychological abuse and some forms of sexual harassment. However, this law does not explicitly frame domestic violence as gender based, nor does it acknowledge that this form of violence is predominantly perpetrated against women and girls.
The National Action Plan 2024-2026 is part of the broader National Strategy for Women in Lebanon 2022-2030.
The National Strategy for Women in Lebanon 2022-2030 includes a dedicated focus on preventing and responding to violence against women, and it is operationalized by the National Action Plan 2024-2026.
It was developed under the leadership of the National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW), in collaboration with key ministries, civil society organizations, and international partners like UNFPA and UN Women.
Law No. 205/2020 on Criminalizing Sexual Harassment and Rehabilitation of Victims, both in public spaces and workplaces.
The Criminal Code (specifically Article 503) defines rape but does not explicitly address marital rape. Law No. 293/2014 on Domestic Violence also does not address marital rape.
Lebanon lacks a unified civil code for personal status matters. Each recognized religious community has its own set of laws, which are enforced by religious courts. This includes marriage and divorce laws, which are governed by 15 different religious courts, each with its own regulations regarding marriage, divorce, and other family matters. This sectarian legal framework leads to significant gender disparities, particularly disadvantaging women in matters of marriage and divorce.
There is no unified civil law establishing minimum age of marriage, and the issue is governed by 15 distinct laws, which set varying minimum ages for marriage for both female and male marriage, often below 18 years old and in some cases as low as 9 years old.
National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW): The NCLW is a key governmental body responsible for promoting women's rights and gender equality in Lebanon. It plays a central role in developing and implementing national strategies to combat VAW. In collaboration with various stakeholders, the NCLW has developed the National Strategy for Women in Lebanon 2022–2030, which includes objectives aimed at preventing and responding to VAW.
Administrative data on women's access to justice in Lebanon, particularly for survivors of gender-based violence, is limited and fragmented. The Gender-Based Violence Information Management System (GBVIMS) collects data on reported GBV incidents, but comprehensive national statistics are not available.
Lebanon does not have specialized courts exclusively dedicated to handling cases of violence against women (VAW). Instead, such cases are addressed within the existing judicial framework, primarily through civil and criminal courts, as well as religious courts for personal status matters.
Seven organizations provide legal aid services to survivors of gender-based violence. While an exact number is not readily available, notable organizations include:
- KAFA (Enough Violence and Exploitation): https://kafa.org.lb/en/about
- ABAAD – Resource Center for Gender Equality: https://www.abaadmena.org/
- Lebanese Council to Resist Violence Against Woman (LECORVAW): . https://daleel-madani.org/civil-society-directory/lebanese-council-resist-violence-against-woman?
- Legal Action Worldwide (LAW): https://legalactionworldwide.org/
- Tripoli Bar Association (TBA): https://ruwadhoukouk.org/en/our_activities/details/tripoli-bar-associations-training
- The Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering (RDFL): www.rdflwomen.org
- Justice Without Frontiers (JFW): www.jwf.org.lb
Central Inspection, Lebanon (n.d.) IMPACT Open Data platform. https://impact.cib.gov.lb/home
The Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF) are responsible for law enforcement, but comprehensive public databases detailing their operations, case statistics, or administrative records are not available.
The Inter-Ministerial and Municipal Platform for Assessment, Coordination, and Tracking (IMPACT) is an initiative by Lebanon's Central Inspection to promote transparency and accountability. While it provides access to various datasets, detailed administrative data specifically concerning police activities or VAW cases is not extensively covered.
Lebanon does not have dedicated police stations or units exclusively specialized in addressing violence against women and girls.
While exact numbers are not available, since 2012, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Lebanon, in partnership with the NGO KAFA (Enough Violence & Exploitation), Abaad and the United Nations Development Porgramme (UNDP) have been working to institutionalize a curriculum within the Internal Security Forces (ISF). This initiative aims to equip law enforcement officers with specialized knowledge and skills to handle cases of gender-based violence (GBV) effectively.
Data on social services is available through the Gender Based Violence Working Group for Lebanon, which includes data gathered from the Gender Based Violence Information Management System on incidents reported as well as referral pathways on services available for survivors.
Lebanon compiles gender based violence incident reports through the Gender Based Violence Information Management System, adhering to safe and ethical standards that preclude releasing survivor counts (including numbers of survivors accessing specialized services). Data is presented in aggregated form (e.g., percentages) to preserve confidentiality while supporting policy and program planning.
According to the Gender Based Violence Referral Pathways for Lebanon, there are three hospitals listed as providing Clinical Management of Rape Services:
- Baalbeck Governmental Hospital
- Amel Association- El Ain PHCC
- Nafela Association Taanayel - Rafic Al Hariri PHC
Lebanon compiles gender based violence incident reports through the GBVIMS, adhering to safe and ethical standards that preclude releasing survivor counts (including numbers of survivors accessing specialized services). Data is presented in aggregated form (e.g., percentages) to preserve confidentiality while supporting policy and program planning.
Referrals to Health/ Medical Services including Mental Health constitute the highest reported referrals (15%) amongst all services. GBV service providers referred survivors of rape and assault to the few existing facilities providing Clinical Management of Rape services (CMR). Partners coordinating these services confirmed a significant impact of the war and conflict on the provision of the service with four CMR facilities having been affected and are no longer providing CMR services during September and October 2024. This resulted in geographical gaps in service provision in: South, Nabatieh and Baalbek El Hermel areas, however, these facilities started to operate again in December 2024.