Gendering State–Citizen Relations in Lebanon: The Case of the Family Violence Bill 2014

This report examines the nature of interaction and engagement between Lebanese citizens’ collectives and the state on gender-specific matters, through the case study of the Family Violence Bill that was passed in 2014. It analyses the practical ways in which civil society organised and engaged with the state to lobby for the Family Violence Bill prior to its passing. The report argues that the modalities of advocating for policy change on a gender-specific issue within the Lebanese confessional political system are very complex and not conducive to change. This is because it relates to matters of women’s rights and intimate social organisation within a complex and hierarchical system of power.