The “Stronger with Women” project is implemented by the Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST), in cooperation with the Global Partners Governance (GPG). The Global Partners Governance (GPG) is an independent consultancy based in London, established in 2005 to strengthen political institutions and improve the quality of political representation. The project aims at supporting a wide spectrum of current and potential future leaders, and breaking down existing barriers to participation, in support of an increase in female representation in Lebanese National and Municipal Government in the 2022 elections. This project provides women able to offer an unparalleled breadth of experience of gender programming in politically sensitive environments.
Within this group, the funding and project writing committee presented a session entitled, “Public Speaking”, as a part of the initiative “Public Speaking as an Art of Effective Oral Communication with Audience”, implemented in Tammouz Hall by Mr. Assem Chreif. This project was approved and chosen by Global Partners Governance (GPG), and its implementation started at the beginning of October, 2019, and will continue until the 2022 elections.
The Arab region has the lowest participation of women in political life globally, and is ranked the lowest in political participation on the gender gap index. Some countries have made efforts to embed gender equality in constitutions and policies, including a provision for a quota system. However, this is the exception rather than the norm. Women in Lebanon are severely underrepresented in all facets of the political process both at the local and national level. This is often due to social-cultural and institutional barriers, including religious, confessional, and political issues. Winning this project is an important step to have a better society, women who want to change the world, or to go as far as their talents or interests take them, sometimes have to resist or reject that little voice in their head that stokes their insecurities and suggests how they should or shouldn’t behave. “Stronger with Women” engages women in the development process of the region, as leaders of their society.
