Just 1 week after we posted about article 522, the law that protects rapists, we see the power of raising awareness and hard work!
All the posts and videos were shared far and wide; not only in Lebanon but also internationally. I believe that’s why the parliament’s administration and justice committee agreed to abolish article 522 yesterday.
In case you don’t know, if a rapist marries their victim, they are automatically forgiven for the rape thanks to article 522 – dubbed the “Lebanon rapist law.”
We discussed how similar laws exist across the Middle East and how groups in countries like Jordan are actively working to abolish it.
Although the justice committee agreed to scrap the article, it’s important to note that the parliament still needs to vote on it. The committee will be holding another meeting next week, on December 14th, to further work on the details surrounding the cancellation of article 522.
ABAAD has done great work in terms of raising awareness and staging sit-ins to oppose that law. It’s important to note that it’s not the first time that laws have gone for “revision”, only to be pushed aside later on.
So we must keep raising awareness about it until it’s abolishment has been confirmed and voted for by the parliament. When we first wrote about it last week, only 1% of Lebanese knew that this law even existed. I’m sure that number has significantly increased thanks to the active work of ABAAD as well as for all of you sharing these articles with your friends! This is one of many laws that need changing. That’s why we must continue to support organizations like ABAAD and KAFA who actively work to bring an end to the laws that allow for abuse. For those of you who don’t know,
KAFA’s mission is to work towards eradicating all forms of gender-based violence and exploitation of women and children.