More than a Refugee – Beddawi camp

07/03/2024

Beddawi – On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Association Najdeh organised a conference and open discussion titled “Refugee and More: The Implications of International Decisions on Refugee Women in Lebanon.” The event was attended by popular committees in the camp, women’s unions, representatives of educational, social, and health institutions, scouting organisations, sports clubs, social activists, and media outlets.

After a welcome address by Mrs. Hanaa Al-Aynain, the Beddawi Branch Coordinator, a keynote speech was delivered in honour of Women’s Day. The speech emphasised, “Is this a day to celebrate the struggles of women, or is it a violation of the right to life for Palestinian women and girls? Therefore, international institutions, starting from the United Nations, through human rights organisations, and ending with women’s and girls’ rights agencies, are called upon to apply uniform and non-discriminatory standards to Palestinian women and girls… and to recognise the significant role of women in every historical struggle and their distinctive contributions.”

Lawyer Maysa Shander, the Executive President of the MASIR Organisation, spoke about the rights of women and girls, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Violence Against Women and Girls, and the abolition of all forms of discrimination. She also discussed Resolution 1325 on peace and security, in addition to the concept of equality and the elimination of discrimination.

Mr. Mohammad Tawieh, the Legal Coordination Officer in the Northern Region Protection Unit – UNRWA, spoke about personal status laws, the process of birth registration, custody and alimony laws, and the issues and procedures that hinder registration and increase fees in Sharia courts, as well as early marriage. There were several interventions and discussions to clarify various concepts.