Women Gain Ground Against Violence

“I celebrate my courage in coming here. I was alone, but now I am not alone.” This stand against family violence–the most common form of violence experienced by women globally–is what Kafa, or “Enough”, helps empower women victims of gender-based violence to make, through public and private means.

Most intimately, its 24-hour help line and listening and counseling center provide supportive listeners backed by doctors–to certify exposure to violence–psychotherapists, and lawyers. Publicly, with other lobbying groups, Kafa has led a proposal for a legal framework to protect women from family violence. They reached a landmark on July 22, when Lebanon’s parliamentary joint committees approved a draft protection bill.

But the general assembly has yet to pass the law, which does not criminalize the act of marital rape, nor guarantee minors the same protection as their mothers. To redress these shortfalls, its coordinator, Faten Abou Chakra, insists: “Our campaign will continue.”

For more – http://www.kafa.org.lb/LCC.aspx