Protestors Call For Justice For Murdered Women

On May 30, 2015, hundreds of protestors marched in Beirut to demand greater protection for victims of family violence.

Protestors gathered in front of the National Museum, and marched towards the Ministry of Justice.

Family and friends of female victims of family violence carried signs featuring photos of the victims, the date of birth, the date of the crime, the man accused, and his judicial status.

Protestors repeated the stories of murdered women as they marched through the streets of the capital. They screamed chants calling for the disposal of patriarchal sentences, customs, and values that bind women to violent homes and marriages.

The protest came almost two weeks after the brutal murder of Sarah al-Amine, who was shot 17 times by her husband.

The protest was organized by women’s rights organization, KAFA (Enough Violence and Exploitation)  in order to demand the implementation of the legislation to protect women from family violence, expedited trials for those accused of killing women, stricter punishment for murderers, and the establishment of a specialized family court that would prioritize cases of female victims of domestic violence.

According to KAFA, an average of one woman dies from domestic violence every month in Lebanon.

Last year, the Lebanese Parliament finally passed Law No 293, known as the Law for the Protection of Women and Other Family Members from Domestic Violence, after a years-long campaign spearheaded by KAFA. However, the amended version of the bill passed fell short of demands. In particular, it failed to specifically enshrine protection for women, and used religious terminology in place of rights-based terms.

Click here to view the Photo Gallery “Justice for Murdered Women Protest” on Flickr,  or browse through the selected thumbnails below.