Skip to main content
Book cover

The Palgrave International Handbook of Women and Journalism pp 432–448Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Lebanon: Women’s Struggle for Gender Equality and Harassment-free Newsrooms

  • Chapter

Abstract

Lebanon has historically been one of the most liberal and progressive countries in the Arab world, with a relatively free media climate and a culture and legal environment largely conducive to gender equality. Censorship in Lebanon remains nowhere near as stringent as in most of its regional counterparts, although journalists and bloggers self-censor for personal safety (Alabaster 2011). The country has a long tradition of press freedom, but nearly all media have ties to political groups (Al-Najjar 2011). Women have legal access to virtually all occupations and professions and enjoy equal constitutional rights with men, despite the persistence of some discriminatory laws and practices. In addition, Lebanese women in most professions face a national trend of underrepresentation in positions of power, especially within the news industry. As was learned in the Global Report on the Status of Women in the News Media (Global Report) study, Lebanese news companies employ twice as many men as women, and the disparity further increases as we go up the corporate ladder (Byerly 2011).

Keywords

  • Sexual Harassment
  • Gender Discrimination
  • Arab World
  • World Economic Forum
  • News Organization

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • DOI: 10.1057/9781137273246_31
  • Chapter length: 17 pages
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • ISBN: 978-1-137-27324-6
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
Softcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Hardcover Book
USD   99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Abou Ammo, R. (2011). ‘Blackout in Beirut: Dahiyeh Residents Vindicated by City’s Power Outage’. http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/2228, date accessed 18 July 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alabaster, O. (2011). ‘Lebanon in Dire Need of a New Media Law’. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/Aug-12/Lebanon-in-dire-need-of-a-new-media-law.ashx#axzz20yV9v58i, date accessed 23 July 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alabaster, O. (2012). ‘10-Week Maternity Leave too Short: Mothers’. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/May-01/171995-10-week-maternity-leave-too-short-mothers.ashx#axzz20yV9v58i, date accessed 23 June 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Al-Najjar, A. (2011). ‘Contesting Patriotism and Global Journalism Ethics in Arab Journalism’. Journalism Studies 12(6): 747–756.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Amel Association and CESTAS. (2010). Enhancing status and working conditions of female health staff in Lebanon: An exploratory study (Beirut, Lebanon: Amel Association and Centro di Educazione Sanitaria e Tecnologie Sanitarie Appropriate (CESTAS)).

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, B. (2011). ‘Campaign Mounts Against Lazy Lebanese Internet’. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Business/Lebanon/2011/Jun-02/Campaign-mounts-against-lazy-Lebanese-Internet.ashx, date accessed 3 July 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, B. (2012). ‘Lebanese Demonstrate for Legal Protection Against Domestic Violence’. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Feb-20/163903-lebanese-demonstrate-for-legal-protection-against-domestic-violence.ashx, date accessed 8 October 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, C. and Flatow, G. (1997). ‘Targets, Effects, and Perpetrators of Sexual Harassment in Newsrooms’. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly 74(1): 160–183.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Byerly, C. M. (2011). Global Report on the Status of Women in the News Media (Washington, DC: International Women’s Media Foundation).

    Google Scholar 

  • Central Administration of Statistics. (2008). ‘Lebanon in Figures, 2008’. http://www.cas.gov.lb/images/PDFs/Lebanon-Figures-2008.pdf, date accessed 24 June 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dabbous-Sensenig, D. (2000). ‘Media vs. Society in Lebanon: Schizophrenia in an Age of Globalization’. Media Development, 47: 14–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dabbous-Sensenig, D. (2002) The Arab World and the Challenge of Introducing Gendersensitive Communication Policies (Beirut, Lebanon: United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women).

    Google Scholar 

  • Dabbous-Sensenig, D. (2007). ACRLI 2007 Country Report: Media in Lebanon (Beirut, Lebanon: Arab Center for the Development of the Rule of Law and Integrity).

    Google Scholar 

  • Dajani, N. (2006). ‘The Re-feudalization of the Public Sphere: Lebanese Television News Coverage and the Lebanese Political Process’. Transnational Broadcasting Studies, 16, http://www.tbsjournal.com/Dajani.html, date accessed 23 July 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fandy, M. (2007). (Un)Civil War of Words: Media and Politics in the Arab World (Westport, CT: Praeger Security International).

    Google Scholar 

  • Farhood, D. N. (2009). Family, Culture, and Decisions: A Look into the Experiences of University Students in Lebanon. Unpublished master’s thesis. (American University of Beirut).

    Google Scholar 

  • Flatow, G. (1994). ‘Sexual Harassment in Indiana Daily Newspapers’. Newspaper Research Journal 15(3): 32–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freedom House. (2011). ‘Freedom in the World Report’. http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=363&year=2011, date accessed 8 July 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gatten, E. (2012). ‘Sexual Harassment Rife in Workplaces’. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/May-08/172647-sexual-harassment-rife-in-workplaces.ashx, date accessed 28 June 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hardin, M. and Shain, S. (2006). ‘ “Feeling Much Smaller than You Know You Are”: The Fragmented Professional Identity of Female Sports Journalists’. Critical Studies in Media Communication 23(4): 322–338.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Human Rights Watch. (2008). ‘Lebanon: Migrant domestic Workers Dying Every Week’. http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2008/08/24/lebanon-migrant-domestic-workers-dying-every-week, date accessed 8 October 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Human Rights Watch. (2011a). ‘Lebanon: Enact Family Violence Bill to Protect Women’. http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/07/06/lebanon-enact-family-violence-bill-protect-women, date accessed 19 July 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Human Rights Watch. (2011b). ‘Lebanon: Law reform targets ‘honor’ crimes’. http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/08/11/lebanon-law-reform-targets-honor-crimes, date accessed 8 October 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Institute for Women’s Policy Research. (2010). ‘Focus on Lebanon: Women’s Freedom of Movement, and Freedom from Harassment and Violence’. http://www.ifes.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Papers/2010/swmena/20100218_Lebanon_Demographic.pdf, date accessed 15 May 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • International Monetary Fund. (2011). ‘World Economic Outlook Database’. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/02/pdf/text.pdf, date accessed 14 July 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jamali, D., Safieddine, A. and Daouk, M. (2006). ‘The Glass Ceiling: Some Positive Trends from the Lebanese Banking Sector’. Women in Management Review 21(8): 625–642.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Keyton, J., Ferguson, P. and Rhodes, S. (2001). ‘Cultural Indicators of Sexual Harassment’. The Southern Communication Journal 67(1): 33–50.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Khalaf, M. C. (2010). ‘Lebanon’. In S. Kelly and J. Breslin (eds) Women’s Rights in the Middle East and North Africa: Progress Amid Resistance (New York, NY: Freedom House;Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield), http://www.freedomhouse.org, date accessed 20 May 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khalife, T. (2012). Lil Nasher (Beirut, Lebanon: New TV).

    Google Scholar 

  • Khashan, H. (2011). ‘Middle Eastern Upheavals: The View from Syria and Lebanon’. Middle East Quarterly 18(3): 25–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, S. and Kleiner, B. H. (1999). ‘Sexual Harassment in the Workplace’. Equal Opportunities International 18(2): 20–22.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Maharat Foundation. (2008). Freedom of Opinion and Expression in Lebanon 2008 (Beirut), http://maharatfoundation.com/index.php, date accessed 15 July 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Makdisi, S., Kiwan, F. and Marktanner, M. (2010). ‘Lebanon: The Constrained Democracy and its National Impact’. In I. Elbadawi and S. Makdisi (eds) Democracy in the Arab World: Explaining the Deficit (New York: Routledge), pp. 115–141.

    Google Scholar 

  • McAdams, K. and Beasley, M. (1994). ‘Sexual Harassment of Washington Women Journalists’. Newspaper Research Journal 15(1): 127–132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melki, J. (2009). ‘Journalism and Media Studies in Lebanon’. Journalism Studies, 10(5): 672–690.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Melki, J., Dabbous, Y., Nasser, K. and Mallat, S. (2012). Mapping Digital Media: Lebanon (New York, NY: Open Society Foundations Media Program), http://www.soros.org/initiatives/media, date accessed 1 July 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nazzal, M. (2012). ‘Migrant Workers in Lebanon: Rape in Police Custody’, Al Akhbar, http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/5912, date accessed 15 July 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Net Index. (2012). ‘Household Download Index: Lebanon’. http://www.netindex.com/download/allcountries, date accessed 13 July 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nordland, R. (2012). ‘Lebanon Artists Confront Rise in Censorship’. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/04/world/middleeast/lebanon-artists-confront-rise-in-censorship.html, date accessed 28 June 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • North, L. (2007). ‘Just a Little Bit of Cheeky Ribaldry?’ Feminist Media Studies, 7(1): 81–96.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Qiblawi, T. (2011). ‘Draft Laws in Lebanon Fall Short on Equality’, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Business/Lebanon/2011/May-30/Draft-laws-in-Lebanon-fall-short-on-equality. ashx, date accessed 8 October 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rabil, R. (2003). Embattled Neighbors: Syria, Israel, and Lebanon (Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross, K. (2001). ‘Women at Work: Journalism as an En-gendered Process’. Journalism Studies, 2(4): 531–544.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Rugh, W. (2004). Arab Mass Media: Newspapers, Radio, and Television in Arab Politics (Westport, CT: Praeger).

    Google Scholar 

  • Saghieh, N., Saghieh, R. and Geagea. (n.d.). ‘Censorship in Lebanon: Law and Practice’. http://www.lb.boell.org/web/52-744.html, date accessed 30 July 2012.

  • Saud, G. (2012). ‘The Association of “Enough Prudishness and Respect:” the Deputies of Arousal and Perversion’ (translated from Arabic), Al Akhbar, http://al-akhbar.com/node/33737, date accessed 15 May 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shehadeh, L. (1998). ‘The Legal Status of Married Women in Lebanon’. International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 30(4): 501–519.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Sidahmed, A. (2012). The Plight of Female Journalists (Doha, Qatar: Doha Center for Media Freedom), http://www.dc4mf.org/en/content/plight-female-journalists, date accessed 28 June 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stein, M. (1994). ‘Sexual Harassment in U.S. Newsrooms’. Editor and Publisher 127(36): 11–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Traboulsi, F. (2007). A History of Modern Lebanon (London: Pluto Press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Transparency International. (2011). ‘CPI Report’. http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2011/results, date accessed 17 July 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trombetta, L. (2010). ‘Media Landscape: Lebanon’. http://www.ejc.net/media_landscape/article, date accessed 5 July 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • UN. (2012). ‘The Millennium Development Goals Report’. http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/SeriesDetail.aspx?srid=722, date accessed 8 October 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walsh-Childers, K., Chance, J. and Herzog, K. (1996). ‘Sexual Harassment of Women Journalists’. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly 73(3): 559–582.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • World Economic Forum. (2011). ‘The Global Gender Gap Report’. Cologny/Geneva Switzerland, http://www.weforum.org/issues/global-gender-gap, date accessed 10 October 2012.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Jad Melki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sarah Mallat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Howard University, USA

    Carolyn M. Byerly

Copyright information

© 2013 Jad Melki and Sarah Mallat

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Melki, J., Mallat, S. (2013). Lebanon: Women’s Struggle for Gender Equality and Harassment-free Newsrooms. In: Byerly, C.M. (eds) The Palgrave International Handbook of Women and Journalism. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137273246_31

Download citation