Publications

Background

The booklet is produced in the context of Lebanon’s deep and prolonged socio-economic collapse, which has exposed structural governance failures across essential sectors. It highlights critical gaps in public policy related to poverty, regional development, transportation, healthcare, environmental protection, employment, and municipal capacity. These gaps stem from the absence of coherent national strategies, weakened public institutions, and prolonged crises that have left citizens without reliable services or social protection.
Within this environment, the 2022 parliamentary elections are presented as an opportunity for women candidates to advance grounded, rights-based public policy solutions. The document responds to the need for clear, actionable proposals anchored in constitutional obligations, international conventions, and existing legislative frameworks.

Assignment

The booklet was prepared with the support of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Lebanon to compile the public policy proposals developed by a group of potential women candidates for the 2022 parliamentary elections. It brings these proposals together in a structured format covering ten national themes, offering a reference that organizes the candidates’ inputs into clear policy directions. As part of the development process, Seeds for Legal Initiatives refined the proposals by developing their legal dimension, outlining the constitutional provisions, existing laws, and legal obligations relevant to each proposed policy area. This contribution ensured that the proposals are presented within an accurate legal framework that reflects Lebanon’s legislative context.

Research Approach & Methodology

The booklet was developed through a collaborative drafting process involving 28 women who contributed policy suggestions across ten selected themes. Their inputs were consolidated following a structured approach that connects each issue to its constitutional basis, relevant international human rights commitments, and existing national frameworks.
As part of the refinement process, Seeds for Legal Initiatives developed the public policies from the legal perspective, ensuring that each proposal is grounded in the applicable constitutional articles, legislative references, and Lebanon’s international obligations.
Across the thematic sections, the document examines the gaps in current laws, previous draft legislation, and national plans to explain why earlier measures were insufficient or not implemented. Each section then presents proposed measures that include both immediate steps, often described as emergency measures, and longer-term legal or structural reforms through draft laws.
The policy development drew on data from authoritative sources such as ESCWA, the World Bank, the World Food Program, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, national sector strategies (e.g., the Agriculture Plan 2020–2025), and existing legislative texts and reviews.

Key Outcomes

The booklet proposes a set of priority reforms aimed at addressing Lebanon’s overlapping economic, social, and governance challenges:

1. Strengthen social rights through a comprehensive welfare system, balanced regional development, universal healthcare, and dedicated mental health legislation.
2. Advance economic and infrastructure reform by resolving the electricity crisis, boosting employment through productive sectors, managing oil and gas transparently, updating maritime borders, and modernizing transport.
3. Improve environmental governance and local capacity by enforcing Environmental Protection Law 444/2002, establishing an environmental public prosecution, and empowering municipalities in environmental management.

FiftyFifty. (2022). مشاريع تنموية نحو سياسات عامة لمرشحات محتملات إلى الانتخابات النيابية 2022.