Women’s rights in Lebanon are currently a major topic of interest and concern on the national stage - and rightfully so. Women in Lebanon are not a minority. They constitute almost half of the population, but they have been systematically marginalised. Last month, Lebanese government officials decided once again to exclude the quota system which urges equal representation of women in parliament. The quota system would have guaranteed a minimum of 30 percent of the seats in parliament for women so they could play an active role in political decision-making. 

Currently, women in Lebanon account for 3.1 percent of the deputies in parliament - four out of 128 seats - and 3 percent of the ministers in the Council of Ministers. That's compared to a global average of 22 percent of parliamentarians who are women. Failure to implement the quota signifies a recurring theme in Lebanon where women's rights are often marginalised. So why has the system failed once again to implement the legislation and examine other legal areas - rape, citizenship and the welfare of women for starters - where women have yet to gain equals rights? Only once we define the problems can we find viable and sustainable answers.