The Lebanese parliament passed a new law on domestic violence April 1. The idea for such a law was born in 2007 in the offices of the group Kafa [Enough] Violence Against Women. The project for a law protecting women against violence brought together 64 nongovernmental organizations, which submitted the draft to the government in 2009. Five years and two revisions later, the new law little resembles the original text. The wording used in the final draft says it all — “domestic violence,” not “violence against women.”

Two days after the vote on the law, Human Rights Watch declared the legislation “good, but incomplete.” Maya Ammar, Kafa's media officer, shared this opinion, telling Al-Monitor, “This is a big step for women's rights, but it is not enough.” According to Ammar, the only real breakthrough is that the law simplifies some legal mechanisms. Among the undesirable changes made to the original text is the provision involving marital rape, which is now “marital rights by force” and is condemned only if it involves physical evidence of violence.

After six months of adapting the association's work to the new law, Ammar came to the conclusion that the implication of the law is not so bad. She said, “Most of the judges are fair in their decisions, protecting the children as well, which is good.” Regardless, Ammar still thinks improvements are necessary. She stated, “We should unify the [complaint] procedures, so there is a straight line of action to follow, and also expedite the process. Sometimes, women don't have the time to wait for the judges to decide!”

This was the case for Nisrine Rouhana, killed by her husband while she tried to obtain a divorce after complaining of domestic violence. Ammar stated, “Her parents said that the police didn't arrest the husband, who didn't respect the restraining order, a fact that was never declared to the authorities by her own lawyer.”