Lebanon passes law criminalizing sexual harassment
Lebanese lawmakers broadened what constitutes domestic violence but did not specifically outlaw marital rape.
Lebanon's parliament on Monday passed a landmark bill criminalizing sexual harassment that puts the worst offenders behind bars for up to four years — but activists say it doesn't go far enough to end discrimination against women.
The new law "criminalizes sexual harassment, especially in the workplace,” the official National News Agency reported.
According to Al Jazeera, under the new law, low-level perpetrators can be jailed for one month to up to a year, with fines between three and 10 times the minimum monthly wage (currently $450). Punishment for the worst offenses ranges between two and four years in prison and fines that are 30 to 50 times the minimum wage.
“Major victory for women’s rights and those who have been working for years to make it happen,” Amal Mudallali, Lebanon’s permanent representative to the United Nations, tweeted Monday.
