While Lebanon suffers from a paucity of female politicians, establishing a quota is not the only way to bolster women’s participation in the political sphere, say members of UNDP’s Lebanese Electoral Assistance Program.

Nadine Moussa, Lebanon’s first female candidate for the presidency, insists that Lebanon needs a “new social contract,” with women holding half of all parliamentary and governmental posts.

At the end of 2011, women made up about 10 per cent of all parliamentarians in Arab states - far below the 19.5 per cent figure worldwide. However, some women in the region are making small steps into the political arena. Lebanon has a reputation as the most liberal country in the Arab world.

On 3 July, the UNDP Lebanese Elections Assistance Programme (LEAP) organized the EU-funded workshop 

More than 50 women are planning to run for the upcoming parliamentary polls, as activists are still campaigning for quota in both the Parliament and Cabinet.