Beyond Religious Marriages: Civil Marriage, Civil Family Laws, and the Enhancement of Women’s Rights in Lebanon

Abstract

The present text explores the current confessional system in Lebanon and the possibility of a radical change to a secular state that governs personal status codes under civil laws. In order to do that, it draws on the Tunisian experience with which it shares a common colonial, geographic, and religious experience. I also delve into the possible effects that this reform can have on women’s rights in Lebanon while analyzing how the current laws fuel the sectarian system and examine the obstacles of secular change in a sectarian country.