Effect of the Lebanese nationality law on the experiences of Lebanese women married to Palestinian men: a qualitative study

Abstract

BackgroundCitizenship provides identity and ensures rights to its holders. In Lebanon, the issue of citizenship and civil rights of Palestinian refugees has long been a controversial topic. Lebanese Nationality Law enforces the concept of sex exclusion in which Lebanese women are denied the right to pass their citizenship to their husbands and children. We studied the effects of the Lebanese Nationality Law on the experiences of sex discrimination and on day to day life of Lebanese women married to Palestinian men, particularly in access to health care for their children. MethodsAfter approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the American University of Beirut (Beirut, Lebanon), we undertook indepth interviews with 12 Lebanese women married to Palestinian men and residing in Lebanon. We tape-recorded and transcribed the interviews and analysed the data by open and thematic coding. FindingsOur analysis showed five main themes. First, is Lebanese identity: rights versus citizenship; second is suffering; third is disruption of sex roles; fourth is strength and perseverance; and fifth, is seeking services (eg, social and health care). The women in our study are discrimined against on various levels, to the extent that they no longer feel like Lebanese citizens. Restricted access for their husbands and children to education and employment opportunities creates a severe economic affect. In seeking health care for their children and husbands, women often had to rely on the services of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which are insufficient for their needs, whereas a Lebanese citizen could rely on support by the National Social Security Fund. InterpretationThe effects of the Lebanese Nationality Law are harmful in the case of Lebanese women married to Palestinian men, because of the institutionalised discrimination against the Palestinian refugee population. The results of this study provide a glimpse into some of the daily struggles of Lebanese women married to Palestinian men. This nationality law has caused many women to lose their sense of identity to feel like foreigners in their own country and struggle to provide basic needs for their families that are granted to holders of a Lebanese citizenship. FundingNone.