Women’s voices from Lebanon: Zineb

Choosing how many children one wants to have and when, to use contraceptives, and knowing more about different methods are rights of all women. These rights, promoted through family planning, have become common reality for many women in Lebanon, but not to all of them.

Zineb[1] is a 20-year-old Syrian woman from Qalamoun. Forced to flee the war, she sought safety in Lebanon where she met her husband in a grocery shop. He liked her, and the next day she found herself married. All had been settled.

Her new family, her husband’s, is from Qalamoun too. They are all demanding: Zineb must have babies and register to the UNHCR in order to benefit from aid. She eventually fell pregnant. But the pressure induced by her husband and in-laws led her to consider abortion an option. She doesn’t want her baby boy to live a life full of hardships, and she esteems him not to be a matter of business. “But I feel I have no right to do so, to take this decision. I am scared for my son”. Zineb is lost between contrary feelings…

Nidal. She will name her son Nidal, which means struggle. “…because he will have to go through a lot”, explains Zineb. She feels this is the only good thing she will give to her son: “At least he will have a strong name”.

Amel Association and Médecins du Monde both work to promote safe deliveries and access to family planning to all women in Lebanon. Unfortunately, many inequalities exist. By collecting and sharing stories of women who couldn’t access proper health care during pregnancy and delivery, and who don’t have knowledge or access to family planning, Amel Association International and Médecins du Monde point out such inequalities and aim to raise awareness on these issues.

[1] The name was changed to preserve the privacy of the interviewee.