INTRODUCTION
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Lebanon lacks a comprehensive legal framework and protective mechanisms to address
various forms of online violence, commonly referred to as "digital violence." Studies show
that women and girls are the most vulnerable to such abuse, which includes sexual threats,
the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, and cyber harassment3. Without effective
measures to combat digital violence, victims remain unprotected, while perpetrators often
evade accountability, exacerbating the harm to individuals and society4.
Despite efforts by Lebanese lawmakers to introduce legislation on defamation, libel, and
workplace harassment, significant gaps remain. The passing of Law No. 205 in December
2020, which criminalized sexual harassment and provided for victim rehabilitation5, was a
step toward modernizing Lebanon’s legal landscape. However, digital violence continues to
rise, affecting women, children, and seniors alike.6
Compounding the issue is the absence of a clear and consistent global system for reporting online violence.
Additionally, the inherently decentralized and borderless nature of the digital world makes regulation and
enforcement even more challenging.
Human Rights Watch has recognized Law No. 205 as a positive step, highlighting its provisions that protect
victims "from retaliation, including in pay, promotion, transfer, contract renewal, or disciplinary measures”.
However,8while it represents progress in criminalizing such behavior, Human Rights Watch noted that the
legislation falls short by not directly linking it to labor law reform, oversight mechanisms, civil remedies,
preventive measures, and workplace protection policies. The law also includes safeguards for individuals
who report harassment and prohibits discrimination against them.9
1 Rouba El Helou, university lecturer, gender, human rights & communication expert She is currently the FORGE-Fellow in the Future of Rights and Governance program at New York University (NYU) School of Law, researching and working on a project titled “Human Rights of Human Resources (HRofHR)”. She also serves as the
Secretary General and a member of the Executive Board of the Lebanese
Center for Human Rights (CLDH). She has an extensive experience in media and organizational development, with a particular focus on fact-checking, strategic planning, policy design and implementation, and structural reforms. As both an academic and a practitioner, she has developed numerous training tools and publications
on Open Educational Resources (OER), in addition to works on organizational reform, communication in the network society, and peer-reviewed articles in feminist and masculinist studies, postcolonial and intersectional cultural studies, and autoethnography. Her research interests include political communication, gender-based
violence, intersectional gender studies, media self-organization, digital rights, and rule of law governance. Rouba is also active as a journalist, lecturer in communication and gender, and consultant in academic planning and quality assurance in higher education and training. She has worked extensively across the media sector on
communication strategy, organizational development, policy reform, and media systems.
2 Note: This policy paper was reviewed by experts in digital surveillance, digital rights, feminism, and human rights to ensure that the research focus and recommendations are based on a participatory approach, inclusivity, and practical. The researcher expresses her gratitude to: Samar Al Halal, digital rights and security expert;
Nourhan Abu Zeid, lawyer and feminist activist; Abed Kataya, digital content manager at SMEX; Nourhan Sharafeddine, communications and advocacy staff at the Lebanese Center for Human Rights; Dalal Saoud, journalist and regional adviser for Women In News; and Mayada Abdullah, project coordinator of the Arab Master’s
3 Program in Democracy and Human Rights at Saint Joseph University and member of the LADE board, for their invaluable review and support throughout the research process.
4 https://onlineviolencewomen.eiu.com/
5 https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/technology/online-violence/
6 https://blogs.worldbank.org/ar/arabvoices/sexual-harassment-workplace-lebanon-where-are-we-headed
Song, Haoming and Holzer, Angie (2023) "Online Safety Laws by Country," Journal of Nonprofit Innovation: Vol. 3: Iss. 3, Article 3. URL: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/joni/vol3/iss3/3
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