Nobel Women's Initiative

An all-women team of cluster bomb searchers has been breaking new ground and gender barriers in Lebanon’s still dangerous south. 

The country’s only all female team - once local teachers, nurses and housewives - was set up by de-mining NGO Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) to clear areas littered with unexploded cluster bombs dropped by the Israeli military in the 2006 July War. 

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Qassem Ghossein, the operations manager of a national demining action program, said the group has been working in mine clearance for five years with plans to increase the involvement of women: “We have four teams, one comprises women and the others are male teams… [The association has] realized that Lebanese females are capable of working in all fields.” Knut Furunes, the manager for the NPA’s Mine Action Programme is worried about donor willingness and hopes the attention the women’s team is attracting keeps funding operations in Lebanon, of which 75 million dollars is still needed to fully demine the South.

There are still at least 2,897 survivors of cluster bomb explosions (and other unexploded ordnance including landmines) in Lebanon, as well as hundreds of thousands more throughout the world. Lebanon is spearheading efforts to convince more countries to sign an international treaty banning cluster bombs as it hosts the Second Meeting of State Parties to the 2008 Convention on Cluster munitions (2MSP) this week 12-16 September.

 

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TAKE ACTION

Sign the People’s Treaty to Help Ban Cluster Bombs now.

Write to your MP to urge her or him to encourage the government to accede or ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Write to your government - most often the Minister of Foreign Affairs is responsible for this issue - requesting they sign and ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Take action on divestment in your country and help stop the funding of cluster bomb producers.

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LEARN MORE

Learn about the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), which prohibits all use, stockpiling, production and transfer of Cluster Munitions.

Learn about the Second Meeting of State Parties to the 2008 Convention on Cluster munitions (2MSP).

Learn about Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA)’s global Mine Action Programme.

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READ MORE

“Sight of women-deminers in southern Lebanon grows more familiar,” The Daily Star, 2 April 2011.

“’I feel like I’ve saved a life’: the women clearing Lebanon of cluster bombs,” The Guardian, 12 August 2011.

“The women demining the South,” Now Lebanon, 20 August 2011.

“Winning hearts and mines,” Ynet, 13 August 2011.

“A day in the life of a Lebanese female deminer,” Cluster Munition Coalition, 30 August 2011.