General Meeting of the Lebanese Women's League

The Lebanese Women's League, under the presidency of Mrs. Heneni Tarcha, held its monthly general meeting at the hall of Ahliah National College in Beirut, on the afternoon of Friday, April 18, 1947. The lecturer was the eminent Mr. Ibrahim Khairallah.

Mrs. Ellen Rihan opened the meeting by reading the minutes of the previous meeting, then presented the honored lecturer to those present, all of them workers in the field of the women's renaissance in Lebanon.

Mr. Khairallah gave a valuable and delightful talk in which he briefly traced the history of woman's struggle in the world to obtain her rights in full. He concluded by saying: "The misery we are in could have been far lighter had woman taken an effective part in legislation. For however broad a man's understanding may be, he cannot comprehend, as he ought, woman's true need. And I affirm most decisively that there is no reform for Lebanon unless the Lebanese woman assumes her rightful place. And if woman wishes to assume this place, let her work toward it gradually, beginning with the municipal councils, then demanding that the government open schools for girls equal to the schools opened for boys."

Miss Ibtihaj Kaddoura was foremost among the ladies present, and she offered some remarks that met with a far-reaching echo of approval. Among the things she said was that she protests against the expression "the emancipation of woman," because it implies an acknowledgment of her bondage, and from now on it must be abandoned. She then said that the Lebanese woman demands her rights as a citizen; and when that is accomplished, all the other rights will follow to her of their own accord.