• The past month recorded a manifest victory for the Lebanese woman: the government amended Legislative Decree No. 6 concerning the electoral law with another granting all Lebanese women the absolute right to exercise their political rights.
At the meeting held by the League of Women's Organizations in Lebanon on February 17, a great gathering of women, headed by Miss Ibtihaj Kaddoura, went to the Presidential Palace, where they were received by His Excellency the President and Their Excellencies the head of state and the ministers, and expressed their sincere thanks to the honored government for the goodly step it had graciously taken in extending political rights to all Lebanese women citizens, on condition only that their names be entered on the electoral rolls without any special formality. With this was annulled the first decree, which had required of the woman voter possession of the elementary-school certificate.
On this occasion Mrs. Emily Nasrallah, one of our women most ardent for the cause, delivered a fine address, in which she said: "...Your task and ours is not yet ended." "...We believe that in this near future there will be no buying of votes and consciences in our Lebanon, and no bargaining over positions..."
• The Lebanese Women's League held a general meeting at the Military Club, its purpose being, first, to hear a lecture
by Mrs. Eva Malik, wife of Dr. Charles Malik, Lebanon's Minister Plenipotentiary in Washington, and second, to elect four new members to the board of directors.
The president, Mrs. Heneni Tarcha, opened the meeting by presenting the lecturer as a lady who is one of the pillars of the association and one of the workers in the women's renaissance. Then Mrs. Eva Malik rose and congratulated the ladies on the success they had achieved in winning their political rights and in entering the Municipal Council. She
then drew a comparison between the Lebanese woman and the American, saying that the two keep pace with each other in culture and in social service, and that all our women need is solidarity, the uniting of forces, and self-confidence. She then took up the capabilities of the American woman, and the general awareness that embraces every side of her life, and her eagerness to become acquainted with all the international questions, and especially the questions of the Arabs. Mrs. Malik said: the American woman feels the ill conduct of her country and her government toward the Arabs in the Palestine question, and wishes that she herself could mend what has been spoiled. And there is one truth that admits of no doubt: that Eisenhower's victory in the presidency of the United States is owed in the first degree to the American woman's enthusiasm for him — and this is decisive proof that woman's power in this age is no longer a thing to be trifled with!
After Mrs. Malik finished her talk, the election of the members to the administrative board took place, and the winners were Mesdames Adelaide Rishani,
Mrs. Eva Malik delivering her address; in the front row, from the right, appear Mesdames: al-Hazen, Tabet, Tuqan, Kaddoura, and Moumina.