Give My Sons a Bank Account, She Said
And apparently she got it:
A mother struck a small blow for women’s rights in Lebanon on Thursday by opening a bank account for her children – a right previously reserved only for fathers. “I’ve been trying to open a bank account for my two sons for 10 years now, but I was continuously told that only my husband could sign the papers,” Lebanese-American Barbara Batlouni told AFP.
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Her move came after Lebanon’s bank association altered its own rules on December 9, following a campaign to press for the change led by the Institute of Progressive Women and other groups.
I knew we had archaic rules when it came to women’s rights but this clearly takes the cake. Her actions were also quite well awarded:
The bank also presented her with a $US1,000 cheque as a token of their appreciation for her “fight against discrimination,” BBAC general manager Ghassan Assaf said.
Its great to see customers stepping in and pushing for change but I’m quite curious to know why the industry itself did not see the need to change the rules. I’m sure Batlouni is not the only case; for God’s sake, she’s been trying open a bank account for her children for over 10 years. Its clearly time for the business community to review sexist rules and regulations, and push for their removal. In any case, I’m glad she had the patience to wait for that long.
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Comments
It gets rather interesting if the father is deceased; the bank requires proof of death before giving a one-time right for the mothers.
Don’t hold your breath for the female revolution, I’m still hoping for a proper road network.
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Wow, a road network. Wouldn’t that be nice. Anyway, our entire legal system needs an overhaul. In which other country to you have sets of laws which contradict other laws and people pick and choose which they feel like applying that day? Women’s rights is still a long way off but I’m glad to see that there are people who still stand up to their principles.
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Wow! I didn’t know this rule existed previously!! Anyways good news.
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