Latest items for Lebanon
Jan. 18, 2025, 3:06 p.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: UVAW-PRACTICE-1
"In March 2024, Lebanon’s 'reform MPs,' a group of legislators who were elected in 2022 from outside the country’s traditional sectarian system, proposed a new law on violence against women (VAW)" (para 1). "It is highly unlikely that the law [against VAW] will pass in its current form due to a seemingly entrenched culture of violence against women in Lebanon and the sectarian leaders’ continuing control over the country’s political system" (para 1, 12). "The extent of VAW in Lebanon is extremely high and has continued to rise in recent years" (para 8).
Variables: UVAW-PRACTICE-1
"In March 2024, Lebanon’s 'reform MPs,' a group of legislators who were elected in 2022 from outside the country’s traditional sectarian system, proposed a new law on violence against women (VAW)" (para 1). "It is highly unlikely that the law [against VAW] will pass in its current form due to a seemingly entrenched culture of violence against women in Lebanon and the sectarian leaders’ continuing control over the country’s political system" (para 1, 12). "The extent of VAW in Lebanon is extremely high and has continued to rise in recent years" (para 8).
Jan. 18, 2025, 3:06 p.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: SEGI-PRACTICE-1
"It [a proposed bill on domestic violence] includes provisions for public awareness campaigns to educate the population about how to recognize the signs of domestic violence and how to seek help" (para 6).
Variables: SEGI-PRACTICE-1
"It [a proposed bill on domestic violence] includes provisions for public awareness campaigns to educate the population about how to recognize the signs of domestic violence and how to seek help" (para 6).
Jan. 18, 2025, 3:06 p.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: NGOFW-PRACTICE-1
"In March 2024, Lebanon’s 'reform MPs,' a group of legislators who were elected in 2022 from outside the country’s traditional sectarian system, proposed a new law on violence against women (VAW). They drafted the bill in collaboration with local feminist NGOs and based it on international legal instruments and conventions" (para 1). "Two of the most important such NGOs are ABAAD and Kafa, whose members have conducted much of the legwork that went into formulating new legal frameworks, publicizing women’s issues, and supporting the families of victims during legal proceedings. They also work with regional and international organizations in collecting data and issuing reports and studies about the lives of...more
Variables: NGOFW-PRACTICE-1
"In March 2024, Lebanon’s 'reform MPs,' a group of legislators who were elected in 2022 from outside the country’s traditional sectarian system, proposed a new law on violence against women (VAW). They drafted the bill in collaboration with local feminist NGOs and based it on international legal instruments and conventions" (para 1). "Two of the most important such NGOs are ABAAD and Kafa, whose members have conducted much of the legwork that went into formulating new legal frameworks, publicizing women’s issues, and supporting the families of victims during legal proceedings. They also work with regional and international organizations in collecting data and issuing reports and studies about the lives of...more
Jan. 18, 2025, 3:06 p.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: NGOFW-DATA-1
"In March 2024, Lebanon’s 'reform MPs,' a group of legislators who were elected in 2022 from outside the country’s traditional sectarian system, proposed a new law on violence against women (VAW). They drafted the bill in collaboration with local feminist NGOs and based it on international legal instruments and conventions" (para 1). "Two of the most important such NGOs are ABAAD and Kafa, whose members have conducted much of the legwork that went into formulating new legal frameworks, publicizing women’s issues, and supporting the families of victims during legal proceedings. They also work with regional and international organizations in collecting data and issuing reports and studies about the lives of...more
Variables: NGOFW-DATA-1
"In March 2024, Lebanon’s 'reform MPs,' a group of legislators who were elected in 2022 from outside the country’s traditional sectarian system, proposed a new law on violence against women (VAW). They drafted the bill in collaboration with local feminist NGOs and based it on international legal instruments and conventions" (para 1). "Two of the most important such NGOs are ABAAD and Kafa, whose members have conducted much of the legwork that went into formulating new legal frameworks, publicizing women’s issues, and supporting the families of victims during legal proceedings. They also work with regional and international organizations in collecting data and issuing reports and studies about the lives of...more
Jan. 18, 2025, 3:06 p.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1
"It is common in such cases [the murder of women] for the perpetrators of violence against women to excuse and justify their actions as the result of a woman’s perceived insult or breach of religion. The label 'honor killings' is sometimes used for such cases, especially when the woman is accused of adultery. In April 2023 Zeinab Zeaiter was shot and killed by her husband, allegedly for cheating on him. Astonishingly, Zeaiter’s own brother took the side of her killer, stating that he was proud of the murder and that it was necessary to remove the “shame” that Zeaiter had brought onto her family’s reputation. In 2014, when Manal Assi’s...more
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1
"It is common in such cases [the murder of women] for the perpetrators of violence against women to excuse and justify their actions as the result of a woman’s perceived insult or breach of religion. The label 'honor killings' is sometimes used for such cases, especially when the woman is accused of adultery. In April 2023 Zeinab Zeaiter was shot and killed by her husband, allegedly for cheating on him. Astonishingly, Zeaiter’s own brother took the side of her killer, stating that he was proud of the murder and that it was necessary to remove the “shame” that Zeaiter had brought onto her family’s reputation. In 2014, when Manal Assi’s...more
Jan. 18, 2025, 3:06 p.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-3
"The proposed legislation [a bill against VAW] contains strong provisions to end exemptions for certain sectarian communities regarding crimes and offenses such as 'honor crimes,' rape, and marital violence that limit women’s rights and safety (para 2). This means that there are currently exemptions for these crimes (CEC2 - CODER COMMENT).
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-3
"The proposed legislation [a bill against VAW] contains strong provisions to end exemptions for certain sectarian communities regarding crimes and offenses such as 'honor crimes,' rape, and marital violence that limit women’s rights and safety (para 2). This means that there are currently exemptions for these crimes (CEC2 - CODER COMMENT).
Jan. 18, 2025, 3:06 p.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-2
"Funding for shelters, personnel training, and other infrastructure to protect women is also unlikely to be forthcoming, in part due to the severe financial problems of the Lebanese state" (para 7).
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-2
"Funding for shelters, personnel training, and other infrastructure to protect women is also unlikely to be forthcoming, in part due to the severe financial problems of the Lebanese state" (para 7).
Jan. 18, 2025, 3:06 p.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1
"The proposed legislation [a bill against VAW] contains strong provisions to end exemptions for certain sectarian communities regarding crimes and offenses such as 'honor crimes,' rape, and marital violence that limit women’s rights and safety (para 2). This means that there are currently exemptions for these crimes (CEC2 - CODER COMMENT). "In addition to their limited scope, these laws [on domestic violence] have suffered from extremely weak implementation and enforcement and have encountered significant resistance from religious leaders and sectarian politicians" (para 4).
Variables: LRW-PRACTICE-1
"The proposed legislation [a bill against VAW] contains strong provisions to end exemptions for certain sectarian communities regarding crimes and offenses such as 'honor crimes,' rape, and marital violence that limit women’s rights and safety (para 2). This means that there are currently exemptions for these crimes (CEC2 - CODER COMMENT). "In addition to their limited scope, these laws [on domestic violence] have suffered from extremely weak implementation and enforcement and have encountered significant resistance from religious leaders and sectarian politicians" (para 4).
Jan. 18, 2025, 3:06 p.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: LRW-LAW-1, LRCM-LAW-2
"Responding to local and international advocates, Lebanon first passed a law in 2014 to criminalize domestic violence against women. Law No. 293/2014) fell far short of expectations, however. It defined domestic violence quite narrowly and, due to pressure from religious authorities, maintained major loopholes around economic and psychological coercion, child custody, and spousal rape within marriages, among other problems" (para 3). "An amendment was passed in 2020 (Law No. 204/2020), which helped to impose penalties for particularly severe cases of economic and psychological abuse as well as for some forms of sexual harassment. But the law still did not criminalize marital rape and left many other loopholes in place, including...more
Variables: LRW-LAW-1, LRCM-LAW-2
"Responding to local and international advocates, Lebanon first passed a law in 2014 to criminalize domestic violence against women. Law No. 293/2014) fell far short of expectations, however. It defined domestic violence quite narrowly and, due to pressure from religious authorities, maintained major loopholes around economic and psychological coercion, child custody, and spousal rape within marriages, among other problems" (para 3). "An amendment was passed in 2020 (Law No. 204/2020), which helped to impose penalties for particularly severe cases of economic and psychological abuse as well as for some forms of sexual harassment. But the law still did not criminalize marital rape and left many other loopholes in place, including...more
Jan. 18, 2025, 3:06 p.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: DV-PRACTICE-2
"The bill aims to eliminate discrimination against women in Lebanon’s laws, which place severe constraints on those who are trying to escape abusive relationships. It also seeks to change the current legal framework that has no protections for Lebanese women who seek restraining orders against abusers" (para 1). This bill has only been proposed and is not yet passed (CEC2 - CODER COMMENT). " If enacted, the new law [on domestic violence] would make it easier and faster for women to obtain restraining orders by creating specialized courts headed by dedicated judges to streamline and expedite this process. One of the new bill’s notable features is the establishment of specialized...more
Variables: DV-PRACTICE-2
"The bill aims to eliminate discrimination against women in Lebanon’s laws, which place severe constraints on those who are trying to escape abusive relationships. It also seeks to change the current legal framework that has no protections for Lebanese women who seek restraining orders against abusers" (para 1). This bill has only been proposed and is not yet passed (CEC2 - CODER COMMENT). " If enacted, the new law [on domestic violence] would make it easier and faster for women to obtain restraining orders by creating specialized courts headed by dedicated judges to streamline and expedite this process. One of the new bill’s notable features is the establishment of specialized...more
Jan. 18, 2025, 3:06 p.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: DV-PRACTICE-1
"It is highly unlikely that the law [against VAW] will pass in its current form due to a seemingly entrenched culture of violence against women in Lebanon and the sectarian leaders’ continuing control over the country’s political system" (para 1). "A 2017 analysis of the law’s [law against domestic violence] impact conducted by scholars at the American University of Beirut found that it had little effect on the prevalence of VAW, and that few citizens even knew that the legislation existed" (para 3). "In addition to their limited scope, these laws [on domestic violence] have suffered from extremely weak implementation and enforcement and have encountered significant resistance from religious leaders...more
Variables: DV-PRACTICE-1
"It is highly unlikely that the law [against VAW] will pass in its current form due to a seemingly entrenched culture of violence against women in Lebanon and the sectarian leaders’ continuing control over the country’s political system" (para 1). "A 2017 analysis of the law’s [law against domestic violence] impact conducted by scholars at the American University of Beirut found that it had little effect on the prevalence of VAW, and that few citizens even knew that the legislation existed" (para 3). "In addition to their limited scope, these laws [on domestic violence] have suffered from extremely weak implementation and enforcement and have encountered significant resistance from religious leaders...more
Jan. 18, 2025, 3:06 p.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: DV-LAW-1
"The bill aims to eliminate discrimination against women in Lebanon’s laws, which place severe constraints on those who are trying to escape abusive relationships. It also seeks to change the current legal framework that has no protections for Lebanese women who seek restraining orders against abusers" (para 1). This bill has only been proposed and is not yet passed (CEC2 - CODER COMMENT). "Responding to local and international advocates, Lebanon first passed a law in 2014 to criminalize domestic violence against women. Law No. 293/2014) fell far short of expectations, however. It defined domestic violence quite narrowly and, due to pressure from religious authorities, maintained major loopholes around economic and...more
Variables: DV-LAW-1
"The bill aims to eliminate discrimination against women in Lebanon’s laws, which place severe constraints on those who are trying to escape abusive relationships. It also seeks to change the current legal framework that has no protections for Lebanese women who seek restraining orders against abusers" (para 1). This bill has only been proposed and is not yet passed (CEC2 - CODER COMMENT). "Responding to local and international advocates, Lebanon first passed a law in 2014 to criminalize domestic violence against women. Law No. 293/2014) fell far short of expectations, however. It defined domestic violence quite narrowly and, due to pressure from religious authorities, maintained major loopholes around economic and...more
Jan. 18, 2025, 3:06 p.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: DV-DATA-1
"During this time [Covid-19 Lockdown], the Lebanese Internal Security Forces saw a 241 percent increase in the number of reported cases of domestic violence. Other reports found that 85 percent of the VAW during the pandemic occurred in the home, and that a significant number of Lebanese women felt unsafe in their homes" (para 9).
Variables: DV-DATA-1
"During this time [Covid-19 Lockdown], the Lebanese Internal Security Forces saw a 241 percent increase in the number of reported cases of domestic violence. Other reports found that 85 percent of the VAW during the pandemic occurred in the home, and that a significant number of Lebanese women felt unsafe in their homes" (para 9).
Jan. 18, 2025, 3:06 p.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"The unequal status of women in Lebanon is a structural problem linked to the country’s sectarian political system and its socioeconomic crises. The influence of religious leaders on the state and the religious nature of the personal status laws create a system in which women’s advocates have very limited leverage to pursue change. Maya Mikdashi has described this state of affairs as “sextarianism” (a portmanteau of “sex” and “sectarian”), and analyzed how religious and patriarchal authority work together to consolidate their power, manage the everyday lives of the Lebanese people, and consequently protect the perpetrators of violence. As a result, the extent of VAW in Lebanon is extremely high and...more
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"The unequal status of women in Lebanon is a structural problem linked to the country’s sectarian political system and its socioeconomic crises. The influence of religious leaders on the state and the religious nature of the personal status laws create a system in which women’s advocates have very limited leverage to pursue change. Maya Mikdashi has described this state of affairs as “sextarianism” (a portmanteau of “sex” and “sectarian”), and analyzed how religious and patriarchal authority work together to consolidate their power, manage the everyday lives of the Lebanese people, and consequently protect the perpetrators of violence. As a result, the extent of VAW in Lebanon is extremely high and...more
Jan. 18, 2025, 3:06 p.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: ATFPA-PRACTICE-3
"As a lawyer from the Kafa advocacy group bravely went on record to note, the Lebanese parliament is 'patriarchal, conservative, primitive, and backward'"(para 7, 12).
Variables: ATFPA-PRACTICE-3
"As a lawyer from the Kafa advocacy group bravely went on record to note, the Lebanese parliament is 'patriarchal, conservative, primitive, and backward'"(para 7, 12).
Dec. 31, 2024, 4:46 p.m.
Countries: Algeria, Bolivia, Cambodia, Chad, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Swaziland, Vanuatu, Venezuela
Variables: IRP-SCALE-1
16
Variables: IRP-SCALE-1
16
Dec. 4, 2024, 4:38 p.m.
Countries: India, Lebanon, Philippines, Singapore
Variables: PW-LAW-1
"Polygyny legal up to four wives, but only for Muslims" (para 18).
Variables: PW-LAW-1
"Polygyny legal up to four wives, but only for Muslims" (para 18).
Oct. 16, 2024, 11:29 a.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: MARR-PRACTICE-1, MARR-PRACTICE-5, MARR-LAW-4, AOM-PRACTICE-1
"Child marriage is on the rise again, with parents desperate for a dowry payment of $50 to $100 (£41 to £82) and for someone else to take on the responsibility of feeding a teenager" (para 24).
Variables: MARR-PRACTICE-1, MARR-PRACTICE-5, MARR-LAW-4, AOM-PRACTICE-1
"Child marriage is on the rise again, with parents desperate for a dowry payment of $50 to $100 (£41 to £82) and for someone else to take on the responsibility of feeding a teenager" (para 24).
Oct. 16, 2024, 11:29 a.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: AFE-PRACTICE-1
"Equally concerning is the impact of the crisis on education: like judges, teachers have been on strike, and when the schools do open, Mansour [deputy director of Abaad, a gender equality NGO] says, the daughters of impoverished families are always 'the first to be withdrawn' (para 24).
Variables: AFE-PRACTICE-1
"Equally concerning is the impact of the crisis on education: like judges, teachers have been on strike, and when the schools do open, Mansour [deputy director of Abaad, a gender equality NGO] says, the daughters of impoverished families are always 'the first to be withdrawn' (para 24).
Oct. 16, 2024, 11:29 a.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: CLCC-LAW-1, ATDW-LAW-1, CRPLB-PRACTICE-1
"No one expects any work to be done on the things that could really change women’s lives for the better, including reform to the contentious personal status laws – 15 separate religious-based laws which mean that a woman’s rights in terms of custody, divorce and marriage vary according to her sect – and the citizenship law, which means a Lebanese woman cannot pass her nationality to her children" (para 27).
Variables: CLCC-LAW-1, ATDW-LAW-1, CRPLB-PRACTICE-1
"No one expects any work to be done on the things that could really change women’s lives for the better, including reform to the contentious personal status laws – 15 separate religious-based laws which mean that a woman’s rights in terms of custody, divorce and marriage vary according to her sect – and the citizenship law, which means a Lebanese woman cannot pass her nationality to her children" (para 27).
Oct. 16, 2024, 11:29 a.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: CONST-LAW-1
"Although the constitution deems “all Lebanese equal before the law”, gender inequality is woven into the fabric of the nation through a combination of patriarchal values, unequal legislation and a legacy of “militarised masculinity” from past conflict, say activists, lawyers and academics" (para 9).
Variables: CONST-LAW-1
"Although the constitution deems “all Lebanese equal before the law”, gender inequality is woven into the fabric of the nation through a combination of patriarchal values, unequal legislation and a legacy of “militarised masculinity” from past conflict, say activists, lawyers and academics" (para 9).
Oct. 16, 2024, 11:29 a.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: DMW-PRACTICE-1
"Mousawi says this [a judges strike] acted as a further motivating factor for male abusers who already felt enabled, consciously or subconsciously, by the entrenched patriarchal values of Lebanese society. As Nadia Badran, president of the social workers’ syndicate, says: 'Because men can do it, they do it.'" (para 18).
Variables: DMW-PRACTICE-1
"Mousawi says this [a judges strike] acted as a further motivating factor for male abusers who already felt enabled, consciously or subconsciously, by the entrenched patriarchal values of Lebanese society. As Nadia Badran, president of the social workers’ syndicate, says: 'Because men can do it, they do it.'" (para 18).
Oct. 16, 2024, 11:29 a.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"Although the constitution deems “all Lebanese equal before the law”, gender inequality is woven into the fabric of the nation through a combination of patriarchal values, unequal legislation and a legacy of “militarised masculinity” from past conflict, say activists, lawyers and academics" (para 9). "No one expects any work to be done on the things that could really change women’s lives for the better, including reform to the contentious personal status laws – 15 separate religious-based laws which mean that a woman’s rights in terms of custody, divorce and marriage vary according to her sect – and the citizenship law, which means a Lebanese woman cannot pass her nationality to...more
Variables: DTCP-LAW-1
"Although the constitution deems “all Lebanese equal before the law”, gender inequality is woven into the fabric of the nation through a combination of patriarchal values, unequal legislation and a legacy of “militarised masculinity” from past conflict, say activists, lawyers and academics" (para 9). "No one expects any work to be done on the things that could really change women’s lives for the better, including reform to the contentious personal status laws – 15 separate religious-based laws which mean that a woman’s rights in terms of custody, divorce and marriage vary according to her sect – and the citizenship law, which means a Lebanese woman cannot pass her nationality to...more
Oct. 16, 2024, 11:29 a.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: DV-PRACTICE-2
"“Many women are now afraid of raising a case against their husband because they have no alternative place to live,” she [Rouhana, director of the NGO Kafa] adds. 'The shelters are almost full'" (para 23).
Variables: DV-PRACTICE-2
"“Many women are now afraid of raising a case against their husband because they have no alternative place to live,” she [Rouhana, director of the NGO Kafa] adds. 'The shelters are almost full'" (para 23).
Oct. 16, 2024, 11:29 a.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: UVAW-PRACTICE-1
"As in many other countries, this toxic brew perpetuates a low-level hostility towards women that causes discrimination, violence – and, at its most extreme, femicide: the killing of a woman because of her gender" (para 10).
Variables: UVAW-PRACTICE-1
"As in many other countries, this toxic brew perpetuates a low-level hostility towards women that causes discrimination, violence – and, at its most extreme, femicide: the killing of a woman because of her gender" (para 10).
Oct. 16, 2024, 11:29 a.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: MURDER-DATA-2, DV-DATA-1
"According to internal security forces, nine women were killed in domestic violence crimes between January and October last year, and 18 in 2021. The real number is thought to be far higher, with domestic abuse on the rise. “We know that not all the cases are reported,” says Mohamad Mansour, deputy director of Abaad, a gender equality NGO" (para 8).
Variables: MURDER-DATA-2, DV-DATA-1
"According to internal security forces, nine women were killed in domestic violence crimes between January and October last year, and 18 in 2021. The real number is thought to be far higher, with domestic abuse on the rise. “We know that not all the cases are reported,” says Mohamad Mansour, deputy director of Abaad, a gender equality NGO" (para 8).
Oct. 16, 2024, 11:29 a.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1
"What allegedly happened to Hanaa Khodor was terrible and, in its method, unusual, but the murder of women by their husbands is not uncommon in this country, either among the Lebanese or the 1.5 million Syrian population" (para 8). "As in many other countries, this toxic brew perpetuates a low-level hostility towards women that causes discrimination, violence – and, at its most extreme, femicide: the killing of a woman because of her gender" (para 10).
Variables: MURDER-PRACTICE-1
"What allegedly happened to Hanaa Khodor was terrible and, in its method, unusual, but the murder of women by their husbands is not uncommon in this country, either among the Lebanese or the 1.5 million Syrian population" (para 8). "As in many other countries, this toxic brew perpetuates a low-level hostility towards women that causes discrimination, violence – and, at its most extreme, femicide: the killing of a woman because of her gender" (para 10).
Oct. 16, 2024, 11:29 a.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: NGOFW-DATA-1
"According to internal security forces, nine women were killed in domestic violence crimes between January and October last year, and 18 in 2021. The real number is thought to be far higher, with domestic abuse on the rise. The real number is thought to be far higher, with domestic abuse on the rise. “We know that not all the cases are reported,” says Mohamad Mansour, deputy director of Abaad, a gender equality NGO" (para 8).
Variables: NGOFW-DATA-1
"According to internal security forces, nine women were killed in domestic violence crimes between January and October last year, and 18 in 2021. The real number is thought to be far higher, with domestic abuse on the rise. The real number is thought to be far higher, with domestic abuse on the rise. “We know that not all the cases are reported,” says Mohamad Mansour, deputy director of Abaad, a gender equality NGO" (para 8).
Aug. 10, 2024, 2:57 a.m.
Countries: Bangladesh, Chad, Gambia, India, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Mali, Mauritania, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, Togo
Variables: MULTIVAR-SCALE-6
14.0
Variables: MULTIVAR-SCALE-6
14.0
July 13, 2024, 11:22 a.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: IRP-LAW-1
"Shiite Muslims in Lebanon is the largest religious group that supports temporary marriage. It is even legalized as a valid union as it has all the formalities of ordinary marriage including contracts as well as payment of dowry" (para. 2) (CODER COMMENT-ERD: Temporary marriages are recognized by scholars as a form of prostitution.)
Variables: IRP-LAW-1
"Shiite Muslims in Lebanon is the largest religious group that supports temporary marriage. It is even legalized as a valid union as it has all the formalities of ordinary marriage including contracts as well as payment of dowry" (para. 2) (CODER COMMENT-ERD: Temporary marriages are recognized by scholars as a form of prostitution.)