During a high level regional meeting held in Dubai yesterday, Dr. Ali Hassan Khalil, the Minister of Public Health, noted that maternal mortality in Lebanon dropped to 23 per 1000 whilst child mortality fell to 11 per 1000, also pointing out to Lebanon’s commitment to set up the nationality mortality observatory. The meeting was convened by the WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA for the Middle East region in order to discuss maternal and infant mortality, and was attended by the Minister as well as the president of the Lebanese Obstetrics Association

The Minister further noted that Lebanon has been able to meet objectives numbered 4& 5 of the regional action plan namely decreasing mortality rates and improving maternal health, respectively.  He also pointed out to the various steps taken within the process of strengthening primary health care and especially targeting women as well as monitoring maternal and child health as well as family planning.  Finally, the Minister also emphasized objective of government to increase awareness and to pursue work in relation to finalizing the medical pregnancy protocol, adopting the pregnancy register, developing the monitoring chart for pregnant women as well as updating the newborn register.
Source: Al-Diyar February 2013

The Borj el Chemali refugee camp suffers from chronic unemployment as well as limited work opportunities which are limited to low income seasonal labor.  According to NGO sources, 70% of its residents work as hired field laborers in Tyre area.  Camp residents suffer from various legal constraints, no major economic enterprise within the camp and a shrinking of UNRWA services.  In order to tackle some of these issues, the World Vision, a US organization, launched an initiative with the Arab Union of Palestinian Women aiming at improving the health, nutrition, and educational status of children in the camps as well as in its nearby agglomerations.  The initiative was launched during a public event organized by the Centre for Palestinian Youth in the camp and with the presence of various Palestinian organizations.
The project will extend over a 4 years period and will target 197 beneficiaries from the camp and the nearby agglomerations.  It will provide support to business initiative and will help it to expand as well as create a more conducive environment for growth.  It will seek to help women to have an effective role in the community. The two organizations will provide technical support to business holders through a team of business counselors and will build the skills of the beneficiaries through providing them with business information, linking them with the market, training them in negotiation skills, project management and planning and in resources mobilization.  The project also includes the provision of micro credits to support the creation of new businesses.
Source: Al-Nahar 31 January 2013

The issue of civil marriage was at the forefront cabinet meeting yesterday especially in view of the divergence of opinions President Michel Suleiman and PM Najib Mikati which is strangely reminiscent of the events of 1998 when late Presidents Hraoui and Hariri played more or less the same role.
Indeed, President Suleiman reiterated that a draft Civil Marriage Law must be enacted especially since it was previously agreed in 1998.  The President also noted that the Ministers of Justice and Interior ought to be commissioned to either review the prior law proposal or draft a new one since, according to Suleiman, civil marriage is not directed against Islam but is in harmony with the Taef agreement which the president has a duty to honour.
Furthermore, the fatwa of Mufti Kabbani stirred both an uproar as well as a wave of support.  Phalangist MP Sami Gemayyel said that “the declaration of Mufti Kabbani is a violation to the civil state and to the right of each Lebanese citizen to practice what he/she believes in freely.  Gemayel added that ‘any violation to this right is a violation to human rights and to the Constitution.  He noted that ‘every parliamentarian has the right to protect citizens’ right to practice their beliefs”.   On the other hand, Future Movement MP Ahmad Fatfat considered that “it is for the best interest of the Lebanese people not to discuss the issue of civil marriage now”.  He clarified that Kabbani’s Fatwa only applies to those committed House of Ifta.

A number of Muslim Scholars extended their full support to Kabbani’s Fatwa and reiterated that civil marriage is against what the Shari’a dictates. The Islamic Action Front similarly praised Kabbani’s stand and indicated all Muslims, whether they are politicians or ordinary citizens,  must reject this dangerous idea and never discuss it again.

The president of the Hikmeyya Ma3arf Institute, Sheikh Shafic Jradi, clarified that the rejection of civil marriage is an issue agreed upon by both Sunni and Shiite clerics.  He added however that the term “apostate” is not applicable or commonly used as this only relates to he or she who shows a clear rejection of the Islamic faith.

The media coordinator of the Maronite Patriarchy, Walid Ghayyad, noted for his part that the “church does not approve of civil marriage since it is in contradiction with the Christian faith and its view on marriage as being sacrosanct.  It does however approve of civil marriage in the case of non-believers.  He noted that the Church shall not accept an optional civil marriage code because, according to him, this is a contradiction in terms as any law is binding.

Source: Al-Safir, Al-Nahar, Al-Akhbar, Al-Hayat, Al-Diyar, Al-Mustaqbal 30 January 2013

The students body of the National Liberal Party as well as students bodies other Lebanese and Danish political parties organized yesterday a seminar entitled “women’s roles in political parties” at the Saint Joseph University (USJ).  The event was organized by the head of the party’s external affairs section, Sally Sayyah, and is part of a series of activities that the Lebanese –Danish youth & politics network and NLP have been organising for several years.
The event included a series of workshops and dialogue with the head of the University’s Political Sciences department, Ms. Nadia Kiwan, the president of the Arab NGOs Network for Development, Mr. Ziad Abdel Samad, MP Ghassan Moukhaiber and Vera Yammine of Al-Marada party.  The workshops covered several topics including the role of young women in supporting women’s rights, young women’s roles in municipalities, and women’s role in fighting corruption.  The event also included an overview of main women figures in Lebanese politics and their achievements in addition of a discussion around women’s quota in parliamentary elections and the importance of such a step as a temporary measure to encourage women to enter political life and to encourage political parties to support women.

Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Mustaqbal 30 January 2013