The Lebanese Women Council organized a workshop last week on how to prepare project proposals for donors, targeting associations’ members of the council. The workshop held in the center of the council located in Sanayeh, was supervised by Jumana Harouz, and included the following topics: general guidelines on how to plan a project, the logical framework, context analysis, budgeting and proposal writing.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 5 January 2013

Al-Nahar newspaper published an article on the “Lebanese Women Council” quoting president Jamal Hermes Ghabreel on its role and achievements, while also reflecting the views of women activists. According to Ghabreel, the council’s major role is to act to cleanse the Lebanese legislations from any form of discrimination against women , and to combat violence against women, while ensuring that Lebanon abides with international laws and right conventions so that the women are able to fully practice their rights at all levels; local, regional and international. Furthermore, the council aims at building women’s capacities to get involved in decision making at economic, social, educational and levels.
As for the achievements, Ghabreel pointed out the council’s various historical successes in both legal and development sector which were achieved in collaboration with other associations, while referring to women’s right to vote and run for elections, equality in inheritance between men and women for Christians, in addition to women’s right to choose their nationality after marriage. Currently the council is focusing on drawing plans and strategies for achieving new success in right issues, for putting in place new mechanisms to tackle both rural and urban women issues, and to draw the youth population into support women’s demands.
On the other hand, the president of The National Committee for the Follow up of Women's Issues, Dr. Fahmieh Sharafeddin, criticized the council’s current orientation, and ways of operating, since in her opinion the functioning of the council is based on political and sectarian lines, and because it was no able to boost its membership. She added that the present realities of women in Lebanon call for a radical change in laws and vision so as to challenge patriarchal cultural traditions. Moreover, the president of the Lebanese Democratic Women Gathering, Joumana Merhi, considered that the council’s vision must be broadened to include all human right issues and to achieve full equality between men and women.  Merhi also indicated that the problem lies in the council’s structure and the approach of its members that shun away from tackling personal and family law issues which are largely religiously based.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that the Lebanese Women Council was established on the 6th of November 1952, after the merger of the League of Lebanese Women Associations, set up in 1920 with the Lebanese Women Solidarity group, formed in 1947. Currently the council includes 170 recognized women group providing various services such as caring, health, rehabilitation, education, environment, and supporting women’s rights.

Source: Al-Nahar 4 January 2013

Al-Safir newspaper carried a report stating that the Islamic Charee3a Council had put an end last December to the phenomena called “husbands kidnapping their children” A new law amendment was introduced after a request from the Family Rights Network and is now in effect and deals with cases falling during the period between the divorce and issuance of the mother’s custody verdict. The Islamic Council introduced the amendments on D clause of the 22 decree thus now stating: the father or any guardian is forbidden from traveling with minor kids, during the custody period without an official of judicial permission from the mother.
This amendment effectively puts an end to legal complications that appeared after a previous decision to raise the age level of mothers’ custody of girls and boys to 12 years old within the context of Sunni family law. In addition, it brought effective equality between men and women regarding the official authorisation for children before traveling. Nonetheless, this equality is still somewhat limited to the 12 years custody period, since a mother still needs the father’s permission to travel with her kids until they turn 18 years old.
For her part, Iqbal Doughan, president of Family Rights Network, welcomed those amendments despite their limitations, indicating that the network will continue advocating for raising the age limit to 18 years, so that it becomes in line with present regulations in Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria.

Source: Al-Safir 4 January 2013

As Safir newspaper published a report on homemade food products made by women in Zgharta which is securing a considerable income to women producers who are using their traditional know how in the process.  These traditional activities are proving to be quite important for women who do not have paid job thus improving their financial conditions.  The report quoted a number of women producers such as: Rayya Hamed, who is now producing her homemade molasses for marketing and who has a considerable client base.  Another woman, Fadwa Al-Mekhtfi, has been able to secure the school tuition fees for one of her four children from sales of the traditional kishk product. Jamila Mekari notes that she has become an expert in producing tomato paste and in teaching her skill to other women so that they too can also improve their material conditions.  Martha Saroufim adds that she has been able to secure good quality schooling for all her children in addition to decent living from her homemade food catering service which is much appreciated by working women looking for healthy meals.  All of this has resulted in the development of the homemade food processing and catering industry in Zgharta.
Source: Al-Safir 31 December 2012