In the Bekaa village of Shmustar, a dozen women spent an afternoon studying English at a small community center, reading a dialogue that mimicked – rather realistically – conversational chitchat that would normally take place after a wedding.

The Shmustar students are among 800 in the U.S. State Department funded Teach Women English program. Since 2008, the program offers free classes at rural and other underserved communities. Taught and attended by Lebanese, they are part of the State Department’s efforts to empower women. (The Daily Star)

 The Association for the Protection of Jabal Moussa in the Kesrouan region launched Sunday the Jabal Moussa handicraft and food products brand as part of its project to politically and economically empower local women. The products is part of a bigger project, funded by the Middle East Partnership Initiative, to “support small initiatives of traditional food production and handicraft in rural areas” according to the association. (The Daily Star)
 

Following last week’s arrest of 36 men in a raid by the Vice Squad on a porn cinema in the Burj Hammoud area of Beirut, the men were subject to anal probes testing to determine homosexuality. Human rights lawyers sent an appeal to the Justice Ministry and the Order of Physicians Wednesday urging to end the practice.  Three men were later charged under Article 534, which outlaws “unnatural sexual acts” after a physician told police he determined the men were gay. (The Daily Star)

In monitoring 16 parliamentarian committees, it is seen that issues regarding women and children, and the information technology committees are the least active.

Original text in Arabic: Annahar