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AUB commemorates Mona Shemali Khalaf

5-4-2018

The American University in Beirut (AUB) commemorated yesterday the anniversary of late Mona Shemali Khalaf, former head of the President’s Club and one of the women leaders in the university and Lebanon. The ceremony which took place at the Bathish Auditorium, included an exhibition and the launch of a book produced by the Club entitled, ‘Stories of Women at AUB’ featuring the stories of women graduates from AUB who made an impact on the world. On the occasion, the current head of the President’s Club, Eugenie Saad Hosri, mentioned some of the projects Khalaf worked on, including this show. For his part, AUB president, Dr. Fadlo Khury, highlighted Khalaf’s personal qualities and professional accomplishments, including the book she started and was completed after her death. Also, former first lady, Mona Hrawi, spoke about the career life of Khalaf, saying, “She was a democratic and patriotic woman who committed herself to educating the young generations and fought for human rights and promoting culture. (Al Mustaqbal, April 5, 2018)

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84 women candidates in defiance of political parties

4-4-2018

Al Diyar newspaper drew attention to women’s participation in the parliamentary elections 2018, where some 84 out of 111 women continue to be nominated. This is unprecedented in the history of Lebanon, Al Diyar wrote, pointing to the political parties’ inaction and dishonorable record in not effectively recruiting females on their electoral lists and in failing the ‘women representation quota’ as well. The newspaper cited a political female activist as saying that parties affiliated with the government have nominated a very few women just to save face on the one hand, and to challenge the civil movements that are nominating young men and women, on the other. On the subject, media figure Layal Bou Moussa, running on ‘Kullona Watani” list which is part of a larger alliance of ‘Citizens within a State’, told Al Diyar that it is shameful to discriminate between men and women in political life and in society. She said that the increased number of women running for the elections shows their determination to exercise their legitimate rights and roles with efficacy and competence, and criticized political and media intimidation of civil society. Lawyer Lina Husseini, running for ‘together for change’ list, mentioned difficulties she is facing, like male candidates, because they are independent and not affiliated with a party, pointing, in this re spect, to the many facilities extended to political parties. Regarding civil society candidates (100 in total), Al Diyar reported that they are being subjected to a systematic campaign led by political authorities and their representative media, besides bullying and pressuring voters, by money and on moral grounds. An elections expert told Al Diyar that there is a possibility that civil society electoral lists make a penetration, particularly those under the ‘National Alliance’ which nominated 66 candidates, including 18 women, across the country. (Al Diyar, April 2, 4, 2018)

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Draft bill to separate women’s economic rights from personal status law

4-4-2018

Insan Association held a panel discussion yesterday on ‘women and human rights in Lebanon’. The president of the association, Charles Nasrallah, highlighted the importance of the struggle for the rights of women in the country, particularly the rights of migrant domestic workers, stating that the two tracks are inseparable. Working women, Nasrallah said, whether Lebanese or foreigners, are an essential component of Lebanese society. For her part, Nisrin Dibian, social support officer at Insan, gave an overview of the conditions of MWDWs in Lebanon and the violations they suffer both in real life and in legal matters. And while PR director, Randa Dirani, presented the main achievements of the civil society organizations, notably the women and feminist groups, the head of the legal department, Claudine Khalouf, outlined the difficulties women in Lebanon face with personal status laws. She suggested that the ministry of state for women’s affairs adopt a draft bill that separates women’s economic and material rights from the confessional personal status laws. Minister Ogassapian has asked for a study which he can submit to the legal section in his ministry. (Al Mustaqbal, April 4, 2018)

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‘Girls for change’ to empower refugee and host communities

4-4-2018

The ‘Girls for Change’ initiative funded by UNICEF in collaboration with NDU International Film Festival, Canon and Beirut Film Society was launched on March 29 from the Beirut Serail. The project aims at empowering girls within refugee and host communities through the use of audiovisuals. During the launch ceremony, UNICEF representative in Lebanon Tanya Chapuisat pointed out that the UN agency has developed a program for implementation in the coming few years which ensures that girls and women have a healthy and safe life, removes barriers to their advancement, secures their access to education and protects them from violence and discrimination. For his part, the minister of state for refugee affairs Mouin Mer’abi said the project is important because it works to build the human being and society and to achieve development starting from the development of potentials and skills. Likewise, the minister of state for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, said the project aims to realize a goal that basically concerns the human being, noting that any approach related to women, legally and to their life, should be based on the human values, justice and democracy. (An Nahar, March 30, 2018)

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Political activist 3inaya Ezzideen and jurist Patricia Smida, candidates for parliamentary elections

3-4-2018

In its relentless support for women nominees for the upcoming parliamentary elections, L’Orient Le Jour highlighted the career path of the minister of state for administrative development, Inaya Izzedine, running on Amal Movement’s Tyre list. Izzedine, the newspaper wrote, holds a BS in biology from AUB and a PhD in medicine from the same university, besides specializing in clinical laboratory medicine and pathology and another sub-specialty in this area. Speaking to L’Orient Le Jour, Izzedine said she has been an activist in Amal since her childhood, and in 2009, Speaker Nabih Berri asked her to join the Movement’s political bureau and later the ministry, which she accepted as a new challenge and an opportunity to participate in public service. The newspaper spotlighted another candidate, Patricia Elias Smida, running as an independent for Keserouan-Ftouh-Jbeil district. Being a prominent lawyer in the French and Lebanese courts, Smida is known as a non-sectarian advocate for human rights and an international lawyer as well. She travelled to Paris where she played a major role and won the European Parliament elections where she represented Lebanon and the Lebanese expat community as well as the French officials, L'Orient Le Jour reported. (L’Orient Le Jour, March 31, 2018)

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Solidarity with Lensa, abused Ethiopian domestic worker

3-4-2018

At the invitation of ‘This is Lebanon’ facebook page for the Alliance of Migrant Domestic Workers in Lebanon, a number of young protestors staged a sit-in on Thursday in front of the Jdeideh-Matn workspace of the Ethiopian worker, Lensa. To recall, Lensa has attempted to flee her employer’s residence after being regularly beaten, but fell from the second floor and broke her leg. From her bed in the hospital, Lensa recorded a video in her own dialect which went viral on social media about her daily suffering stating that she has been frequently beaten and dragged by the hair. However, due to the kafala system (sponsorship), Lensa has been returned to her abusers’ home and lost contact with her friends. The demonstrators who hoisted posters which read, ‘We are Lensa’ and ‘Stop the kafala system’, condemned the psychological and physical violations against MWDWs and the kafala system which binds them to their employers. Activist Hanadi Nasser read a statement which demanded an end to the sponsorship system and appealed to Mount Lebanon Public Prosecutor to expand his investigation into the case away from the pressures of the sponsor. (Al Akhbar, March 30, 2018)

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‘Women of Akkar’ candidates for equality and rights

29-3-2018

As part of its continuous support towards women nominees for the upcoming parliamentary elections set for May 6, L’Orient Le Jour spotlighted the candidate, Roula Murad, president-founder of 10452 Party who formed the 5-women electoral list for the North 1st constituency, under the name, ‘Women of Akkar’. The incentives behind forming the all-women list, Murad explained, is because the district’s five lists lack any female candidate and because there was a need to encourage females in remote areas to participate in politics along with their peers to form a driving force for change. The ‘Women of Akkar’ list, Murad told L’Orient Le Jour, includes herself, a social activist since 17 years, who holds a degree in French literature and is preparing her master’s in diplomatic relations. She is also the first woman to start a political party in Lebanon; Nidal Karam Skaff, a lawyer and women’s rights advocate; Souad Hassan Salah, a lawyer and teacher; Marie Salem Khoury, holder of a master’s in philosophy, a teacher and environmental activist since 1979 and Gulai Khaled Asaad, an international relations graduate. Murad pointed out that, despite the fierce competition in Akkar, these women have been active in the area for years and have contributed to changing patriarchal mindsets. As for the list’s electoral program, Murad said it focuses on local development, rights of women, fighting unemployment, improving healthcare and education services, modernization of agriculture and farming techniques, enhancing production and development of rural tourism. (L’Orient Le Jour, March 29, 2018)

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Consultative meeting for combating violence against women

29-3-2018

The office of the minister of state for women’s affairs, in coordination with ESCWA and UNFPA organized yesterday a consultative meeting on developing a ‘national strategy to combat gender-based violence’. The meeting was held under the patronage of minister Jean Ogassapian in the presence of the director of the ESCWA Center for Women (ECW), Mehrinaz Elawady. Ogassapian on the occasion, maintained that setting up a comprehensive strategy to fight violence against women helps to ensure consistency and compatibility of relevant legislations to smoothen their implementation. Besides, the strategy facilitates the amendment of laws that need to be cleared from impairing provisions, and helps in identifying the need to develop new bills to be studied and ratified, the minister added. For her part, Alawadi pointed out that several meetings were held with the ministry for women and other concerned governmental and non-governmental associations to determine the priorities, the scopes and types of violence that should be debated before putting the first draft. Alawadi said participants will put their remarks on the draft during today’s meeting to be followed by a meeting of specialists who will discuss the national action plan that ensures the implementation of the strategy, as well as, to design a monitoring and evaluation framework for the implementation. (Al Mustaqbal, March 29, 2018)

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Social responsibility towards women with disabilities

28-3-2018

Al Moueen Center for Support and Empowerment affiliated with the Social Welfare Institutions- Dar Al Aytam, organized yesterday a panel discussion entitled, ‘Social responsibility towards women with disabilities’ under the patronage of the minister of state for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian. On the occasion, the deputy general manager of the Special Needs Department at Dar Al Aytam, Salwa Zaatari, stressed that a citizen with special needs, whether or woman, is a competent partner ambitious to contribute to change, development and make a qualitative difference in the nation. “It is time to launch a network of permanent cooperation and coordination between the State and associations involved with disabilities to exchange information, consultation and recommendations to help persons with disabilities obtain their recognized rights,” Zaatari stated. She also hoped women and girls with special needs be a priority topic in the annual administrative and organizational agendas of the ministry of state for women. “We look forward to the day where we can make of the story of a woman with special needs a success story of society itself,” Zaatari said. For his part, Ogassapian, pressed the need to provide persons with special needs with the required special care, stressing that this responsibility lies primarily on the State and its institutions. In conclusion, Dar Al Aytam beneficiaries from LSBD in Baabda presented live testimonies. Al Mustaqbal, March 28, 2018

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Will religious educators in Tripoli boycott 2018 elections?

28-3-2018

Nearly 100 women religious educators in Awqaf Tripoli decided after a meeting yesterday to boycott the parliamentary elections until their legitimate rights are fulfilled. The step was taken following the suspension of the 3-month financial grant worth of USD 300 per teacher from the UAE as well as the health insurance, noting that the 100 teachers’ parents have decided to join their daughters in the boycott action. To recall, the protest is not the first, for the teachers have earlier staged a sit-in in front of Dar al Fatwa demanding an improvement of their economic conditions, including a raise to their LL 7,000 hourly pay. Their demands however were not met, not in the North nor in the capital Beirut. During the meeting, one teacher asked whether it is acceptable to earn LL500,000 per month while the political or spiritual authorities cannot find a solution to the problem, stressing they will not cease their call for boycott until this is resolved. Another teacher revealed meeting with one Tripoli MP who pledged to help but not before the elections are over, which was totally rejected by the protestors. (Al Diyar, March 28, 2018)

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