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English

Apple farmers concerned by the absence of markets

30-8-2018

With the nearing apple harvesting season, An Nahar newspaper noted that apple growers in Ehden, Tannurine, Bsharreh, Laqluq and all over Mount Lebanon and parts of the Beqaa, are going through the same anxiety due to the absence of marketing and lack of official support to their produce. This is further compounded by the absence of agricultural bodies which would undertake extension services. Apple grower, Hanna Frangieh, noted that this agriculture provided a good livelihood in the past. Today, according to Frangieh, apple growers are at the mercy of merchants who are only interested in profits and who refuse to buy directly from apple orchards under the guise that transportation costs are high with the closure of land transportation routes. Frangieh also noted that local municipalities are helping to some extent but are unable to bear the costs alone in the absence of official support. With regards to local initiatives, An Nahar highlighted the “Apple Araba Workshop” set up by the “Cedar Mountains Association” as well as by the Bsharreh Municipality and Shapas company in collaboration with USAID, in the village of Bayt Munther in Bsharreh. This initiative aimed at providing a solution to the problem of apple marketing in Bsharreh. Other initiatives include the Apple Festival organized annually by the municipality in Zghorta and where producers sell apples directly to consumers. Within the same vein, the article spoke about apple growers in Donniyeh who took to the streets again this year protesting the negligence of the state and demanding that internal and external markets be found. (An Nahar, August 30 2018)

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International Venice Film Festival criticized for being male dominated

30-8-2018

The International Venice Film Festival which opened yesterday was under heavy criticism because of its male dominated representation with only one woman director participating in the official competition.  With this milestone transformed by Hollywood as a launching pad for the subsequent Oscar selections with new works signed by Damien Shazel and the Queen brothers and Alfonso Quaron as well as the launch of Lady Gaga on the silver screen, feminist activists heavily criticized the event for only including one woman director for the Lion D’Or award.  Responding to these critiques, the artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, Alberto Barbera, said that he would rather “change his career” rather than accept pressures to have a women quota.  To be noted that the Cannes, Toronto and Locarno Film Festivals have all pledged to work towards ensuring gender equality amongst competitors for the awards.   Barbera’s statement faced critiques by the Union of European Women Directors which released a public statement saying that “the matter is unbelievable” and adding that “when Barbera threatens to withdraw, he is furthering the theory which assumes that choosing works by women directors is subject to lower standards”. (An Nahar, August 30th 2018)

Previous related news:
World women film stars calling for gender equality
 

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Saudi women passionate about racing challenging patriarchal traditions

29-8-2018

An Nahar newspaper wrote today about the phenomenon of Saudi women who appreciate speed driving, which was undreamed of just a few weeks ago. The article spotlighted 30-year-old Rana Maimouni, the motor racing enthusiast, who said she defies inherited sexist view of driving, that limits women’s driving to dainty colorful cars with limited mechanical options. Warming up her silvery car inside Riyadh’s Dirab motor part, Maimouni said she adored speed and dreams of owning a car with more than 500 horsepower. The talk that Saudi women only like pink and cute cars is a myth, she stated, adding that she is anticipating a government decision to permit women in the Kingdom to obtain a ‘racing license’ which will allow her to refine her passion in racing competitions. In conclusion, An Nahar wrote that many Saudi women were inspired by the experience of Aseel Hamad, the first female member of the Saudi National Motor Federation, and the first female to drive a Formula One car in France this past June to mark the end of the driving ban. A number of women are also training on riding motorbikes at a driving school in the capital, a scene which is an anomaly in the preservative country. (An Nahar, August 29, 2018)

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Al Azhar: Sexual harassment totally forbidden in Islam

29-8-2018

Following recent incidents of sexual harassment that have been circulated on social media, Al Azhar announced in a statement yesterday that harassment, verbal or physical, is ‘haram’ (forbidden) and deviant behavior and, hence cannot be justified, stressing that the harasser is guilty of sin. The criminalization of harassment and harasser must be absolute, impartial from any condition or context, the statement added. The same statement made clear that justifying harassment because of women’s clothing or conduct reflects a misguided understanding, for sexual harassment is a form of infringement on women’s privacy, freedom and dignity and it has repercussions on people’s honors and muharamat. Al Azhar also called for the enforcement of laws that criminalize sexual harassment and for raising awareness on its forms and dangers. The advancement of societies, Al Azhar statement explained, is measured by its respect and treatment of women in terms of their safety, stability and appreciation. It urged concerned institutions to spread awareness on the issue, especially on child abuse, and called on the media to produce targeted programs and materials that guide citizens on how to behave in the event of an incident of harassment. (Al Mustaqbal, August 29, 2018)

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Emirati women partners in the development process

29-8-2018

On the occasion of the Emirati Women's Day, which falls on August 28 of every year, this year’s theme is "Women on the course of Zayed", the UAE Ambassador, Hamad Saeed Shamsi, said that the Emirates has become a unique model in the world. The UAE woman has become a partner in the development process and the educator of the future generations, he added, noting the exceptional achievements made in the GCC country. The representation of women in government institutions has reached 15%, while the number of female members of the Legislative Federal National Council is 16 women, constituting nearly 22.5% of the total 40 members, Shamsi maintained. Women in the UAE also form about 27% of the 2016 cabinet, including 8 female ministers, one of them being the youngest minister in the world, aged 23. Shamsi praised the remarkable progress in reducing the gender gap in education at the high school and university levels, with girls representing over 70% of college graduates in the Emirates. In the economic arena, Shamsi pointed out that women represent 46.6% of the total labor force, occupying around 66% of public sector jobs and 30% of decision making posts. The number of female entrepreneurs is currently 23,000 women running businesses worth of roughly USD 15 billion, Shamsi stated. (Al Mustaqbal, August 29, 2018)

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Despite significant exports Lebanon food insecurity level remains high

28-8-2018

A study by the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Beirut and Mount Lebanon published in Al Mustaqbal today, showed that the Lebanese food and beverage exports represented 18% of the overall Lebanese exports for the year 2017. This places the food and beverage industry as the second largest exporting sector in Lebanon after the jewelry sector. The food sector produces a diverse varieties of goods, including, alcoholic drinks, pastry, sweets, olive oil, pickles, canned foods, spices, fruits and canned and processed vegetables. According to the results of the study which appeared in the Byblos Bank Weekly Monitor, the food and beverage exports recorded USD 500.2 million during 2017, rising by 1.9% from 2016, while the import of similar products recorded USD 1.9 billion, with no remarkable change from the past year. The trade deficit in the above sector shrank slightly to USD 1.36 billion during 2017. According to the study, Syria was the main destination of made-in-Lebanon food products, with exports to neighboring state standing at USD 82.8 million, (representing around 16%) of the total exports of the year 2017, followed by Saudi Arabia USD 61.9 m (12.3%), and then Iraq with USD 39.5 m (7.8%). Meanwhile, France was the main country of import of food and beverage products into Lebanon, amounting to USD 147.5 million (representing 7.9%) of the total imports to the country, followed by Turkey with USD 311 million (7.1%) and then Saudi Arabia with USD 96.9 million (5.2%). While it underlined the competitive advantages Lebanon boasts, the study pointed out to poor infrastructure, weak water management systems, inadequate and high cost energy supplies, which constitute key challenges to the competitiveness of the sector. (Al Mustaqbal, August 28, 2018) 
 

Previous related news:
Commerce and Industry in Lebanon not performing well!
Minister Haj Hassan: Industry and agriculture sectors are not OK!
Divergent domestic views towards protecting national agriculture and industry
Ban of import of cloths, food from Turkey to support domestic industry

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Zeinab raised Lebanon’s flag on Mt Everest

28-8-2018

The Lebanese mountaineer, Zeinab Abdel Raouf Salam, successfully planted her country’s flag signed by President Michel Aoun on the Island Peak in the Himalayas known as Mt Everest (c.f: https://bit.ly/2oh6HAp), An Nahar reported. Zeinab has flown to Nepal on a personal initiative without receiving any backing from the government or the private sector. She decided to take a loan to realize her childhood dream, the newspaper wrote. The trek was very dangerous, Zeinab told An Nahar reporter, noting that out of 40 participants, only 7 continued mountain climbing, including her. One night, she said, the level of her blood oxygen fell and she was scared of falling. She was drained and her body almost shut down. Before reaching the peak, Zeinab recounted, the health conditions of many climbers deteriorated and they had to quit, but she felt the urge to continue her journey upward, lamenting that while many participants were supported by their governments and by wealthy individuals, she was alone and unsupported. (An Nahar, August 28, 2018)

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Girls and women’s education boosts their participation in labor market

28-8-2018

An IMF report published in Al Hayat newspaper on August 24 has shown that government policies strengthened the participation of women in the labor market. However, women still represented a lower share of the labor force compared to men in most countries and their access to educational as well as social and financial services and rights were still limited, particularly in emerging markets and low income states. Such disparities, the report said, diminish the economic power of women, undermine their savings and pensions, and reduce their economic development. Based on data analysis between 1980 and 2014, the report concluded that policies that reduce gender gaps in education have achieved better results in all regions, as follows: in North America (by 47% compared to other regions); Europe and Asia (41%), East Asia and the Pacific (35%) and South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa (16%). Upon comparing the regions, the report found that most of them have been successful in narrowing the gap of female participation in the labor market by an average of more than 10%, through the efforts of legal institutions, including higher courts, parliaments, heads of state and gender equality in legal rights. For more on the report, kindly refer to the following link: https://bit.ly/2PCaTaj. (Al Hayat 24 August 2018)

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23 women running for Bahraini elections

28-8-2018

After some 17  Bahraini women expressed their willingness to run for Lower House and municipal elections set for next November (c.f: https://goo.gl/HVYaJU), the number increased to 23 women until last Sunday, according to Al Ayyam newspaper. The total number of women candidates to municipal membership in the four governorates of Bahrain stood at 3, while at least 2 current MPs said they will run again for the elections. To recall, that the process of nomination of Bahraini women is in general independent, as local political associations exclude female candidates from their electoral lists, contrary to the Gathering of National Unity which recruited one female in the 2014 parliamentary and municipal elections. (Al Diyar, August 27, 2018)


Previous related news: 
17 women to run for Bahraini elections
 

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Popular markets in Beqaa cater for the needs of poor Lebanese and Syrians

27-8-2018

Al Mustaqbal published a special feature today an article on the bourgeoning popular markets in the Beqaa region. The escalating social, economic and political crisis has forced the local municipal councils and private entrepreneurs to expand the historic popular markets or create new diversified markets in many towns and villages in the area, the newspaper wrote. The most prominent street bazars are located in the towns of Jib Jnin, Ghaza -Baalbaq and Marj. The latter has been there since the twenties of the past century. Sitting on a stretch of 30 dunums of land, the market kicks off every Monday of every week attracting flocks of shoppers from the Beqaa, the South and Mount Lebanon. Such souks, the newspaper said, allow market goers to buy any product any time at reasonable and affordable prices that are roughly a quarter of their value at commercial centers and shops. Available goodies include, foods, veggies, cereals, sweets and confectioners, beverages, nuts, clothes, furniture, linens, kitchen utensils, antiques, stationaries and meats, in addition to specialty sections selling livestock, poultry and cars. On the subject, the mayor of Ghaza Baalbaq, Mohamad Majzub, told Al Mustaqbal that these marketplaces have become the sole outlet for the majority of the area’s residents and Syrian refugees. The article can be found on the following link: https://goo.gl/f9QJhQ. (Al Mustaqbal, August 27, 2018)

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