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$400 million WB loan to create jobs opportunities in Lebanon

29-6-2018

The World Bank Group announced in a statement yesterday that it has approved a new project, “ Creating economic opportunities in support of the Lebanon National Jobs’ which aims at enhancing economic opportunities for vulnerable groups, particularly women and youth. The USD 400 million initiative seeks to strengthen the local economy and create jobs across Lebanon in areas that have been impacted by the influx of Syrian refugees and by a stagnant economic growth. The package is expected to create some 52,000 permanent jobs and up to 12,000 short term employment opportunities. It covers a USD 70 million grant from the Global Concessional Financial Facility and a USD 330 million soft loan. The loan carries an interest rate of 1.71% repayable over 22 years with a year grace period. The WB statement pointed out that the project is implemented under a set of targeted results that have been finalized in consultation with the government of Lebanon. It is anticipated to expand economic opportunities, specifically in disadvantaged areas all over the country, and will provide jobs for the Lebanese as well as temporary employment for displaced Syrians in line with relevant laws governing their presence on Lebanese territory. (Al Mustaqbal, June 29, 2018)

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Yasmin Idriss launches ‘Solana footwear’ to inspire young designers

29-6-2018

The founder of Solana footwear Yasmine Idriss took part in Beirut Design Week (June 22 and 29) through an exhibition held at Kalei café in Beirut’s neighborhood of Mar Mkhail. The event, according to Idriss, was launched from the Lebanese capital to encourage young designers and prop the national industry. The exhibition, she said, highlights national heritage, the alphabet legacy and the Lebanese folk dance, the dabke, which were all displayed in the designs of participating stylists. Idriss stressed the aim of the event which is to promote the image of Lebanon as reflected in the eyes of its artists and creative people and not as commercially publicized. Designers like, Jad Khoury, Tracy Shahwan, Sarah Odeimi, Lucien Baradi’ and Leen Atmeh executed their designs on shoes originally made by Lebanese artisans. Idriss maintained that besides the above aims, she seeks through Solana brand to make charity as part of her action plan by contributing nearly 5% of the proceeds of the exhibition to Malaak organization for helping Lebanese and educating Syrian refugees. (AL Mustaqbal, June 29, 2018)

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Saudi Shoura blocks women from defense posts

29-6-2018

The Saudi Shoura Council rejected in its Tuesday session a recommendation submitted by the security committee to the annual defense ministry report which called for studying the availability of a number of specialized military posts for qualified women at different levels according to the needs of the ministry. 59 Shoura members said yes, 55 rejected and 11 abstained from voting, according to Okaz local newspaper. Those who opposed argued that the committee’s drafting was general, Okaz said. To recall, the security committee has adopted a recommendation presented by two Shoura members, Iqbal Darandari and Ahmad Aswad, which read the following: ‘Opening vacancies for females in the defense ministry’s military schools and the gradual acceptance of females in military posts in accordance with 2030 Vision.’ The vision of the Kingdom for the year 2030, the recommendation said, has upheld the empowerment of Saudi women, increasing their active participation at all levels and treating them equally with men to the end of achieving renaissance in Saudi Arabia. The above MPs cited successful experiences by other ministries, namely the ministry of national guard, in the appointment and training of border guard inspectors of the rank of soldier, as well as, the ministry of interior, which recently announced vacant posts for women in the traffic, road security, security patrols, regional police, Hajj and Omra security, weapons and explosives and finally, in intellectual and moral counselling departments. (Al Diyar, June 29, 2018)

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25% of all trade in Lebanon to close but Hamwi steadfasts!

28-6-2018

Al Akhbar newspaper spotlighted the antique Hamwi perfumery shop set up in the old souk of Baalbaq since 1948 by Haj Ahmad Fallaha, nicknamed Hamwi, in reference to his hometown, Hama in Syria. Hamwi was determined before his death to hand over the trade to his two sons who honor this trade as a legacy of their father and of Baalbaq rather than a source of livelihood. The shop, Al Akhbar wrote, is packed with more than 2000 brands of herbs, spices, incense, oils, grains and few agricultural items brought from various parts of Syria, as most of them can hardly be found in Lebanon. One of the sons explained, that the conflict in Syria has negatively impacted the herb cultivation which caused an increase in prices, but stressed that things are bouncing back. On the other hand, the head of the Beirut Merchants Association, Nicolas Shammas, anticipated that nearly 20% to 25% of commercial establishments will close in the next two years, describing the trade sector as aggrieved, and revealing a slump in the activity of the commercial markets at a rate of 20% to 30% during the first half of the current year. Shammas was speaking last week during an emergency meeting called for by the different trade associations and syndicates in Lebanon to discuss the gravity of the situation on the eve of the formation of the new government. Shammas cautioned against the worsening economic situation in the country which he said is on the brink of collapse, attributing this to the recent ratification of the salaries scale and the electoral expenses. (An Nahar, Al Akhbar, Al Mustaqbal, June 22, 27, 2018)

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Minister Haj Hassan: Industry and agriculture sectors are not OK!

28-6-2018

The minister of industry in the caretaker government, Hussein Haj Hassan, said yesterday the situation of industry and agriculture in Lebanon is not great, pressing for resolving the problem of cost of production and illicit competition of foreign goods, or for settling the issue of customs deterrents enforced by importing countries. He explained that most of such deterrents are not related to quality of production or rules or origin, and that all countries are encumbering our exports. Haj Hassan was speaking during his sponsorship of an award ceremony for the winners of Student StarPack packaging design context 2018 in collaboration with UNIDO and LibanPack. Likewise, LibanPack director, Suha Atallah, said the event coincides with the tenth anniversary for the inception of the Lebanese Packaging Center which has become well known at the national, Arab and international levels through its active contribution to the World Packaging Organization. Atallah also disclosed that she is working to increase the number of members from Arab states, announcing the launch of StarPack Professional which will allow industrialists to compete for the best packaging designs in markets. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, June 28, 2018)

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UK couple gain right to a more equitable civil partnership

28-6-2018

The Supreme Court of Britain unanimously ruled in favor of Rebecca Steinfeld, 37, and Charles Keidan, 41, from London, in their request to civil partnership instead of marriage, noting that previously, only same sex couples were allowed civil partnership. A civil partnership contract can be registered with the local authorities and grants all the rights currently enjoyed by spouses, such as inheritance, social security, retirement and abandonment. To recall, Britain’s Court of Appeal has earlier rejected the couple’s request in February 2017. The couple who have been together since 2010 and have two daughters, considered that the law that prohibits heterosexual people from civil partnership is contrary to the country’s equality law. They said traditional marriage has treated women as property, adding they did not want to enter into that arrangement. They said they wanted to raise their children as equal partners and civil partnership is the best example for that. Hence, the Supreme Court declared that restricting civil partnerships between same sex couples is sexist, while noting that this does not oblige the government to change the current law in effect. To remind, since 2014, same sex persons have the right to choose between marriage or civil partnership if they wanted to, but this is prohibited for heterosexual persons. On the subject, Martine Loat, chairman of the Equal Civil Partnerships Campaign said work is underway to give everyone the right to a civil partnership, pointing that more than 130,000 people have signed a petition in support of this. (BBC, June 27, 2018)

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Lions Club and the political role of women

28-6-2018

Under the sponsorship of the minister of state for women’s affairs in the caretaker government, Jean Ogassapian, the Lebanon Lions Club organized yesterday a debate on ‘The importance of the role of women in political decision making’. During the event which also honored the newly elected MPs Rula Tabsh Jaroudi and Dima Jamali, Ogassapian said the capacities and potentials women boast can help them seize senior positions. In her turn, Jaroudi, a Lions member, stated that as a lawyer, and within the Future Movment agenda, she will focus her legislative efforts on youth, job creation, women and education. Jamali for her part, underlined the essential role of political parties in backing proficient women, stressing the need to intensify this support and remove hurdles which slow down women’s access to political life. Jamali also maintained that she will work on women’s issues, particularly on the right of Lebanese mothers to grant nationality to their children and fighting violence against women, as well as, on the revival of Tripoli’s economy. (Al Mustaqbal, June 28, 2018)

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Lebanese women highly vulnerable under confessional personal status laws

27-6-2018

The Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering (LWDG) held a press conference yesterday about the incident during which security forces snatched a boy from his mother in implementation of a ruling issued by the Sunni Sharia Court (https://bit.ly/2txdLM7), as well as, the many violations that accompanied many similar rulings. LWDG press conference concluded that as long as the spiritual and religious personal status commandments are untouchable, women will remain vulnerable second class citizens and violence against them will continue. It was agreed that repeated incidents of similar nature determines the need to adopt a unified personal status law that safeguards the right of children, first victims of parental disputes. In the course of the press conference, violations that accompanied the case were detailed. Like for example, the mother was not formally notified of the court’s ruling that the child should be handed over to his father or she will be jailed; the son refused to accompany his father after the court ruled to drop the custody with the testimony of the mother; the judicial verdict to drop the mother’s right in the custody of her own child is contrary to Article 15 which drops the mother’s right in the custody of her son until the age of 12. On the subject, the Lebanese Union for Child Welfare and the Family Rights Network explained that the method used in the execution of the court ruling contravened the provisions of the Convention for the Protection of the Rights of the Child ratified by Lebanon without reservations, in reference to the use of asecurity forces to implement the ruling and terrorize the little boy. According to Al Akhbar newspaper, the mother has appealed the decision by the court, but the latter reversed her request and executed the ruling to drop the child’s custody. (Al Akhbar, June 27, 2018)

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WUAB ratifies gender diversity

27-6-2018

The board of directors of the World Union of Arab Bankers (WUAB) approved during a meeting in Cairo yesterday the gender diversity protocol prepared by the chair of the Women’s Empowerment Group in Arab Banks and Financial Institutions, Chief Operating Officer at Al Mawarid Bank, Nahla Khaddage Bou Diab, noting the group is one of the prominent working groups within the WUAB. The meeting discussed the importance of adopting the gender diversity protocol as an instruction manual during day to day operations of institutions in order to achieve coherence and integration between the various skills, according to a statement issued by WUAB board. It also aims to reduce gaps within institutions in order to activate their capacity to adapt to a constantly changing global environment and enable them to create equal opportunities between men and women. The board meeting also discussed the anticipated measures to be taken by ambitious Arab banks aspiring to reach international labor standards through the adoption of the system and the development of the concepts in an applied manner. The meeting concluded with the formal approval by the board of the gender diversity protocol, to be followed later with debates to examine its implication on the Arab banking sector. (Al Diyar, June 27, 2018)

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Unemployment among Lebanese women hits 35%

27-6-2018

The head of the Gathering of Lebanese Businessmen and Businesswomen (RDCL World), Fuad Zamakhal, said unemployment among women in Lebanon has reached an alarming rate of 35% . He said women should be inspired to work part time or full time in companies, or invest in startups founded and led by high potential females. Zamakhal was speaking yesterday during a roundtable discussion under the heading, ‘Lebanon 2018: Reducing the gender gap in the private sector’. The event was organized by RDCL in cooperation with The Business Year magazine and the Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce. Some of the topics tackled included: Women’s quota in the private sector, gender inequalities in employment, the cultural, social and financial hindrances facing women entrepreneurs and enhancing the presence of women in the male dominated sectors from education up to administration. Despite international acknowledgment that gender diversity in the workplace is useful for the growth and fiscal performance of companies, yet participants noted that only few Lebanese establishments work in this direction, which is reflected in the role of both men and women in structuring corporate governance. The Business Year director, Anne Laure Perrin, pointed out that the recommendations issued at the end of the roundtable seek to advocate women’s empowerment at work alongside and equally with men and to promote society’s recognition of the active role of women and enhance their role to serve the sectors in which they work as well as their nation. (Al Mustaqbal, June 27, 2018).

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