News

During the past two days, the local media was enthralled with the emerging dispute between the agriculture minister, Ghazi Zuaiter, and Gloria Abu Zeid, the director general of Cooperatives, affiliated to Marada party. The apparent reason of the squabble, is a request by Zuaiter to sack Abu Zeid for refusing to sign papers involving housing cooperatives and disciplining a number of cooperative women employees. The dispute, which quickly turned into a sectarian issue, according to Al Akhbar newspaper,  was triggered by 3 files, respectively related to a housing cooperative in the Matn area, the case of high school teachers in the Beqaa and Sayidat al Najat Cooperative. Informed sources told Al Akhbar that the third coop, better known as Bishop Issam Darwish Coop, the abbot of Firzol, Zahleh and Beqaa for Melkite Catholics, was the cause of the problem. Citing other versions of the story, Al Akhbar said Abu Zeid refused to sign papers pertaining to the coop because the complex building constructed under the supervision of Ashraf Darwish, was built on episcopal waqf land. Accordingly, the law requires that the Vatican concedes the transfer of property to individuals, a condition that was not met, Abu Zeid argued. Another alleged reason for not signing, is that Abu Zeid noticed that founders of the episcopal coop in question are not the physical persons she is supposed to register the houses in their names. Thereafter, when the agriculture minister decided to withdraw some of her powers, Abu Zeid intentionally dissolved the three disputed cooperatives and appealed to the president of the republic who promised to support her just cause, as she alleges.  Al Akhbar wrote that after Zuaiter spelled out some of the violations made by Abu Zeid since assuming her post, both the Free Patriotic Movement and Al Marada withheld their support to her. It should be noted, that the agriculture minister will hold a press conference on the subject today. Furthermore, the president of the Maronite League, Antoine Iklimos, also had his say, claiming that raising the file in the Council of Ministers is not innocent, and voiced his concern over punishing what he described as an “ideal employee”, and a senior Christian state worker in particular. (Al Akhbar, Al Diyar, March 7, 2017)

Protests against alleged competition by the Syrian labor force in Lebanon have mounted recently. Blue collar workers and owners of businesses in the Bekaa town of Ali Nahri staged a symbolic sit-in on Friday outside the Town Hall in protest of deteriorating economic conditions and the saturation of the labor market with Syrian laborers. Protesters called for stepping up efforts aimed at regulating the work and presence of the Syrian workforce, warning of escalating the protest action  if their demands were not met. In this respect, while the labor minister, Mohammad Kabara’s campaign to ease foreign workers’ competition continues, the North Governor, Ramsey Nahra, seems adamant in shutting down shops in violation of the legal provisions regulating the work of foreigners in the country. The latest, was the temporary closing of 5 stores in the Batroun area pending settlement of their conditions as per illicitly hiring foreigners. In the same context, Kabara met yesterday the representative of UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon, Mireille Girad, to discuss the conditions and impact of the crisis of Syrian refugees on the local workforce. Agreement was reached as such, that the labor ministry issues work permits for the first and third categories of Syrian laborers, particularly in the construction, environment and agriculture industries, in line with the law in force, against withholding the allocated refugee aid from them. Moreover, it was agreed to reinforce the work of labor ministry inspection teams in coordination with the UNHCR and set up an electronic link for exchange of related information. (An Nahar, Al Diyar Al Mustaqbal, February 22 and 26, March 4 and 7, 2017)

As usual each year, associations involved with women’s issues celebrate the International Women’s Day on March 8 by organizing various events and activities to commemorate that day. The May Chidiac Foundation launched its conference “Women on the Front Lines” in its 5th edition at Phoenicia Hotel, Beirut. Speeches called for the following: implementation of CEDAW convention which Lebanon signed in 1996; amendment and endorsement of the Nationality Law; development of a unified Personal Status Law, and modification of the Penal Code and its discriminatory provisions as per crimes of honor and adultery related rulings. Aside, the Lebanese Forces Apparatus for Activating the Role of Women,  organized a dinner banquet at Habtour Hotel in Sin el Fil, under the theme, ‘the mirror of the nation’. The event honored seven women ambassadors, including three foreign ambassadors, and screened the achievements of the Apparatus during 2016. On the occasion, MP Setrida Geagea disclosed a plan by the LF to nominate a number of women for the Parliament. For its part, ESCWA in Beirut organized a conference under the banner, “ Women’s Empowerment is the Nations’ Empowerment, Be Bold for Change’, where the minister of state for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, pledged to support women’s representation quota as a transitional phase, while insisting that quota should be observed not only in ministries of administrative nature or are involved with women’s issues, but also in so-called sovereignty ministries, such as the defense and finance ministries. Also, the Human Rights Institute at the Beirut Bar Association in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Foundation, called for a workshop on human rights in Lebanon, where Participants tackled the work, objectives, roles and structures of the ministries of human rights and women’s affairs and the possibility of turning them into permanent state ministries. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, An Nahar, March 7, 2017)

 

The president of the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL), Joseph Torbay, said that women represent more than half of the world population, yet they own only 1% of its wealth, receive just 10% of its income and occupy hardly 14% of leading world positions in both the private and public sectors. Torbey was speaking at the opening of the Women’s Empowerment in the Banking and Financial Sectors Forum in Beirut organized by the World Union of Arab Bankers (WUAB).Torbey pointed out that Arab countries fall at the bottommost global gender gap. Arab women, he said, are continuously faced with barriers that can hardly be overcome, with discriminatory laws and regulations, inadequate economic prospects, harsh working conditions and with the complete absence of a societal and institutional support to this effect. “Women in the Arab World constitute only 24% of the domestic workforce,” he lamented, drawing attention to the purpose of this forum and future forums in substantiating the full contribution of women in all economic sectors. He finally stressed the significance of women’s empowerment in building stronger economies and more stable societies. For her part, the director general of the Arab Women’s Organization, Mervat Tellawi, explained that the economic empowerment of women is not measured by their access to the labor market only, but is also related to the conditions of this access, the type of jobs, the legal framework regulating their work, as well as, the degree of protection they receive and the equality in rights and duties a par with their men partners. Similarly, the minister of state for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, said that the presence of women at constitutional institutions and boards of directors is not a luxury or formality, but rather a need and requisite for those departments to enhance their performance. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, March 4, 2017)

 

The minister of state for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, disclosed during Friday’s Cabinet meeting, that discussion is underway to adopt the 30% women’s quota in Parliament. The Minister pointed out that the Future Movement shall turn down any electoral draft law that does not include the said quota, in nomination as well as in Parliamentary seats. Ogassapian indicated that everyone should reconcile with the idea of women’s presence in Parliament and in the state administration, adding that this can be realized only through the representation quota. “The issue is a cultural one…. the quota is an inevitable stage to ensure the presence of women in all sectors,” he stated. In this respect, The Daily Star highlighted today the Algerian Law of 2012 concerning women’s quota representation, which requires that the next Parliament be made up of 30% of women. Political parties affiliated with the Algerian government pain to bring sufficient women candidates, despite the considerable number of accomplished and educated Algerian women out there, The Daily Star wrote. The reason, the newspaper added, has to do with the dominant male culture which largely considers politics as a male arena. According to political sociologist, Nasser Jabi, the macho culture of local political parties prevented these parties from involving women in political life. It is a culture that is totally cut off from the natural evolution of society, where girls have become a majority in universities as well as in some businesses, Jabi explained. To note, the NLF has received up to 6,228 applicants for the upcoming May 4 elections, only 100 of which are women. (Al Diyar, The Daily Star, March 4 and 6, 2017)

 

In its continuous crackdown on human trafficking networks across Lebanon, Internal Security Forces (ISF) announced that it arrested a prostitution ring which used a nightclub in Mkalles (Metn area) to meet with customers via Whatsapp and YouChat. An ISF statement revealed that the owner of the nightclub and mastermind of the ring, is a 37-year old Lebanese national who has a record in human trafficking. Some 50 girls and 13 young men, members of the ring, set dates with paying customers, the statement said. The involved women were Ethiopian migrant domestic workers who fled their employers’ houses to work in prostitution, the statement added. They met with potential clients online and went out together later. (An Nahar, Al Diyar, March 4 and 5, 2017)

 

The National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) held last Friday the closing ceremony to present the accomplishments of the EU-funded “Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women in Lebanon” program including the presentation of an advocacy study promoting the adoption of the women’s representation quota in electoral law. This was followed by a panel discussion on women’s political contribution and the sought for quota system, which was attended by minister of state for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, the head of the EU Delegation, Chrisina Lassen and secretary general of the Women in Parliament Coalition, former minister Wafaa Diqa Hamzeh. In his opening address, NCLW secretary general, Fadi Karam, underlined the program’s achievements in developing NCLW’s capacities and expanding new horizons to ensure outreach to civil society groups. This, Karam maintained, is realized through the “establishment of a national coalition in support of women’s political participation with the aim to adopt the electoral quota.” For her part, former Minister Diqa stressed the main purpose of the said coalition which is the inclusion of at least 30% women’s quota in the upcoming Parliamentary elections, in observance of the democratic and constitutional process which is based on social justice and equality. Similarly, Lassen considered that collaboration between the involved ministry and NCLW is “essential to bring about a full participation of women in the economic, social, political and cultural development of the country.” Ogassapian, in conclusion, said that women’s presence in the government can enrich it. “They can be productive and have impact at all levels, and can become indispensable for advancing the performance of the cabinet,” Ogassapian said. (Al Mustaqbal, March 4, 2017)

 

 

The British Ambassador to Beirut, Hugo Shorter, said on Tuesday that he is looking forward to greater women participation in Lebanon’s political life, pointing that the minimum representation quota is just a temporary measure to help women rise above the present reality. Shorter was speaking after the launching of the structure of the new women portfolio in the presence of state minister for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, and prime minister Saad Hariri. Shorter described the meeting as “satisfactory” noting that all agreed that “any community cannot advance if half of its constituents remain completely outside public life.” A great number of accomplished women of all affiliations are out there, Shorter stated, yet they are notably absent in politics, he added. He underlined the need for a larger political role for women on par with men, hailing the effective campaigns by concerned political parties, the media and the civil society to achieve this and hoping to see more women in the next Parliament and government. (The Daily Star, March 3, 2017)

 

The Daily Star newspaper in its issue of today, highlighted an ambitious technological center launched in Beirut under the name ‘antwork’ to facilitate the work of startups and independent entrepreneurs. The concept provides small offices for freelancers and independent workforce equipped with top notch installations. Antwork was inaugurated last January in the lively Hamra district in the capital, Beirut, and is already home for some 16 startups and 180 co-workers. According to Zina Bdeir Dajani, CEO and co-founder of the project, the main hindrance to the performance of emerging enterprises is their access to free workspace and administrative services, which brought up the idea of antwork. By offering fully furnished private spaces with printers and other required office equipment, antwork reduces the costs of these services on their users. For contact and information, those who are interested, can visit the company’s website: http://bit.ly/2mMXdee or upload the application, Dajani noted. She disclosed that the founders are looking for expansion in the Middle East and Europe. (The Daily Star, March 3, 2017)

The third court hearing in the case of Manal Assi came out with fresh data that emerged from statements by witnesses at the Court under Judge Suheir Harakeh, in the presence of representative of the Public Prosecutor, Judge Imad Qabalan, Al Mustaqbal newspaper reported. To recall, the Criminal Court of Cassation postponed the trial of killer of wife, Mohamad Nuheili, till yesterday to hear witnesses including the two daughters of the culprit (htt://bit.ly/2lATaQ). Al Mustaqbal mentioned that the court held a secret hearing yesterday to listen to testimonies of the minor daughter of the murdered mother and the accused father. The court also heard the victim’s brother, sister and aunt who gave statements different from what they previously made regarding earlier facts, during and after the crime, the newspaper noted. As such, the court decided to adjourn the hearing until the 27th of this coming April to listen to Manal Assi’s mother and other involved witnesses as requested by the defendant’s attorney, Ahmad Badran. (Al Mustaqbal, March 3, 2017)