News

In its issue of today, L’Orient Le Jour newspaper brought to light the worsening situation of Libyan women following the February 17, 2011 protests against the late Qaddafi regime. The newspaper recalled a directive issued last February 16th by the military governor of the North Eastern district, Abdel Razak Nazuri, banning the travel of Libyan women under 60 years without ‘mahram’ (a male relative or close family member to act as "guardian"). The decision was modified under the pressure of broad criticisms, particularly among women, to become, ‘the ban of women – without mahram- between 18 years and 45 years of age’. Nazuri linked his decision to public interest, as it helped ease off undesirable consequences of the travel of Libyan women, as some were found out to have connections with foreign intelligence services. Commenting on the subject, Hanan Salah, a Human Rights Watch researcher, explained that the above decision is the first of its kind in the country. Another political observer, and head of the Study and Research Center for the Arab and Mediterranean World (CERMAM), Hasana Obeidi, described the decision as a blow to Libyan women. Such acts, she said, constitute a flagrant violation of human rights and international treaties on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women which Libya is a signatory. Obeidi recounted how Libyan women are systematically suppressed to stop demanding their rights, bringing to mind the killing in 2014 of the lawyer and activist, Salwa Boguez, and the 2016 detention of activist Jaber Zeinnidin, after a lecture on women’s rights. (L’Orient Le Jour, March 3, 2017)

The Lebanese Committee for UNESCO announced that nominations for L’Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science Awards 2017 are now open for women scientists from Africa and the Arab States. The annual event, to recall, is launched by L’Oreal in partnership with UNESCO and the National Council for Scientific Research in Lebanon. The aim is to promote and encourage outstanding Arab women who present a unique career path and deep commitment in the fields of physical sciences and biology. This year’s program will honor 7 distinguished Arab laureates, who will receive 3 post doctorate scholarships worth of Euro 10 thousand each, in addition to 4 doctorate fellowships (Euro 6 thousand each) for Arab women researchers at laboratories or research centers in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine. For more information on applications, please visit the website:  www.fwis.fr. On the subject, Al Hayat newspaper in its edition of today interviewed three researchers from Egypt who had previously received grants from the above program.  These  are Dr. Nortan Abdel Wahab, (professor at the Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University), Dr Hiba Salameh, (professor at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Alexandria) and Dr. Shahenda Najjar (director of Basic Research Department and molecular biology scientist, 57357 Children’s Cancer Hospital). Abdel Wahhab, winner of 2015 fellowship for research on infectious diseases and heredoimmunity, told the newspaper that she is currently working on the development of a genetic test that ensures a more specialized treatment and therefore determines the right treatment to the right patient. Dr. Salameh, winner of 2016 award for her doctoral dissertation on improving the production of animal fodder crops for better milk and meat quality, said the main problem in Egypt is not in the handiness of human resources apt for research and innovation, but in their resilience and capacity to hang on in the field. Finally, Najjar, winner of the L'Oreale-UNESCO 2011 program for children’s cancer research, stressed that only scientific research can help improve patients treatments and increase the prospects of cure. (Al Hayat, NNA, March 2, 2017)

 

During a general assembly attended by its founding members, the Lebanese Business Association World (RDCL World) elected its first board of directors, which included: Fuad Zmokhol (president), Toni Gharib (vice-president), Farid Dahdah (secretary), Elie Aoun (general secretary), and Elie Abu Jawdeh, Mona Bawarshi, Emile Shawi, Elias Dumit, Karim Farsun, George Gharib, Nassib Nassr and Riad Obegi as members. On the occasion, the president elect underlined the main objectives of the association which is to create a steadfast Lebanese economic lobby in the world based on a distinctive, substantial and solid force. Zmokhol identified the priorities of the new world team as follows: 1) build and strengthen partnerships with leading global institutions like, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); 2) create synergies with commercial, social and unionist international associations, like the Francophone University Association (AUF) and L’Institut de Prospective Economique du Monde Mediterraneen (IPEMED); 3) to finalize procedures for Lebanon’s access to giant economic cartels, like for example, the South American Economic Organization (Mercosur), World Trade Organization (WTO) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC); 4) build permanent channels of cooperation and communication with academia and students in Lebanon in the framework of the Francophone countries and the world; 5), maintain close relations with various embassies in Lebanon, and 6) and protect openness to the world as well as organize economic delegations to various continents. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, March 2, 2017)

 

In a special feature today, Al Hayat newspaper drew attention to the continuous suffering of displaced Syrian women who strive to make the most of their potentials to provide for their families. Faten, for example, has found salvation in sewing after she received a sewing machine from a charity that supports refugees and encourages them to engage in small businesses in order to secure a modest income, Al Hayat wrote. Besides sewing, women refugees are functional in other trades, especially when the male breadwinner is absent. One of the jobs at hand, Al Hayat mentioned, is catering the traditional food (mouneh). Karima, an expert in mouneh products (the Syrian version) , excels in making the famous ‘makdous’ (aubergine pickles) which she sells to the Lebanese or to fellow refugees. However, Karima grieved, the capital remains a stumbling block. “If the sales are weak, I can hardly find money to buy the needed aubergines, pecans, olive oil or other basic ingredients needed for the makdous,” Karima told the reporter. Al Hayat also highlighted another Syrian women refugee vocation, namely handworks, which are largely promoted by community groups who organize small-scale exhibitions to showcase the talents and aptitudes of women crafts workers, or provide the raw material workers need. (Al Hayat, March 2, 2017)

The minister of industry, Hussein Haj Hassan, warned that Lebanese exports have declined since 2011 from USD 4.1 billion to USD 2.8 billion, i.e USD 1.3 billion (equivalent to 27%) against a surge in imports from USD 14 billion to USD 19 billion during the same period. He was speaking during a conference held in BIEL on Monday on the granite and marble sector crisis in the country. The trade deficit for 2016, he said, has reached USD 15.8 billion which leaves 33% of the GDP in deficit. Haj Hassan described the situation as “more than dangerous” warning of  a total collapse of the trading and industrial sectors. He also spoke of obstacles imposed by world countries on Lebanese exports, calling for mobilized efforts by all “civilized and democratic” measures to pressure firstly, and all other concerned parties, to salvage and protect the domestic industry and fight illicit smuggling of goods and evasion of taxes. In this respect, and in its analysis of the problematic situation, An Nahar newspaper reported on February 22 issue, the decision by the biggest glass factory in the Middle East and Lebanon, ‘Soliver’, to shut down by the end of last January, and which used to employ some 169 Lebanese and 60 Syrian workers. Soliver CEO, Izzat Kaddura, told An Nahar how conditions began to slide and cumulative losses became significant thus  forcing  closure. Kaddura blamed the government for not having a clear-cut strategy to support heavy industries that primarily rely on energy for input, in addition to the insupportable foreign competition. “We cannot face the fierce competition from Arab Gulf states or from neighboring countries namely Egypt, Syria and Turkey,” Kaddura lamented. “The factory needs 24/24 electricity to function. We had to install a private power plant and hire some 30 to 40 employees, which significantly rose the cost of production,” Kaddura said. (L’Orient Le Jour, An Nahar, February 22, March 1, 2017)

 

The Parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee led by MP Ibrahim Kanaan discussed last week a proposed accelerated bill to amend provisions of Law No. 190, dated June 26, 2010. The bill requires the ministry of finance to give an advance in compensation for shareholders in the Coop of Lebanon (Association of Production and Consumption) and is expected to resolve a social and humanitarian crisis affecting a large number of Lebanese people. The above Committee announced that it has completed an initial reading of the draft law. In light of this and of statements and testimonials by Coop representatives, the Finance Ministry and the present MPs. It was agreed to rewrite some articles of the said law in order to ensure the equities and rights of shareholders, as well as creditors and suppliers, in observance of the financial assets and prevalent laws. As such, the committee President gave the Ministry and the Coop a one-week ultimatum to return with the modified formula for endorsement during the upcoming March 2 parliamentary session. It should be noted, that the Coop was founded in 1977, but in clear breach of the law, then Coop managers decided to set up a center accepting interest-bearing deposits from customers. During the year 2000, Lebanon Coops suffered a liquidity crisis as a result of poor management and extensive investment of capital in fixed assets, noting that the financial statements that were published proved to be incorrect. (Al Mustaqbal, February 24, 2017)

 

 

 

 

Milk production and processing equipments were distributed to 60 dairy farmers at the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Tripoli and the North. The beneficiaries from the different rural localities in North Lebanon were trained on handling these machineries before receiving them. This project comes within the framework of the program to ‘Enhance the Livelihood and Food Security of Vulnerable Lebanese Women’ implemented by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in cooperation with the ministry of agriculture and funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation. (AICS). During the ceremony, the head of the agriculture department in the North, Iqbal Ziadeh, underlined, on behalf of the minister, the importance of setting up agricultural cooperatives and ongoing collaboration with the agriculture ministry to this effect. He stressed the role of the ministry in providing support to the milk and dairy production sector, pointing out that it will follow up the farmers participating in the project to ensure improved production. For his part, the president of the Chamber, Tawfic Dabusi, drew attention to the pivotal role played by the ministry of agriculture in the national economy, particularly at the level of food security and in encouraging rural households and small scale men and women farmers to steadfast in their villages. (Al Diyar, March 1, 2017)

The state minister for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, launched yesterday the structure, vision and electronic portal of his ministry at the Grand Serail in the presence of Prime Minister Saad Hariri. During the launch event which saw the signing of a memorandum of cooperation with UNDP, Ogassapian announced his ministry’s roadmap which observes equal civil, economic, social, cultural and political rights of women on par with men, the enhancement of women’s capacities and integration of women’s rights in the core of the sustainable national development strategy. As for the ministry’s website which still has no clear web address, Ogassapian stressed its fundamental role in presenting the ministry’s strategy and achievements and in facilitating communication between the various public departments and local and international NGOs involved with women. For his part, Hariri reiterated his full backing to women’s representation quota as a precondition for the upcoming electoral law, pledging to implement the directive issued during his 2010 term in government to promote women’s access to senior posts in the State after being suspended for 7 years as a result of impeding social and cultural traditions, according to Hariri. (Al Hayat, Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, March 1, 2017)

  

The minister for women’s affairs in the new cabinet, Jean Ogassapian, tweeted yesterday in support of the adoption of the women’s representation quota (not less than 30%) in any projected draft electoral law. He also disclosed that he will launch the new structure of his ministry today from the Grand Serail in the presence of Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Ogassapian stressed in his tweets that completing the structural groundwork in record time underscores a serious resolution on the part of the government to take to a new level the reality of women in the country. He also revealed a direction by the PM to issue a recommendation requiring the implementation of the quota in appointments for state jobs. In conclusion, Ogassapian reiterated his determination to modify the unfair legislations against women, particularly those related to work, social security, penalties and nationality. (Al Mustaqbal, February 28, 2017)

 

The State Commissioner to the Military Court, Judge Saqr Saqr appealed for cassation against an earlier ruling in the killing of Eliane Saftali demanding re-trial of the accused, Hassan Hamiyeh. Saqr decided that the verdict was null and void and therefore should be repeated. To recall, Saftali was shot dead by mistake on January 12, 2015, outside a nightclub in Kaslik area north of Beirut. It should be noted, that the first Military Investigative Judge, Riad Abu Ghida, has issued an accusatory verdict maintaining that Hamiyeh’s act is a felony of wrongful death punished according to Penal Code Article 550 which stipulates that “anyone who takes the life of another person by negligence or lack of precaution or observance of prevalent laws and regulations is punished with imprisonment from 6 months up to 3 years.” Abu Ghida also issued an arrest warrant and accusation against the defendant in line with Article 72 on Weapons and Munitions. As such, the penalty for the possession or transfer of weapons and ammunition without permit should be not less than one month in prison and neither should the arm bearer be sentenced with probation in the case of using carried weaponry. (L’Orient Le Jour, February 28, 2017)