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Lebanese woman television anchor with special needs enters the Guinness Book

30-1-2017

Young Dalia Freifer who lost her eyesight at the age of 18 years after being exposed to a problem in the retina, was able to enter the Guinness Book of Records for the longest television broadcast for 24 hours by ‘Tele Liban’ the Lebanese official television station, where she hosted more than 70 personalities. Freifer kicked off the challenge at 8:00 am last Saturday morning, and ended yesterday morning.  She  hosted during the marathon live broadcast guests from various sectors including intellectuals, cultural, media and arts specialists.  Freifer conducted a series of interviews, without exceeding 15 minutes for each interview, according to the requirements of the Guinness Book of Records. Freifer considered that this adventure was a challenge for herself, and a representation of a humanitarian message to urge people to pay attention to persons with special needs, and provide them rights and livelihoods in Lebanon. (Al-Hayat, Al-Akhbar, January 30, 2017)
 

 

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LGBTQI persons in Lebanon can no longer be charged

30-1-2017

The Legal Agenda reported that Single Criminal Judge in Metn, Rabih Maaluf issued last week a decision to annul pursuits of  LGBTQI persons who were charged based on article 534 of the penal code, which states that “any intercourse act contrary to the order of nature is punishable by prison for a period ranging from one month to one year, and a fine ranging from 200 thousand to one million LL”. The importance of the decision, according to the Legal Agenda, is in basing itself on article 183 of the penal code, where it is considered that “the alleged actions constitute a practice of human rights without any infringement”. In his analysis of “right”, the decision considered that the principle of equality among human beings is one of the most important foundations of a democratic society where each human being has the right to enjoy all rights and freedoms, emphasizing that “such denial of the LGBTQI natural rights to engage in intimate relationships amongst themselves without discrimination or interference from anyone, would result in forcing them to do what is contrary to their nature to be consistent with the practices of the majority”.  This consequently means denying them the enjoyment of their rights that are inherent to their persons, which constitutes a violation to basic human rights that are enshrined within the Lebanese constitution and the international Human rights instruments. Whereas a number of LGBTQI in Lebanon expressed their welcome of that decision, the founder of “Helem” association, George Azzi, emphasized that the best measure is to annul article 534, but he regarded what happened as an achievement to be added to the credit of NGOs that are concerned with LGBTQI rights.  Azzi further noted that this equitable judgment for LGBTQI is not the first. In the same vein, Azzi emphasized that the Lebanese society is ready to annul article 534, based on a study conducted by the Arab Institute for Freedoms and Equality during the past year.  Findings of the study indicate that 90% of the surveyed persons are against violence against LGBTQI, but he pointed out that the battle is not with the society but with the security forces, whose members frequently resort to the use of force when dealing with LGBTQI.  Azzi concluded by clarifying that the demand for LGBTQI right does not imply demand for marriage or adopting children, but to arrive at implementing rights and at equality. (Al-Diyar, L’Orient le Jour, January 30, 2017)

 

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UNFIL workshop in Tyr to strengthen the role of women in decision-making

30-1-2017

The “gender unit” at UNIFIL and the Western Sector Command, organized last Friday a workshop for 70 southern women from the Tyre area.  The event was organized within the framework of the ongoing preparations of the “Open Day for Women, Security and Peace” which UNIFIL celebrates annually. During the event, the commander of the southern sector of UNIFIL, General Ugo Chello, expressed his pleasure in hosting the workshop, underscoring the basic role of women in society, and calling for strengthening their engagement in governmental and local institutions. Chello expressed his intent to unify efforts of UNIFIL and Lebanese women and to support them in order to achieve the desired objectives. On her part, the head of the gender unit at UNIFIL, Afaf Omar, underscored the high participation of women in the event despite challenging weather conditions, pointing out that this indicates the resolve and determination of women to strengthen their role in society, and in assuming decision-making positions. The workshop was concluded with a set of recommendations related to the importance of strengthening women’s participation  in decision-making, and with a discussion of common challenges and priorities to achieve development in communities.  Participants concluded with a discussion on coordination between Lebanese women and UNIFIL women. (Al-Diyar, January 29, 2017)
 

 

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BLC supports a Lebanese woman in reaching Mount Aconcagua

27-1-2017

As part of ‘We Initiative’ launched by the Banque Libanaise pour le Commerce (BLC) and aiming at empowering women and helping them achieve their full potential, BLC have provided support to Lebanese mountain climber, Joyce Azzam, in her trip to Argentina to reach the peak of mount Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America and the highest peak outside the Himalaya mountains, which reaches 6962 meters. It is noteworthy that Azzam left Lebanon on January 24th to engage in this adventure that will take one month, which is part of a series of mountain climbing adventures entitled “The Explorers’ Grand Slam” based on challenging explorers to reach the North and South Poles, in addition to climbing the highest peaks in the seven continents. The number of female and male adventurers who succeeded in reaching such peaks reached 51 climbers of whom 12 are women. On that occasion, the vice chairperson of the board and General Manager of the bank, Nadim Al Qassar, stated that “Joyce embodies diligence to achieve dreams and break barriers, calling for bold women to join her in her quest”, pointing out that she forms in her determination an authentic embodiment of the ‘We Initiative’, since she aims at reaching the highest peaks and arriving at new horizons, inspiring women to do the same”. (Al-Akhbar, January 27, 2017)
 

 

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A Proposed law to prevent objectifying women in media and advertisement

27-1-2017

The Minister of State for Women’s Affairs, Jean Ogassapian, declared that his ministry is in the process of preparing a legislative proposal prohibiting stereotyping and objectifying women in the fields of media and advertising, in order to curb violence that [women] are subjected to, and which reinforces discrimination and marginalization [of women]. Ogassapian pointed out that the Council of Ministers, addressed during the session held last Wednesday several programs that are presented on some of the Lebanese television stations.  He emphasized commitment to freedom of the media, on condition that such freedom does not violate public morality, or harm the image of Lebanese women, their dignity and basic rights. Ogassapian statement follows wide public complaints, against several television programs that contained a lot of inappropriate language, sexual innuendoes, and objectifying of women, especially the program entitled “Take Me Out, Naqshet” which is screened on LBCI channel.  This also prompted also the Minister of Information, Melhem Riachi, to convene a meeting, yesterday, to examine the content of these programs. On his part, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Lebanese Institution (LBCI), Pierre el-Daher, stated that he will personally supervise the content of that program to prevent it from falling into a morally forbidden area. (The Daily Star, Annahar, January, 27, 2017)
 

 

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After two Nepali women activists, GS detains two other women on charge of espionage for the enemy

27-1-2017

General Security (GS) detained last Wednesday, two women domestic workers of Nepalese nationality, on the charge of espionage for Israeli enemy. According to a statement issued by GS, investigations revealed that the two afore-mentioned Nepalese women were active in field of recruitment of Nepali foreign domestic workers of the Nepalese in Lebanon in service of the Israel, through providing them with the telephone numbers of Israeli embassy in Nepal in order to gather information about their sponsors for the Israeli’s intelligence agency. In addition to the two Nepalese, the security forces detained two Lebanese individuals of the Lebanese and a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon on the same charge. It is noteworthy that the General Security detained on last December 11th, two Nepalese domestic worker activists Sujana and Rosy who were members of the Council of the Syndicate of Male and Female Domestic Workers, (c.f: http://bit.ly/2gCoFfa)). Sujana was subsequently deported, whereas Rosi was held in detention, At the time SG actions raised protest from some of human rights organizations, while security officials alleged that the two women were involved in smuggling of domestic workers and assisting them to leave their sponsors’ places [of residence]”. (Al-Akhbar, The Daily Star, and L’Orient le Jour, January 27, 2017).
 
 

 

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Divorced women subjected to harsh humiliating conditions in Lebanon

26-1-2017

The newspaper Al Hayat in its issue published today shed light on the difficulties faced by divorced women in Lebanon, pointing out that despite social changes and general openness of the society, divorced women are still exposed to harsh and humiliating conditions. The newspaper stated that women returning to their parents’ home in most cases are re-subjected to the authority of the father and the brother after escaping the patriarchy of the husband. Consequently, divorced women do not find the needed supportive environment to assist her to reintegrate life. Al Hayat went on to indicate that whereas the specific conditions of divorced women vary according to economic and social factors, their suffering has a lot in common. The newspaper article added that after divorce, women come to realize that what was expected from them was never to complain and always to bear their husband’s mistakes, in order to preserve the family, and to never fail in carrying out their household duties and responsibilities. In comparison judgment towards divorced man is much lighter than that, the article noted. The newspaper interviewed ‘Sahar’ a divorced woman after years of physical and psychological violence, noted that society concocted untruthful rumors about her whilst throwing on her the responsibility for domestic violence to which she was subjected. Another woman asserted that after divorce, women have to accept to totally relinquish their independence. (Al Hayat, January 26, 2017)

 

 

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Doubts over unemployment data and labor market imbalances

26-1-2017

“Al-Mashreq Center for Strategic Affairs” convened a workshop which is a part of a series entitled: “challenges and solutions in the labor market: specifying the gap between demand for labor and supply and closing it “.During the workshop which was held in Beirut – Badaro, participants reviewed key challenges facing the labor market in general, and questioned the general perception related to scarce work opportunities in Lebanon while focusing on work opportunities from the perspective of graduates. Participants also expressed their dissatisfaction with existing unemployment data in Lebanon and came up with a set of recommendations that may contribute towards closing the gap in the labor market and maintaining the quality of supply and the validity of demand for labor. Recommendations included: 1) orienting students in schools and universities and encouraging them to specialize in a specific area according to the requirement of the labor market at the time, as well as spreading awareness among them, 2) linking universities with the labor market and strengthening coordination among them, 3) encouraging male and female students to enrol in vocational and crafts schools, and not only universities, through Raising awareness on the importance of that sector and its specialties and the needs of the market for such spécialisation, 4) continuing monitoring of universities and institutes on the part of concerned agencies (mostly the Ministry of Education) and conducting annual evaluation of their performance, 5) strengthening government institutions such as the national institution for employment, and paying attention to the infrastructure (electricity, water, internet, and transport), 6) and finally looking into the possibility of reforming outdated and harsh labor laws. (Al Diyar, January 23, 2017)

 

 

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Half of Lebanon’s production of cannabis is smuggled to Europe

26-1-2017

The office of “Anti-Drug of the Internal Security Forces” seized in 2016 around 7.5 tons of hashish in Lebanon, 200 Kg of cocaine, 15 million packages of captagon and amounts of various other drugs. In addition, the said office detained 548 persons who deal with drugs, according to what the head of the office, Brigadier Ghassan Shamseddine told to the newspaper L’Orient le Jour.  Shamseddine also emphasized that 50% of the hashish manufactured in Lebanon is consumed locally, whereas the rest is exported to Europe, especially through Egypt and Libya. Through his conversation, Shamseddine presented the most prominent achievements of the office in fighting this trade, revealing the arrest of several smuggling networks throughout the past year, the most prominent being the arrest that was made two weeks ago, where 400 thousand packages of captagon were seized at a store equipped with tools and materials for manufacturing captagon, and another in Beirut airport, where the entry of four laboratories for manufacturing captagon that were coming from India was halted. These equipment were supposed to enter as university laboratories. Shamseddine concluded the conversation by demanding that the government find alternative crops to replace hashish in Lebanon such as saffron since the weather in Beqaa resembles that of some areas in Iran. (L’Orient le Jour, January, 26, 2017)

 

 

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Criticisms of export program and industrialists calls for further measures

26-1-2017

Following the first report on the program of the “Marine Bridge for Lebanese Exports”prepared by IDAL, where it conceded the disappointing results in its first year (see new:http://bit.ly/2k282L1), the president of the Gathering of Farmers in Beqaa, Ibrahim Tarshishi, emphasized in a press interview that the ‘Marine Bridge Program’ failed drastically.  He added that this necessitates that the Council of Ministers introduces some modifications on its mechanism of operation. In the same context, Tarshishi pointed out that IDAL disbursed funds allocated for subsidies to owners of the ‘roro’ ship that handled the exportation, that is to one party only, describing what happened as monopoly, which resulted practically in the decrease in the quantities of agricultural production that was exported from approximately 500 thousand tons, to 350 thousand tons, and to a decline in prices exceeding 50%, since there were only one or two trips every 10 days, whereas there is a need for organizing one trip every one or two days. On the other hand, Tarshishi recommended that subsidies be provided directly to merchants and exporters, He also called for a more intensive shipment cycle, at much better prices, and for allowing exporters the right to select the ‘roro’ shipping agency.  
In the same vain, the president of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, Fadi Gemayel, met a delegation from Northern Metn industrialists, to discuss the present situation and ways to address challenges, adding that his association has prepared several working papers in order to absorb financial losses, resulting from the drop of exports, which since 2012 have reached USD 1 billion. (Al Mustaqbal & Al-Diyar, January 22 &25, 2017)
 

 

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