News

In its issue of yesterday, Al Mustaqbal daily newspaper highlighted the story of the ambitious and profit making Bayt.com recruitment website which has grown remarkably since the early years of its launching back in 2000. Bayt.com has developed from a simple site posting wanted jobs to a pioneering recruitment portal in the Middle East region, which helped over 22 million people in finding employment and developing their career. According to the newspaper, Bayt.com also became a support platform for start-up companies on the MENA internet network. To introduce more the enterprise, Al Mustaqbal interviewed the sales vice chair, Suheil Masri, who pointed out that the site is having a growing audience in Lebanon thanks to its effective search tools for job prospects and talents. Furthermore, he noted that employers in the country believe that successful recruitment is intimately linked to the availability of CVS completed by job seekers. “This has rendered Bayt.com an indispensable portal for Lebanese people seeking employment, given the large number of job announcements provided daily by the site and the rich CV database that cater to the need of employers. (Al Mustaqbal, December 15, 2015)

 

 

 As part of its awareness activities, ‘Your Right is the Guarantee for Your Family’ Campaign is targeting the Parliament in order to bring about the amendment of discriminatory provisions in the Social Security Law. To this effect, Campaign activists met with women committees within the Lebanese political parties in order to achieve its goal. During the meeting, lawyer and head of the Lebanese Forces’ women team, Maya Zighrini, stressed the need for modification of such laws because “women are only asking for what is their fundamental right”, adding that she will submit the proposed amendments to the party’s central council and to its president in order enlist their support. Fatmeh Itani from the Jamaa Islamiyeh maintained that “as everything is related to politics, we cannot bring about the desired change should we stand alone.” For her part, Al Marada coordinator of women’s committees, Mirna Zakharia, voiced her reservations on Article 47 related to family and educational benefits and sough further clarifications from representatives of the Campaign. However, she underscored the vital role of political parties in achieving the desired objectives. Nawal Mdalali, from Future Movement’s Women’s Sector, noted that Lebanon is a sectarian state and therefore change, particularly in the Social Security law, has to emerge from political parties, noting that her party supports any just cause particularly that related to women.

(An-Nahar, December 15, 2015)

 

Kafa (Enough Violence and Exploitation) organization held last Saturday a regional women meeting in Beirut entitled ‘Civil Society and Challenges of Failure to Protect Women’. The event was organized in collaboration with the Iraqi Amal Association, the Syrian Women League, Al Asfari Center for Civil Society and Citizenship and the Arab Institute for Human Rights and with the support of ‘Kvinna till Kvinna. The meeting which was attended by women and men representatives of women and human rights organizations from some 13 Arab countries discussed obstacles facing the protection of women, especially in the context of wars and armed conflicts. Participants discussed strategies to protect human rights and the rights of women, as well as the local and global difficulties impeding the implementation of the Convention of Human Rights and related mechanisms in the Arab World. They agreed to develop networking efforts and to joint action between feminist and women organizations at the national, regional and international levels, in order to develop a regional strategy that combat violence and discrimination against women. The proposed strategy is expected to aim at the following: 1) bridge the gaps in legislations and constitutions in accordance with international conventions and agreements; 2) work towards transitional justice which will take into account gender issues, especially the victims of sexual abuse during and after an armed conflict, and 3) guarantee the freedom of action of civil society organizations in addition to the protection of women rights activists amidst the mounting extremism and terrorism engulfing the region. (An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, December 14 and 15, 2015)

 

In its issue of December 12, the Daily Star daily highlighted the work of the catering service project that is run by some 13 women from the Burj Al Barajneh refugee camp, and which received the support of Al Fanar Association-Lebanon and Women Programs. The project was launched by both organisations upon the request of several Palestinian women, who according to an assessment conducted two years ago by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) desired to make use of their cooking skills in a profitable enterprise that will generate additional family income. Samar, one of many enthusiastic members of the women group and interviewed by the newspaper, said the new business has helped her and her colleagues to become more independent and not rely on their husbands, but did not negatively affect their household responsibilities. Similarly, Mariam Al Shaar from the Women Programs said that the project has enabled women to build a network of contacts through the social media. The project also provided them with the opportunity to promote and market their food delicacies and products through the participation in various exhibitions that were held outside the Palestinian camp, namely in Hamra, Beirut central district and Ashrafieh. (Daily Star, December 12, 2015)

 

In accordance with the memorandum of understanding concluded between the Ministry of Social Services and the Arab Open University, AOU, the latter held a ceremony event, organized last Saturday at the AOU campus in Antelias during which certificates were distributed to some 17 graduates who completed the entrepreneurship training course. The University’s director, Dr. Farah Sarkis, expressed her satisfaction with the present cooperation between the two parties, which aims at developing the skills of students with innovative entrepreneurship ideas. The training program, it should be noted, includes modules on how to develop a business concept, the creation of a project based on a feasibility study and legal requirements, as well as training on marketing and project management. ((Al Mustaqbal, December 14, 2015)

 

The Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Saida and the South in cooperation with the Federation of Lebanese Chambers organized last Friday, ‘Mawin Baytak’ fair for traditional and artisan products under the patronage of the Minister of Economy Alan Hakim, represented by the Ministry’s director general, Alia Abbas. Over 100 associations and enterprises from various regions of Saida and the South participated in the fair and displayed their special rural food and craft products. On the occasion, the Chamber’s President, Mohammad Saleh indicated that the exhibition aims to preserve and highlight the heritage of southern villages and to “motivate Lebanese people to consume a wide selection of preservative-free foods and to familiarize them with local handicrafts and craftsmanship.” He also stressed that the initiative aims to develop local communities economically and culturally through supporting rural products and increasing local income. Saleh expressed the readiness of the Chamber to cooperate with all parties for the development of local southern communities and to contribute to supporting rural tourism, as well as to organize training courses geared at developing traditional industries and creating jobs in rural areas. Similarly, Abbas noted that the exhibition highlights the economic activities in the South and will support the steadfastness of villages. She called for unity at all national levels through better economic integration and increased domestic production. (As Safir, Al Diyar, December 12, 2015)

 

The National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) organized last Thursday a meeting to follow- up the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women Agreement, (CEDAW), with the participation of some 150 representatives of concerned ministries, public institutions, the diplomatic corps and civil society organizations. Former Minister Wafa Diqa Hamzeh clarified that the meeting comes following Lebanon’s submission of the official report summing up the fourth and fifth reports on the implementation of CEDAW and after conclusion of the discussions on the report at the UN CEDAW Committee in Geneva early last November. The purpose of the meeting, Hamzeh added, was to inform the public and NCLW partners on the outcomes and key recommendations of above debate. For more on the subject, CEDAW head at NCLW, Leila Azoori Jamhoori, focused on two general recommendations namely that the Lebanese Government comprehensively reviews all relevant legislation and laws to ensure compliance with the terms of the agreement, and that it amends or repeals all discriminatory materials contained in the penal, personal status, labor, social security and municipal elections laws, and that it also takes the necessary measures to raise the level of awareness among media and advertising establishments in order to eliminate gender biased stereotypes. (Al Mustaqbal, December 14, 2015)

 

 Related links: http://www.lkdg.org/node/14101, http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/245043

 

As part of an initiative by the Committee for Planning and Empowerment at the Central Sector of the Future movement, the Women’s Sector for the Central Beqaa organized last Saturday an IT training course for some 30 women facilitated by coordinator Rabiaa Hayek, Nauf Baydoun, committee coordinator, Nawal Mdallali, organizational affairs assistant, and Feryal Al Khosh, secretary. (Al Mustaqbal, December 13, 2015)

 

 

In its issue of December 3, L’Orient Le Jour daily reviewed the new cook book entitled: ‘The Lebanese House Cuisine’ by Kamal Mzawaq, founder of the Souk El Yayyib and Tawleh rural culinary project. In commenting his work, Mzawaq said that it is not only his book; but that of his mother, neighbor and all women customers of Souk El Tayyeb and Tawleh. As for choosing to write in English, Mzawaq explained that he wanted to address the Western mindset in a different language than that of war and hostility for which the region is characterized. His slogan ‘Make Food Not War’ reflected well the spirit of the book. Each recipe tells a story of one area of the country, while attempting to introduce the reader to traditional gastronomy including kibbeh, tabbooleh, stuffed vegetables, tanoor bread, mankoosheh of thyme, qarisheh made from cream, honey or molasses, and other cookery. (L’Orient Le Jour, December 3, 2015)

 

The Rene Moawwad Foundation for promoting social and rural development (RMF), launched yesterday the second phase of the USAID-funded Building Alliance for Local Advancement and Investment program, BALADI. RMF CEO Michel Moawwad announced the names of the upcoming projects to be implemented by his organization in cooperation with CARITAS Lebanon. Moawwad revealed that some 42 projects have been selected from 160 local municipalities. The projects will cover the following areas: agricultural industries, irrigation canals, drinking water, rural tourism, public education, centers for entrepreneurships and vocational training, health, youth sports and social centers and solar power systems. Reportedly, about 92 municipalities and villages across Lebanon, and some 77 local NGOs, will participate in improving the living standards of some one quarter of a million of people by the completion of the program in 2017. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, December 11, 2015)