News

The Institute of Political Sciences at Saint Joseph University organized a seminar to present the findings of a survey on early marriage funded by the Canadian Embassy in Beirut. The Lebanese database was gathered from electoral constituencies while the Syrian statistics were provided by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, in addition to a field study that was conducted by Political Science students in the North, Bekaa, Mount Lebanon, Beirut and the South. Political Science professor, Dr. Hala Itani, analyzed the collected data which indicated that 13% of girls in Lebanon got married under the age of 18, with the Alawite community recording the highest figure (16%) followed by the Sunni  (13%), Shia (12%) and Druze (10%). Among Christians, the Maronite and Greek Orthodox communities scored the highest (7%) followed by Greek Catholics and the remaining Christians (6%). Apart from confessional differences, Itani clarified that the study showed differences between regions with Hermel area in Beqaa accounting for 16%; Minyeh in Diniye, Tyre, Hasbaya, Tripoli and Akkar (14-15%); Batrun, Jezzine, Matn, Baabda, Kesrwan, Byblos and the Chuf areas reported 14-15%, and lastly, Beirut which recorded 8%. Concerning Syrian refugee women, UNHCR data indicated that 23% of girls living in Lebanon got married under 18 years of age. Similarly, 4454 Syrian girls in the age group 12-17 out of 70269 girls got married under 18, which is equivalent to 6.3% for girls against 0.2 for boys. (An Nahar, 1 July 2015)

Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil represented by Dr. Wassim Mansuri sponsored the completion of a project aiming at the development of capacities of small and medium enterprises in the field of public procurements implemented by the Bassil Fleihan Institute in cooperation with the Ecole Superieure des Affaires (ESA) and the World Bank. Mansuri noted that the said-project succeeded in enhancing the skills of some 55 participants from the category of company owners and executive officers belonging to 48 SMEs in Lebanon. He underlined the current efforts to modernize and rehabilitate public procurement processes as it stimulates the reform of the public finance administration and promotes transparency, monitoring and accountability. For his part, the Regional Integration Consultant for the World Bank indicated that the present WB program is implemented in 8 countries, including Lebanon, and aims at expanding the involvement of SMEs in public procurement, given the vital role that these enterprises plays in the Arab economies. He went on to say that SMEs around the globe play an important role in creating jobs and in reducing the rate of unemployment. However, he pointed out to a number of challenges that impede SME’s participation in public procurements, mainly complicated and exorbitant tenders, and weak public procurement systems, lack of capacity and assessment benchmarks, among others. (Al Diyar, 1 July 2015)

The ‘Authentic Chouf’ initiative was launched jointly between the Lebanese Franchise Association LFA, the Association of Chouf Merchants, Beitiddine Festival Committee and the Association of Al Chouf Cedar Nature Reserve and in cooperation with the ministries of tourism and economy. The campaign (www.authenticshouf.com) aims at stimulating economy and tourism in the Chouf area through highlighting the authentic and distinctive cultural, historic, religious, heritage and ecological features of an area extending from the Chouf coastal line up to the cedars of Baruk highlands. The launching ceremony was held at Mir Amin Castle, in Beiteddine, during which LFA Chief Charles Arbid stressed the significance of the ‘Chouf’ slogan as a distinctive point of reference for made-in-Chouf goods and services with the aim to enhance quality in compliance with international standards and later prepare them for export. In this respect, Agriculture Minister, Akram Chehayeb who is also the vice president of Chouf Cedar association pointed out that agriculture remains a basic component of the area’s economy supporting hundreds of households, adding that rural eco-tourism helps in the local marketing of agricultural products. (An Nahar, 1 July 2015)

The Religious Shiite Authority, Sayyed Ali Fadlallah noted that any gap in the level of women’s participation is not the result of weakness in women’s capacities, but is mainly due to the constraining traditions, laws and norms. Fadlallah made this important statement during the annual Iftar hosted by the Women Committee of Mabarrat Charitable Association at Al Kawthar Compound and Khadija Al Kubra, located on the airport road. He underlined the responsibility of all of society in encouraging the participation of women in political life of the country. Defending women’s rights is the duty of all societal constituents, including religious scholars and over and above, the responsibility of legislators, politicians and decision makers. Fadlallah called for improving and revising all women-related legislation, religious interpretations and norms, stressing the need to improve laws aiming at protecting women from violence particularly in view of recent cases of wife killings. Fadlallah further urged concerned authorities to develop all means for protecting women and for preventing any possible abuse or marginalization of their rights, most importantly in matters of divorce or custody of children especially given the absence of sufficient sanctioning mechanisms. (Al Diyar, 1 July 2015)

Basmeh and Zeitooneh is a grassroots community-based group set up by a group Syrians. It runs a community center in the Palestinian refugee camp of Shatila, trains women on entrepreneurial skills and provides successful trainees with small grants to assist them in launching their own business. Basmeh and Zeitooneh aims to empower women financially and provide psychological support in order to help them gain more independence. The training part of its current project stretches over two and half months, during which women are taught basic techniques of entrepreneurship such as how to buy, sell and barter goods, and ways of developing sustainable relations with customers. Top students are then invited to submit project proposals for starting their own business. Selected proposals can receive $800 in grant. Basmeh and Zeitooneh completed the first pilot of the project a few months ago following which 40 of the participants submitted their project proposals of which 31 were selected for funding. Successful projects included a nursery set up by four women, a sweets shop and a clothes’ store. However, despite being popular the project of Basmeh and Zeitooneh is now short of funding. According to the Daily Star who featured the work of the group, international donors who once supported the project have turned their attention away from Beirut which is no longer considered a priority area. (The Daily Star, 30 June 2015)

L’Orient Le Jour daily published in its yesterday’s issue a feature on women inmates at Barbar Al Khazen prison commending the good deeds of Social Movement association for the orderliness inside a jail where some 50 female prisoners of different nationalities are confined. According to the newspaper, Social Movement is assisting women inmates through the development of their embroidery and sewing skills and the marketing their finished crafts via L’Artisan Du Liban outlet. Speaking to L’Orient Le Jour reporter, Malika, from Sri Lanka, proudly mentioned that she sends some of the money she makes from sewing to her family in Sri Lanka. Ola, another women inmate from Syria, noted that she spends her money on personal needs, while others use it for entertainment, they said. It is to be noted that this SM initiative is also targeting women inmates in Roomieh prison. (L’Orient Le Jour, 30 June 2015)

The minister of health Wael Abu Faoor announced in a press conference yesterday the beginning of implementation of the quality rating program for Lebanese restaurants in agreement with the syndicates of owners of restaurants and hotels and the federation of syndicates of tourism institutions and as part of the ongoing food safety campaign. Abu Faoor presented the objectives of the program which are as follows: underscoring the positive image of Lebanese restaurants; motivating food industry establishments; enhancing and raising the quality of food; reducing incidents of food poisoning and improving hospitality services in general. The health minister explained that the program will start from Beirut with a team of 11 inspectors who are expected to visit over three phases some 931 establishments in the capital. The first phase includes conducting a preliminary assessment and taking notes that will be passed to the involved restaurant. A second assessment documenting any relevant improvements to be followed by a third which will be conducted after three months from the first and at the end of which, the restaurant will be classified in terms of quality as per a list of criteria, including: location of food preparation, delivery and presentation, staff performance, disinfecting and hygiene, sanitary facilities, locker rooms and routine tests for water and food… Scores will be given to restaurants according to compliance with the above mentioned benchmarks before final accreditation as silver (80-90% compliance), platinum (over 90%) or no certification (below 80%). Abu Faoor stressed that certificate should be posted at the entrance of the restaurant where it should be visible to clientele. Abou Faoor concluded by announcing a new decision in agreement with trade unions concerned that requires all establishments involved in preparing or serving food to enroll at least one of their fixed-term employees in regular food safety training workshops. Implementation of the decision will go in effect as of the first of next September, he added. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, 30 June 2015)

Al Ahli Holding Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility division launched the World Youth Day for 2015 in partnership with Mohammad Bin Rashid Institute for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises. ‘Tabaadol, a Lebanese youth group, represented by students Lia Karah, Grace Sawma and Imad Suleiman, won the international competition. The group was trained for 7 days in preparation for the final contest along with six other teams from Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Argentina and the United Kingdom. Towards the end of the forum, Mohammad Khamas, Al Ahli CEO received the winners at the Dubai HO and handed them a ten thousand USD cheque award. Expressing their gratitude and pleasure in winning the award, the Lebanese team described it as an opportunity to launch their forthcoming social initiative targeting the unemployed, retired and housewives within the age group of 40 years and above. For her part, Lina Hurani, chief of the social responsibility division explained that the organization’s projects are aimed at training youth on leadership and entrepreneurship serve the sustainability of their community. (Al Mustaqbal, 30 June 2015)

The ‘Maakum’ social association organized a "cultural" field trip to Jarabta and Rashana located in Batroon and Bsharri as part of the ‘English for women-2015’ program financed by the Diplomatic Bureau at the American Embassy in Beirut. Some 150 women participants from different regions across Lebanon took part in the activity and visited St Joseph Monastery and the Shrine of St Rafka where a tree was planted at the main entrance upon the initiative of US Ambassador David Hill. The participants later headed towards the village of Rashana and visited the Alfred Basboos Museum, and were later hosted for a luncheon in the area. (Al Mustaqbal, 30 June 2015)

Beqaa farmers and exporters of agricultural products in collaboration with the Syndicate of Refrigerated truck drivers in Lebanon staged a sit in last Saturday on the main Shtaoura - Beirut highway in the Eastern Beqaa region during which they destroyed some of their produce to protest against the presently dire situation and to demand swift support of maritime and air transport. The protest followed a large meeting that was held at the HQ of the Association of Beqaa Farmers in Riyyaq that was headed by Ibrahim Tarshishi, the head of the association who outlined the various problems facing these economic sectors namely: the frost storms which hit the region last April and which devastated almost half of the production; the 85-day long closure of the land transport routes with no clear prospects yet for government financial support to alternative sea route, and finally the persistent smuggling of goods through the Hermel and Tripoli border points. During Saturday’s protest, MP Assem Araji echoed the plight of farmers noting to their large outstanding debts to the banking sector, which could lead them to prison. Likewise, head of the Syndicate of Refrigerated Truck Drivers Omar Al Ali appealed to the Interior Minister to bar the entering to the Lebanese sea ports of empty non-Lebanese refrigerated trucks so that they do not compete with Lebanese trucks, and to restrict the transport of goods from Lebanon to Syria to those Lebanese trucks owned by Lebanese persons. (Al Diyar, An Nahar, As Safir, 26 and 28 June 2015)