News

Another case of domestic violence assault forged its way to justice by virtue of Law No. 293 to protect women and other family members from domestic violence. The Judge for matters of special urgency in the Beqaa town of Jeb Janeen, Judge Fadi Aridi issued a brave ruling in yet another physical and emotional domestic violence case following a grievance filed by a woman asking for protection from her father-in-law who reportedly forced her out of her house after her husband’s death. When she moved to another place with her two minor kids, he again kicked her out after beating her and her children on the pretext that both homes were officially his as they were built on his own property. However, it is to be noted that the battered party and her deceased husband have actually paid for the construction of both houses. Based on these facts, Judge Aridi, and in accordance with the Law, issued a verdict that requires the following: 1) that the defendant halts immediately and indefinitely all kinds of abuse or aggression against the plaintiff and her children; 2) that the defendant allows the plaintiff to reintegrates maternal house and settles there with her underage children; 3) that the defendant instantly pays the assaulted party LBP one million as compensation for the costs of treatment for her and the two children required as a result of being subjugated to violence, and finally, 4) that the defendant and by virtue of Article 20 of the Law 293 undergoes voluntarily and at his own expenses twenty sessions of rehabilitation at KAFA rehabilitation center. Upon completion of the treatment, he is required to submit a full report to the court so as to allow it to take the appropriate decision. (An Nahar, 12 May 2015)

The processing of orange blossom water in Lebanon is a popular trade that many households in Maghdoosheh rely on for their livelihoods. This town is one of very few southern areas that still sustain the traditional profession of distilling and purifying orange flower water to produce 80-100 tons of it annually. Some 300 families are involved in harvesting the orange blossom working together as a family to save labor cost. The growing of citrus trees in Maghdoosheh relies entirely on rainfalls which distinguishes it from other essence waters produced in other areas. However, the current season has not been a promising one as a result of unprecedented snowstorms and late spring seasonal winds that hardly hit the trees prior to their blossoming period. This industry is normally profitable but arduous. It starts with picking the orange blossoms which need considerable physical strength and stamina for long hours of daily work. Extracting the flower water also requires patience. Flowers are collected piece by piece from orchards to be later sieved and sold in the market. The remaining quantities are taken to a state-of-the-art new factory established by Hariri Foundation with funding from USAID and managed by the local cooperative association which buys the orange blossoms from farmers. The Cooperative chief Nabil Khoury noted that the factory produces about 80 tons of blossom water each year and sells one kilogram between LBP 6 and 7.5 thousand according to demand. Khoury pointed out that the flowers are tested in modern labs to ensure quality, adding that the association is also supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Lebanese expatriates in New York. (As Safir, 12 May 2015)

A month after the closure of the Nassib crossing at the Syrian-Jordanian borders and the halt of land transport to Arab Gulf countries, agricultural production continues to pile in domestic markets. Potato harvest season in the northern district of Akkar has already started with no prospects for sales outside the local market. In an attempt to seek urgent help, potato growers met Agriculture Minister Akram Chehayeb who expressed his determination to work on finding appropriate solutions to the emerging crisis. The visiting delegation also asked the Minister to mediate with the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon, IDAL so as to raise the support to farmers. According to chief of the Lebanese Farmers Association, Antoine Howayek, the crisis is of general nature as hundreds of thousands of apple boxes have already been stored, while the harvest of lemon, greengage, and herbs that usually start in May are now compromised. According to Al Akhbar newspaper, Howayek estimations of exports from the forthcoming season which will begin this month were as such: 8400 tons of lemon, 14500 tons of potato, 3000 tons of greens and vegetables and 1500 tons of all sorts of other local fruits. These exportable quantities he noted, require 24 trucks on daily basis throughout the month of May, i.e. a total of 720 trucks. The newspaper warned that farmers may stop all harvesting to avoid losses resulting from the slump in production which in turn will bring down prices to below the cost of production. In a related note, Industry Minister Hussein Haj Hassan chaired last Monday a joint inter-ministerial meeting to discuss the government’s support to Lebanese exporters, industrialists and farmers in the case of resorting to sea shipping alternative following the closure of the Nassib crossing. Haj Hassan announced afterwards that the meeting focused on economic facts particularly the extra costs of shipping and extra time. Once gathered, these figures will be submitted to the government to decide on the requested financial assistance for covering the extra costs, noting a positive Cabinet feedback on this matter. (Al Akhbar, As Safir, Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, An Nahar, 8,9 and 12 May 2015)

The Order of Nurses in Lebanon organized yesterday, in Sin el Fil, a conference to mark International Nurses Day under the slogan ‘towards building bridges of communication and solidarity for nursing professionals between Lebanon and the Arab countries’. During the event which was sponsored by Health Minister, Wa2el Abu Faoor who was represented by Dr. Bahij Arbid, various data compiled by the Order until 31/12/2014 was presented. The data indicated that the Order had 12522 members, including 10070 women nurses and 2452 male nurses, while noting an increase in the number of the latter. Figures also showed that 84% of male and female nurses were working at hospitals, 4% at clinics and health centers and 2% were recruited by private companies. Also according to the above survey, 78% of those nurses were working in Lebanon and 5% abroad. Furthermore, some 46% were university graduates against 33% holding technical certificates and 19% a technical baccalaureate. The geographical distribution was as follows: 36% in Mount Lebanon, 25% in Beirut, 15% in the North, 8% in the Bekaa, 7% in Nabatiyeh District and the remaining 7% in the South. After the data presentation, Dr. Nuhad Dumit, assistant professor at Rafiq Hariri College of Nursing at the American University of Beirut, pointed out that the immigration of nurses from Lebanon is not only the result of an aspiration for better pay, but also for a more promising working environment and better working conditions. Search for career improvement and on-going education were also central. Dr. Mohamad Alameddine, an associate professor at the Faculty of Health Sciences, AUB, disclosed that 81% of nurses were subjected at least once to verbal abuse in one year and 26% to physical violence and this according to a study published in 2011 on ER departments at six main hospitals in Lebanon. Likewise, Matilda Azar, a lecturer at Balamand University revealed that 70% of participants in another survey that targeted some 1053 male and female nurses were subjected to violence one to five times every month. Studies indicated that physical abuse came mainly from patients, then their families, followed by physicians. Azar went on to say that violence is physically and emotionally distressing for nurses and could lead to poor nursing care, increased professional mistakes and a desire to drop the profession. (As Safir, An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, 13 May 2015)

Al Diyar newspaper published an interview with BLC General Manager Mr. Maurice Sehnawi following his recent participation in the Women’s Empowerment Principles Annual Forum at the UN Headquarters in New York along with UN Director General Ban Ki Moon and US Senator Hilary Clinton (for full coverage of the forum activities, press here). Sehnawi described his participation as positive and explained that Lebanon and the Arab World now have a presence and say in influential global conferences that support and respect the accomplishments of women. In his address to women in Lebanon and Arab countries, Sehnawi promised to launch new women empowering initiatives and to step up efforts to raise awareness against gender-based discrimination. BLC chief disclosed that the UN and big multinational financial institutions agree on the need to support women in business as their entry into the world of entrepreneurship is bound to raise economic growth by 22%, according to two studies carried out by the UN and the World Bank. (Al Diyar, 8 May 2015)

The Council of Ministers appointed last month former Minister Raya al-Hassan, head of the special economic zone (SEZ) in Tripoli, in accordance with the regulatory decrees issued in 2009. In an interview with L’Orient Le Jour April 25, Hassan considered that political differences were the main reason behind the delay in the appointments. While noting the absence of precise figures to measure the actual level of unemployment in Tripoli, Hassan confirmed that 80% of the population of Tripoli is deprived of basic care services, like social security, health services, water and education. She emphasized the need to move forward in the setting up of the Zone in order to lift the Tripoli population from their current misery, while stressing that the area will undoubtedly benefit from the reconstruction process in Syria. Hassan also indicated potential support from international donors, namely the World Bank. Concerning the rights of men and women workers' in the zone, Hassan said that they will benefit from health services and will have access to legal support should their rights as defined by local labor law and international conventions be infringed upon, adding that SEZ special regulations will be reviewed if they do not observe those basic labor rights. (L’Orient Le Jour, 25 April 2015)

Farmers in the border areas appealed to the government to ease restrictions on the entry of Syrians to Lebanon as this has led to a shortage in Syrian labor, after affecting the status of Syrian workers living in the country since 2000. According to As Safir newspaper, agriculture in the borderline plains relies by 90% on Syrian agricultural workers who live in tents in the open fields. One farmer, George told the newspaper that Syrian workforce have always constituted a basic pillar of the farming sector in view of its low labor cost and considerable farming expertise. The number of men and women workers, he said, ranges between 350 and 450 thousand Syrian laborers of all ages. He noted that in the past he used to bring some 50 workers through a ‘Shaweesh’ middle person and under reasonable terms. Today’s lengthy legal procedures require quite a large amount of work on the part of Lebanese sponsors. These include the payment of some LBP 300 thousand for each worker; the submission of property ownership documents; a supporting document signed by the public notary, providing a housing facility, and pledge not to register the Syrian worker as a UNHCR beneficiary. George explained to As Safir that the complicated measures have resulted in the return to Syria of nearly 80% of Syrian workers who left their farming jobs behind in the absence of an alternative. Based on the above facts, farmers have expressed their objection to the new measures in a series of protests and meetings with the concerned authorities with the declared aim of dissociating the issue of Syrian farm workers from the overall issue of refugees, while warning of dire consequences on the agriculture sector in Lebanon. (As Safir, 9 May 2015)

Kafa noted in a recent statement that the current Minister of Labor, Sejaan Azzi, ironically expressed his readiness to grant Lebanese nationality to some 420,000 domestic workers of African and Asian origins which thus will transform Lebanon into a “multi-colorful” instead of a multi confessional state! According to Kafa, “Minister Azzi has often made similar statements and took actions that are in violation of the principles of Human Rights and in contradiction with his duties as a minister who ought to be observing the provisos of international conventions that clearly oppose any kind of discrimination between human beings on the basis of color, race or affiliation.” The women association highlighted some of these recent statements and actions such as for instance threatening to stop by force the activities of the founding meeting for the establishment of a domestic workers trade union; sending out inspectors to a magazine after it published a feature on the conditions of domestic workers and the new trade union, as well as insulting a Kafa woman activist for her intervention during a televised interview. Kafa's statement went onto say that the Minister of Labor always resort to poorly founded excuses on priorities whenever challenging the demands of civil society. Kafa concluded by expressing its outrage at the failure by the Minister to observe his duties and continuous infringement on the rights and dignity of people, while condemning his arrogance towards human rights organizations and media institutions that have challenged his irresponsible acts.

For the full KAFA statement, please refer to the following link:
http://bit.ly/1IlNhj9

(Al Akhbar, As Safir, 8 & 9 May 2015)