News

Many farmers in South Lebanon have stopped growing tobacco during the Israeli occupation and wars, having to flee their land. However, they resumed the cultivation after the liberation in 2000, encouraged by government’s subsidized purchasing prices, thus attracting more farmers. This arrival of new farmers prompted the Finance Ministry and the tobacco monopoly known as Regie Libanaise du Tabac & Tombacs to raise the ceiling of production in the South to 5,400,000 kilograms annually. However, tobacco growing started again to decline in the past few years because of increasing costs. Nearly 14,000 farmers and their family are involved in tobacco growing against a peak of 16500 farmers. To be added to the total is 10,000 other families in the North and Beqaa regions. With the start of each harvest season, tobacco growers and the newly established the Tobacco Growers Association in the South, reiterate their annual demands aiming to protect their livelihoods. One of the encountered problems according to the Chief of the association, Khalil Deeb is that here are some 3,000 licensed tobacco licensed farmers who in fact are not actually producing. These pseudo farmers in fact purchase the surplus production from farmers- since the Regie has fixed the ceiling of production per acre at 100 kg- leaving farmers with no choice but to sell at cheapest prices, not exceeding LBP 7000, or totally loosing by not selling at those prices.  Deeb reiterated the five key demand of the Association: fix tobacco permits at four acres per farmer; raise the average price of one kilogram of tobacco leaf from LBP 12,500 to 15,000; put an end to the practice of discounting prices during harvest delivery; register farmers and their families in the social security fund and compensate farmers for losses during 2006 Israeli aggression. (As Safir, 16 & 19 March 2015)

L’Orient Le Jour published an interview with Rima Fakhry, the only woman member of Hezbollah’s political bureau. The newspaper stated that despite her rare appearances in the media, she actively participates in decision making in the leadership council. Fakhry, who comes from the southern town of Zrarieh, joined Hezbollah in 1985 when she was still an agriculture engineering student at the American University of Beirut because she believed that through Hezbollah she can better serve her town and people. Rima’s early duties were in the education and mobilization sector in the south of the country. Later, she joined the women’s central committee, in 2004, when the Party decided to encourage the participation of women in political life, hence moving up in Hezbollah’s leadership. On this move, she disclosed that the General Secretary, Sayed Hassan Nasrallah, told her that her only option is to succeed. Rima admitted that involvement in political work is a major responsibility, particularly since Hezbollah makes strong emphasis on clear and principled vision in political decision making. She recalled once when Sayed Nasrallah stood on her side her against other Party members who voiced opposition to one political position she presented. Fakhry holds a Masters in Political Science and International Affairs from the Lebanese American University and is currently preparing her doctorate in the subject. On a personal note, Rima confesses that her responsibilities are overwhelming and therefore grant her little time to spend with her 4-member family also revealing that her spouse is not affiliated with Hezbollah. (L’Orient Le Jour, 17 March 2015)

Farmers of Iqleem Karroub expressed grave concerns on this year’s banana and citrus production devastated by the harsh winter storms that hit Lebanon recently. The aftermath was shocking to the area farmers whose livelihoods were reportedly threatened. One farmer Sami Saleh Uthman who exploits a 650-acre banana groves in the coastal town of Alman, explained that his annual land lease is LBP 45 million, added to it LBP 35 million in labor cost and fertilizers, resulting in losses amounting to LBP 45 million. He went on to add that his total income was only LBP 35 million to date against at least LBP150 million in the past. “The farmers’ seasons in Alman have been totally compromised this year,” Sami complained, adding that the banana market today is depressed. He noted that the price of one pound (2.5kgs) of banana fell from LBP 2500 to LBP1000. Farmer of the area urged the government to carry out a damage assessment in the coastal Chuf area as a prelude for compensating farmers for their heavy losses and in order to save their threatened livelihoods. (As Safir, 16 March 2015)

A 2009 survey of the Central Administration of Statistics indicated that 77.2% of women against 27.2% of men of working age claim to be not economically active or are not workers or looking for a job. In a male and chauvinist society, and on the occasion of Mothers’ Day, “As Safir” chose to highlight the profile of a number of Lebanese women who were successful in professions traditionally associated with men. Shafiqa Al Haj, a mother of 3 children, is one of them. With the help of her spouse and a bank loan agreed in her own name, she opened a gas station. Given the small size of the loan, Shafiqa had to fully run the station, and forced to do all jobs herself, including filling gas for customers, washing cars, audit and management of staff. Another outstanding lady, Rola Hoteyt, is presently the only woman pilot in Lebanon who believes that a strong personality is necessary for achieving ones dreams and for women to stand up against challenges facing them in life. Zeina Maaluf is a driver of a 50-passenger school bus, who loves her life-fulfilling job because it makes her a responsible and productive person, as she said. However, she traced the reason for her current work occupation to unhelpful circumstances which forced her to drop out from school at an early age. Samira Masri, for her part, is the owner of a car mechanic repair shop in the southern suburb of Beirut. She has steadfastly been working with her husband in a tiring profession that has given her appreciation and recognition as is evident by the long list of customers she cultivated during many years of work. (As Safir, 21 March 2015)

Under the patronage of MP Bahiya Al Hariri, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Saida and the South, inaugurated, in collaboration with the Business Incubation Association, the “2015 Mothers Products” expo at the City’s Exhibition Center. In his words, the Chamber’s President Mohammad Hassan Sale7h reiterated the official body’s commitment to support economic empowerment of Southern women and to provide them with suitable training and mentoring services that will bolster the skills of small business owners. Similarly, MP Hariri said: “The motto  ‘My Mother and My Motherland’ was deliberately chosen to emphasis national and social unity; “a unity in which mothers play a leading role by keeping their family together while preserving their safety, stability, progress and prosperity.” The expo hosted over 60 display stands operated by different civil society organizations from all parts of the South, and showcasing traditional products, such as mooneh, sweets, jams, textiles and other handicrafts. (Al Mustaqbal, 21 March 2015)

Labor Minister Sajaan Azzi demanded maximum investigation into the death of the Bangladeshi women domestic worker who was found hanging from the roof at her employer’s house (kindly refer to the previous news dated 20-3-2015). Preliminary findings by the Security Forces and the Justice revealed that the foreign women worker was lately trying to talk her employer into returning her to her country and has for that reason started a hunger strike. However, she died three days after the beginning of strike. Azzi requested the expansion of the investigation into the employer’s inhuman treatment. “It is unacceptable to lock a domestic help inside the house without notifying the recruiting agency or the Labor Ministry in order to act accordingly,” Azzi explained. “Considering the crime a suicide is not enough to close the investigation,” he noted, while announcing that a meeting will take place soon to discuss ways of dealing with recurring incidents in the future. (Al Diyar, 21 March 2015)

My Nationality is a Right for Me and My Family Campaign staged a sit-in yesterday in Riad Al Solh, in downtown Beirut. For that purpose hundreds of participants converged to Riad Solh square from across the country, from the South, the North, Beqaa, Beirut and Mount Lebanon areas. The Regional Coordinator of the Campaign, Lina Abu Habib, stressed “rights are indivisible and are not subject to discriminatory considerations,” describing as pointless the political approach that withholds the rights of citizens in favor of narrow confessional interests. Reconstructing political life along the lines of citizenship, she said, is necessary to attain the rights of citizens. For her part, Member of the Campaign’s Coordinating Committee, Mariam Ghazal, spoke on behalf of the Lebanese mothers involved, saying that the only real gift for Lebanese mothers is to recognize their right in passing the nationality to family members. She added: “This right is not a favor from anyone; in fact it has been abducted.” Finally, she paid a tribute to mothers of martyrs of the Lebanese Army. Activists participating in the sit-in confirmed the need to turn the subject of the Nationality campaign into a public opinion case, like in the case of the law on the protection of women against domestic violence which saw the build up of a network of campaigning organizations, in which the media also played a leading role. Similarly, and in parallel, a second sit-in was organised by the “My Nationality is My Dignity” campaign at the National Museum, during which a young man tore in public his diploma after an unnamed university denied him a grant to follow up post graduate studies for the simple reason that he is a child of a Lebanese mother and a Pakistani father. During that sit-in, the nationality issue of stateless persons or persons whose statuses is under study was also raised. Coordinator of the campaign, Mustafa al Chaar, urged the government to emulate other Arab states who have granted women the right to pass their nationality to their children. In a similar note, the National Council of Lebanese Women (NCLW) issued a statement denouncing the fact that Lebanese mothers are denied the right to pass their nationality to their children based on a law dating back to the year 1925. The Council, officially entrusted with consulting with official departments concerned, urged the government and the parliament to lift this injustice on women. “This can be achieved by enacting a new nationality bill that makes all men and women equal under the citizenship provisions, notwithstanding the nationality of the women’s spouse,” the statement added. (Al Hayat, As Safir, Al Akhbar, An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, 21, 23 March 2015)

The Future Movement’s Women’s Sector in West Beqaa and Rashayya ended its computer training workshop targeting tens of women and Future activists at the premises of the Coordinating Committee Center of FM located in Jib Jnin. The Sector’s Coordinator in West Beqaa, Asmaa Sakhr called for continued efforts to support and train women in line with the FM’s vision, in order to develop women’s political, economic and social situation. She indicated the current political turmoil engulfing the region forces FM to continue in its efforts to empower women in the various fields. To Close, Sakhr congratulated the women graduates and handed to them the training certificates in computer course. (Al Mustaqbal, 22 March 2015)

News of “suicide” by migrant women domestic workers (MWDWs) has become ordinary news in Lebanon as it circulates in the media almost unnoticed with no details or a party to blame. Headlines of some news sites and newspapers were quoted saying: “A Bangladeshi women domestic worker was found hanging inside her employer’s house in Al Qibeh-Al Qulud neighborhood of Tripoli. Security forces arrived at the scene of crime and opened an investigation into the case.” The news comes simple and brief, downplaying the outrageous violence racism and oppression to which MWDWs are subjected to by recruiting agencies and employers.

As part of the activities of its “Be Inspired” leadership program, the Beirut-based Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) organized a meeting with Yumna Gorayyeb and Leila Maaluf, founders of Mymouneh project in 1989 in order to share their story with an audience of girls and highlight the leading role of Lebanese women in society. The two sisters who come from a small village, Ain Al Qabu, standing at the foot of Mount Sannine, spoke about their journey which started in the midst of the Lebanese Civil War in an attempt “to remain useful,” they explained, and gradually the project evolved to include women of their village in income generation. Yumna added that they chose to takeoff with the traditional mooneh since it was not easy then to access other domestic markets for security reasons and the expressed need for mooneh products locally. She also noted that the start-up was made possible thanks to a USD 3000 bank loan. “Mooneh” products were prepared in the house of the Maalufs before the construction a factory which now employs some 18 rural women. To note, the commercial brand, Mymouneh, is presently available in nearly 150 stores across Lebanon in addition to the US, Europe and Middle East markets. The business offers a wide range of natural juices, jams and distilled water products. (L’Orient Le Jour, 17 March 2015)