News

The Daily Star newspaper published a report about 19 year old Soha Awada who works as a waitress to afford her rental and living expenses while studying at the Lebanese Univrersity in Hadath. The report highlighted the difficult situation of students working in the restaurant business who face a tough struggle, as their work involves being on their feet for long periods of time, and leaving them with little time to study or do any other tasks. Awada noted that pay for student jobs in Lebanon is painfully low and do not match the high cost of living.  Also, these jobs are not student friendly since they require extended periods of time and students like Awada often fail. Awada also noted that even though she filled a form with her university to let the administration know she was a working student, a professor recently told her, “You can’t work. You’re not allowed.” Awada concluded by saying that education was the most important thing to her but right now, she cannot see the bright side.
Source: The Daily Star 30 October 2014

The third phase of the Community Empowerment and Livelihoods Enhancement Project (CELEP) implemented by UNIDO and the Italian Institute for Academic Collaboration with funding from the Italian Embassy was launched yesterday during an event held in Beirut under the auspices of the Ministries of Agriculture and Industry.  This new phase of the project aims at supporting the manufacturing capacities of small and medium enterprises and agricultural cooperatives (CELEP III) thus at increasing their competitiveness, improving the quality of production and increasing local and international sales.  This process will also result in creating new job opportunities and better development prospects.
The event included a display of the results of phases I and II, which showed that the project helped in improving the conditions of rural outfits especially in incentivizing women to work as 1700 persons benefited from training of whom, 500 are women.  The results also showed that 53 institutions and 17 cooperatives were supported during a 48 months period, where support included provision of construction work, new technology and equipment as 188 industrial equipments were donated in addition to rehabilitating 17 institutions. All these interventions have resulted in increasing the number of workers employed in these production enterprises.  A study on work opportunities was also carried out in August 2014 and showed that 3000 families have benefited from the project activities.  By the end of the event, representatives of the Ministries of Agriculture and Industry as well as UNIDO and the Italian Embassy gave a second presentation about the expected results and impact of the third phase of the project.  The event also included an exhibition of industrial goods produced by the beneficiaries of the first two phases of the project.
Source: Al-Safir, Al-Diyar, 30 October 2014

The names of the winning companies for the fourth edition of the Grow my Business event were announced yesterday during a Press Conference held at the Audi Bank. The competition was launched by the Association of Beirut Merchants in collaboration with MIT enterprise Forum for the Arab World as well as Audi Bank.  The General Manager of Audi Bank in Lebanon, Mark Audi, highlighted in his keynote address the importance of this competition in incentivizing and encouraging emerging companies in Lebanon which he considered to be a glimmer of hope for the national economy as well as an important element for progress.  The president of the Association of Beirut Merchants, Nicolas Shammas, noted that emerging companies are promising production units.  He also added that the purpose of this competition is to give small and medium companies an added value, to improve the standards of the sector and to contribute to a sustainable national economic growth.
Source: Al-Safir 30 October 2014

The Local Economic Development Agency (LEDA) in Baqaa organized in collaboration with the Federation of Jabal el Sheikh Municipalities, a seminar on organic farming which was held yesterday in Rashayya. The event included lectures by agronomist Tony Hajjar who spoke about the principles of organic farming and how to transform into it.  Hajjar considered that organic farming is an eco system to manage agricultural production and its main aim is to improve the health and productivity of communities which is linked with the life of the soil, vegetables, animals and human beings. Other speeches included a contribution by the municipal head of Ayn Atta and General Secretary of the Federation, Talee3 Khoder, the president of the Federation, Marwan Zaki, LEDA technical and operations director, Ali Abed el Kareem Abu Ali and LEDA-Beqaa Board Chair, Kamal Saikaly who spoke about LEDA’s current projects.
Source: Al-Diyar 30 October 2014

Lebanon is the world’s eighth worst country in terms of gender equality and ranks 135th of the total 142 surveyed countries on the 2014 Gender Gap Index (9th report by the World Economic Forum-- WEF). Although Lebanese women are often considered privileged compared to women in other Arab countries because of liberties they presumably enjoy, the report noted that they are far behind in terms of political participation with Lebanon ranking 141st out of 142 countries.  In addition to political empowerment, the WEF report ranking was based on three main categories for women: participation in the labor force and opportunities available, educational attainment, health care and survival rate. As such, Lebanon was the eighth worst country in the world in terms of women participation in the workforce, and ninth worst in terms of income for women. Lebanon did much better in terms of health coming 62nd on the list.  However, Lebanon’s score on education were disappointing as it ranked 103rd for literacy rate and 128th for primary school enrolment and that is despite the fact that female literacy rate in Lebanon is 86% and primary school enrolment is 90%!
Source: The Daily Star 29 October 2014

Smart centre for media and advocacy concluded the second phase of its leadership programme “She Leads” implemented in Byblos, Tripoli and Nabatyeh during a six month period with funding from the American Embassy in Beirut.  A special event was held for that occasion yesterday and included presentations from three participants namely Randa Mrad from Byblos, Fidaa Ahmad 3uaydah from Tripoli and Ikram Zorkot from Nabatieh. Certificates were also distributed to some 300 women who took part in the programme which sought to empower and train them to become decision makers in their communities as well as more efficient politically, socially and economically. The director of Smart centre, Randa al Yassir, highlighted the importance of collaboration between CSOs and the public sector, notably municipalities.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 29 October 2014

The Minister of Industry, Dr. Hussein Hajj Hassan, presided a joint meeting yesterday with representatives of the milk producing industry and the dairy processing industry.  The meeting aimed at discussing issues of concern to the sector especially following the refusal of milk producers to decrease their unit price of milk delivery as requested by dairy producers.  Hajj Hassan emphasized during the meeting, the high quality of Lebanese milk and added that participants in the meeting agreed that the Ministry of Economy should prepare data on the price trends of Labneh, cheeses and other dairy products in 2014, while the Ministry of Agriculture prepares a study on the production cost of milk.  He also noted that the current price of milk will remain unchanged until the next meeting of this committee set on 24 November and whilst awaiting the results of studies in order to make an informed decision.
Hajj Hassan furthermore declared that in addition to the above, a new measure will soon be adopted to ensure that all selling points on Lebanon will not offer milk or dairy products from sources that are not licensed by the Ministry of Industry and approved by the Ministry of Agriculture via a trademark.  The purpose, he explained, is to withhold further dumping of non-licensed products on the local market.
Source: Al-Diyar, Al-Mustaqbal 28 October 2014

In view of the numerous difficulties faced this year by the agricultural sector, especially in terms of hurdles faced in marketing, the Minister of Agriculture Akram Cheyeb reiterated yesterday his support to farmers to enable them to export to new markets.  The Minister noted that this endeavor will happen concomitantly with the work of the Ministry in trying to build the legal infrastructure for exporting, particularly through developing trade agreements with neighboring and other countries with which Lebanon share good relations.  Chehayeb also emphasized the importance that farmers commit themselves to high standards and quality needed to access new markers.
The Minister was speaking during a meeting with a delegation of horticulturalists headed by the President of their syndicate, Suleiman Samaha as well as the FAO representative, Maurice Saadeh. Chehayeb noted that the horticulture sector is a promising sector and may push farmers to start growing new products in demand of the international market.  The Minister also noted that he will be supporting this sector as much as public resources permit.

Source: Al-Nahar 28 October 2014

Dr. Azza Sharara, member of Lebanese Women Researchers (Bahithaat), presented the major issues related to women and their struggle in the post-Taef era at the conference organized last week by the Civil Center for National Initiative from 22 to 24 October 2014, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Taef Accord.  Sharara noted that women’s struggle over the past twenty years was guided by an interpretation of two clauses of the accord namely Lebanon’s commitment to the UN convention and treaties and the fundamentals of the Republic being social justice and equality in rights and responsibilities amongst all citizens with no discrimination.  As such, Sharara noted that the Taef Accord constituted a small breakthrough for determining women’s legal position as the women movement used it to lobby legislators to adhere to the Accord.  Sharara also spoke about the major demands of the women’s movement whilst expressing her tacit pessimism regarding a possible feminist legislation as, according to Sharara; women’s issues are at the heart of the present confessional regime, the protection of which, as per the stipulations of the Taef Accord, will be entrusted with the-yet-to-formed Senate.

Source: Al-Nahar, 28 October 2014

To read the full article, please click on the following link (Arabic): Women Rights and the Taef Accord

Within the framework of the project entitled “supporting the treasury of Municipalities” which aims at developing a strategic plan for local development of Lebanese towns and villages, the Capacity Building Component Team of the European Union signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) with the Federation of the Southern Iqlim al Kharroub Municipalities.  This is the second of such MoUs; the first was exchanged last week with the Federation of the Municipalities of the B7hamdun Highlands.  The head of the Capacity Building Component Team, Walter Van Damme, noted that this project which is implemented by the Technical Support team of the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities with EU funding, seeks to develop Municipalities.  He reiterated that the strategic plan will be based on two key elements, namely an accurate assessment of needs and capacities of municipalities, the needs of citizens while ensuring their support to the process.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 27 October 2014