News

The women sector of the Future Movement in Akkar organized yesterday a ceremony to celebrate the graduation of 20 women who completed the one month training course in hairdressing for women which was provided by experts in the field.  The general coordinator of the Al Joumeh sector of the political movement, Issam Abdel Kader, highlighted in his speech the importance of empowering women in Akkar so that they are able to enter the job market and access productive jobs.  He promised that more training workshops matching the needs of the local job market in Akkar will be organised in the future.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 16 October 2014

The ILO concluded yesterday its workshops organized within the framework of the project entitled "Promoting Rights of Women Domestic Workers” (PROWD) and in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor and Tanmya organizations.  The event was held at the conference room in the Ministry of Labor under the auspices of the Minister of Labor, Sejaan Azzi.
In his somewhat moralistic speech, Azzi noted that the holding of the workshops about the rights of migrant women workers at a time when the Middle East is burning and suffering from war, terrorism and border invasion, is indicative of Lebanon’s special role in upholding human rights and in rejecting of any form of injustice vis-à-vis any worker “serving” a Lebanese family.  He underscored this special role of Lebanon which he claimed places the country in a distinctive position within the Orient.  In talking about the failures of his Ministry, Azzi threw the blame on the high level vacancies in his ministries and shortages in human resources which prevent social workers from performing their role, hence calling, on the occasion, the Cabinet to fill gaps in human resources.  For his part, the representative of the ILO, Hans van de Glind, encouraged Lebanon to ratify clause 189 and to abolish the Kafala system.  He also noted that training workers within the Ministry has enabled them to reach international standards which undoubtedly will reflect positively on the situation of women and men workers and society.
Source: Al-Nahar 16 October 2014

The Minister of Public Health launched from the Serail yesterday the 2014 national breast cancer awareness campaign entitled “she reminds you of everything… your turn to remind her of her mammography”.  The event was held under the auspices of the PM’s wife, Lama Tammam Salam, and was supported by the Syndicates of doctors, pharmasicts, nurses and hospitals in additional to the national breast cancer committee.  This year, the Campaign highlighted the important role that men play in raising awareness about breast cancer and early detection.
In her keynote address, Salam called for modernizing the national breast cancer register, the setting up of a national early cancer detection programme, improving social services to all citizens as well as providing a better treatment for serious diseases.  The Minister of Public health, Wael Abu Faoor, noted that breast cancer constitutes 42% of total cancers afflicting women and 21% of all cancers affecting women and men.  He added that this is a high percentage that necessitates special care and intervention from the state and from civil society as well as the medical corps in Lebanon.  Abu Faoor further noted that the level of interaction of rural women with this campaign is low compared to urban areas, which, according to Abou Faoor, is indicative of the failure of the state in reaching remote rural areas.
To be noted that this campaign will go on for three months during which women can have a mammography at any public hospitals and at designated private hospitals and dispensaries at LBP 40,000.  A list of the latter health centers can be obtained from http://www.moph.gov.lb and http://www.roche-arabia.net, and the hotline 1214 can be called, for further information or for lodging complaints.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Diyar, Al-Safir 16 October 2014

The Ministry of Agriculture organized last Tuesday, in collaboration with CIHEAM, a seminar on Lebanon’s experience in implementing the first stage of the ENPARD programme, which extended between December 2013 to October 2014.  The event was held under the auspices of the Minister of Agriculture, Akram Chehayeb and with the participation of the ENPARD president Jean-Paul Pellissier, who expressed his appreciation of this experience and clarified that the programme operates through three key stages.  The first stage consists of designing agricultural and rural policies which meet aspirations whilst the second stage deals with the implementation of these policies through technical programmes.  The third stage entails the exchange of experiences and success stories at the international level.  Based on this, Pellissier identified three topics which will kick off the second stage namely agricultural extension, accessing new markets, and better understanding the field through statistics and studies.
In a similar vein, the steering committee of the agricultural and rural development project held last Monday its annual meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture.  The meeting was presided by the Minister of Agriculture, and was attended by the EU Ambassador to Lebanon, Angelina Eichhorst.  Chehayeb noted that the last three years were very important in building the capacities of his Ministry to enable it to play its leading role to develop, guide and support the agricultural sector.  He added that, currently, work is focusing on supporting farmers and their cooperative organizations in addition to encouraging investment in the land and return to agricultural production.  Eichhorst for her part spoke about the progress made since the start of the programme.  She highlighted one of these achievements namely the Euros 6.8 million channeled through Kafalat and which targeted Lebanese farmers.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Diyar 14 October, Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Diyar 15 October, 2014

The first forum of the Iklim Kharroub Economic Council held a press conference last week at the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Trade in Beirut and Mount Lebanon to announce its recommendations which focused on the needs of the area and based on various studies.  A number of keynote addresses were made notably by the president of the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Chambers, Mohammed Shoucair, the President of the Federation of Mount Lebanon merchants, Nassib Gemayel, and the president of the association of Iklim al Kharroub merchants, Ahmad Muhieddine Alaeddine, who stressed that the Iqlim area needs some 3000 news job opportunities every year. He also highlighted the key recommendations of the various consultation meetings and encounters organized by the association of the Iklim al Kharroub merchants with the Federation of Chambers in Lebanon and various local economic actors.
The main recommendations which covered four key economic areas were as follows; a) supporting the capacities of workers in the agricultural sector to improve its competitiveness in local, regional and international markets, b) demanding the setting up of the industrial city in Qrey3ah and link it with a network of new roads in the Shuf, Iklim al Kharroub, Jezzine and Saida, and financing scientific studies and research collaboration.  Furthermore, and given the existing skills and capacities in Iklim al Kharroub, a particular recommendation was made to c) create an economic council focusing on technology so as to study ways to render the area attractive to investments.  Finally, the recommendations concerning the tourism sector focused on the need to create new eco and rural tourism projects and for collaboration with the Ministries of Tourism, Culture and UNESCO to re-start the programme aiming at preserving historical sites in the area.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Diyar 15 October 2014

The Daily Star newspaper published last Thursday a report about the emerging trend of women DJs in Lebanon. Despite their talents, women DJs are still facing some gender-specific obstacles, according to the experience of Priscilla Bakalian, who is a 20-year-old student at the American University of Beirut, and has been DJing professionally for more than two years. Commenting on the issue, Bakalian noted that Lebanon is a sexist community and many men remain often skeptical towards her and do not take her musical skills seriously. She also recalled being pushed off the decks by other men DJs who wanted to take control. Bakalian noted that women DJs in Lebanon also have to challenge the traditional perception of their parents at home.
For his part, Mohammed Ghibris, a DJ School owner in Beirut, noted that the number women students increased from August 2013 until now, to the point where 65% of his students were women, adding that it is indeed a clear shift in direction, as the Lebanese DJ scene was until recently largely dominated by men. However, Ghibris also noted that women models are often hired as DJs because of their flattering looks.  Bakalian responded to this particular point by saying: “Do not disgrace other women like us who are genuinely trying to succeed music-wise.”
Source: The Daily Star 9 October 2014

The Parliamentary Commission for Human Rights adopted yesterday the draft law submitted by MP Mokhaiber and the NCLW, and which regulates early marriage without any consideration as to the reservations and objections expressed by Kafa namely the fact that the draft law violated the concept of human rights and provided official and civil legitimacy for marrying girls aged 9 and 12. Kafa’s statement was covered by WEEPortal on 2/10/2014, on the following link: Kafa rejects the draft law on marriages of minors.
The president of the Parliamentary Commission for Human Rights, MP Michel Mussa, noted that the Commission considered the law proposal is a necessary step towards protecting underage children from early marriage and legitimizes the role of parliament in ensuring child protection in accordance with the Human Right covenant, the Child Rights Convention, the Constitution and other relevant laws.  Accordingly, the MP decided to refer the law petition to the Parliamentary Commission for Administration and Justice in order to introduce the final legal wording on the text.

Source: Al-Akhbar, Al-Nahar, Al-Mustaqbal 15 October 2014

The president of the apple growers association in Lebanon, Gaby Semaan, reminded the Minister of Agriculture in a statement issued last week of his promise to facilitate the marketing of this year’s harvest. He called on the minister to secure a ship that will carry the excess apple harvest to buyers in Egypt and other Arab countries.  The statement noted that the present situation represents a real disaster which is born entirely by the apple growers while enquiring about who will compensate their losses.
Semaan added that, according to data, apple production this year reached some 135 thousand tons of which, only some 3000 tons have been sold.  He further revealed that the producer association will be organising an “apples day” next Saturday 18 October, while calling on all apple farmers to take the streets at 11:00 am of that day and hold road barrages to distribute apples on passersby and to throw apples in front of the media.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Akhbar 14 October, Al-Diyar 15 October 2014

The Lebanese Transparency Association – LTA, concluded last week a workshop it held in Beirut in collaboration with Women in Front and other women organizations.  The workshop was entitled “the role of Lebanese women in combating corruption” and aimed at discussing the cases of corruption which were previously recorded as well as developing recommendations against corruption in the public, private and academic sectors.
The workshop started with a keynote address by the President of LTA, Yehyah Hakim, followed by a video address by the coordinator of Transparency International, Stephanie Twigg from Berlin, who reviewed the cases of corruption which were identified in earlier training events notably corruption in religious courts, men abusing power to halt women’s professional advancement, pay-offs for administrative procedures, and others. Participants were then divided into three groups according to the 3 above-mentioned sectors, so that each group discusses the key problems and formulates recommendation for their specie sector.  The workshop concluded by electing six participants to attend the regional workshop which will be held in Jordan with the participation of Yemen, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Tunisia and Lebanon.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal 12 October 2014

An Nahar newspaper published a report by May Abboud Abi Akl on what she considered to be the "forgotten aspect related to the issue of migrant women domestic workers", namely the "violated rights of Lebanese citizens”. In her long tirade, the author talked about the "predicament" of Lebanese citizens who have to pay the "cost of bringing in migrant workers and pay their salaries as well as the cost of their food and clothing".  The author also complained about the hardship that Lebanese citizens face when they have to complete the official procedures for the migrant women domestic workers.  The author did not hesitate to make some blanket generalisations and to refer to associations catering for the rights of migrant women workers as "a mafia" seeking only to raise money internally and externally.  The author even accused some NGOs of stalking migrant workers to get their stories.
A very unfortunate article that clearly reflected the biased views of the author who seemingly did not bother with facts and figures or with investigative reporting.  It is however regrettable that a serious newspaper such as An Nahar would publish this kind of writing.
 
Source: Al-Nahar 9 October 2014