News

Al Akhbar newspaper published an article about the research carried out by journalist and author Sahar Mandur and entitled “Potential Change in Media Discourse on Sexuality in Lebanon”.  The research focused on how the media addressed the Cinema Plaza story in 2012 during which 36 young men were arrested and subjected to anal exams, after a TV programme on MTV station raided the cinema and asked the authorities to interfere. Mandur presented her study during a seminar entitled “Chats on gender”, organised last week by Arab Foundation for Freedom and Equality, in Beirut.
According to Mandur, the audio-visual media witnessed a breakthrough in approaching the subject and in covering the story, particularly when LBCI station opened its news broadcast with a highly social critical editorial written by Khaled Saghieh and entitled "welcome to the republic of shame".  To be noted that such issues had been traditionally dealt with by the media in an anecdotal and burlesque manner. Mandur added that several factors contributed to change at the level of the written and audio visual media namely the emergence of a right based civil movement strengthened by public contributions and interaction on As Safir youth page, the creation of Al Akhbar newspaper which brought a space and a voice for young activists.  These two landmarks were subsequently followed by the establishment of a number of partnerships between civil society organisations and some newspapers such as for instance the collaboration between the Legal Agenda and As Safir.
Mandur concluded by expressing her pessimism regarding individual freedoms in the media. She added that there is a marked difference between the audio visual media, which continues to treat these issues in a sensationalist way, and the written media which is more committed to issues related to rights and freedoms.

Source: Al-Akhbar 19 September

Al Arabi al Jadid newspaper published a report about Faten Meeari, a Palestinian fashion designer living in Ain el Helweh and who modernizes Palestinian stitching design by introducing it to contemporary clothes. Meeari started her career by designing modern clothes.  However, ten years later she started working on traditional Palestinian stitched clothes and transformed them into modern outfits.  A year and a half ago, she succeeded in her experiment and introduced Palestinian stitching to shirts, pullovers, and handbags with a view to marketing Palestinian heritage to the youth.  Meeari said that modernization is not at the level of the stitches because these represent Palestinian heritage and tradition.  Modernization, she adds, is at the level of design only adding that she had this idea because she noticed that young people are not likely to wear the traditionally stitched Palestinian caftans.
Faten works at home where she designs her models including wedding dresses.  Most of her clients come from outside Ain el Helweh camp as her designs are too expensive for camp residents.  According to her, the high cost of her products is largely due to the cost of stitching as every 2500 stitches use 1 special yarn of stitching threads, adding that one dress normally will include 10000 stitches and will require 15 days of manual embroidery work.

Source: Al-Araby Al-Jadid 13 September 2014

Al Mustaqbal newspaper published a report on the dairy sector in Lebanon within its weekly section featuring the United Nations and its work in Lebanon and the region.  The report describes two projects initiated after the July 2006 war and which aim at rehabilitating the dairy sector in Lebanon through the provision of special support to small farmers in the Beqaa, Hermel and Akkar and which are implemented by FAO in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and with funding from Lebanon Recovery Fund.

The report noted that the dairy sector is a key source of livelihoods for rural families in North Lebanon and the Beqaa which both account for 70% of milking cows in Lebanon. A FAO survey carried out in 2011 indicated that 70% of dairy farmers are poor and even destitute.  According to the newspaper report, production was harshly affected by the 2006 Israeli war and small dairy farmers had to discontinue their production whilst the number of milking cows fell drastically.  In the Beqaa for instance, the total number of milking cows dropped from 25000 to 18000 cows according to sources of the Ministry of Agriculture.

One of the two projects described in the report targeted 300 women heads of households as well as rural women cooperatives that were granted dairy processing equipments that can be used at home.  The other project also created 40 units to stock and to refrigerate dairy products which are accessible to a large number of villages.  Milk producers were also provided with other equipments to allow them to process, test and store dairy thus allowing farmers to produce economically and to strengthening their bargaining power while negotiating sales prices.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal 17 September 2014

Ms. Yvonne Cochrane from Lebanon was selected as one of the four recipients of the annual Elissa award in recognition of her efforts to preserve Lebanese heritage.  All four laureates were also recognized for their influential work in the Mediterranean area which aimed at encouraging women to go into business and to excel in various sectors.  The laureates included Rodi Kratsa from Greece who played a role in strengthening women’s role in the Mediterranean region, Cheriffa Khaddar from Algeria for her efforts in combating violence against women and Suheir Belhassen from Tunisia for her work in upholding human rights.  The awards will be handed in Greece during a celebration which will be held at the Acropolis on Sunday 12 October 2014.
To be noted that the Elissa award was launched on 25 June 2014 by the Tyre Institution and in partnership with MED 21 programme and Didon Gold Award of Carthage, with the aim of strengthening equality and equal opportunities as well as strengthening women’s role in the Mediterranean basin.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 17 September 2014

The Ministry of Interior and Municipalities announced yesterday the closure of submissions for candidacy to the planned parliamentary elections.  Out of a total of 514 people who submitted their candidacy, some 43 were women (i.e. 6.8% of total).  To be noted that the number of candidates who submitted their files during the opening last year was 706 candidates of whom 43 were women (i.e. 6.2%) thus clearly indicating a very low percentage.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Safir 17 September 2014

For the full list of the women candidates, please click the following link: Names of women candidates for the 2014 Parliamentary elections

The Ministry of Agriculture organized yesterday in collaboration with the European Union and the Women’s Affair Association WAA a seminar entitled “Small loans for farmers and the Tree Loan”.  The event was held yesterday in Nabatieh with the participation of Ministry representative from the Nabatieh bureau as well as concerned and interested individuals.  The representative of the European Union, Hassan Hoteit, gave a presentation on how farmers should design their projects to benefit from existing loans, while the representative of the BLC Bank, Elie Baroudi, presented the various credit facilities that the bank has made available for farmers.

Source: Al-Diyar, Al-Safir 17 September 2014

Kafa Violence and Exploitation launched yesterday its new campaign on sex work in Lebanon.  Kafa highlights that sex work is a form of violence and exploitation of women and a reflection of patriarchy and a blatant abuse of women’s rights and entitlement to personal safety and equality. The event kicked off with the presentation of a documentary entitled “the oldest form of violence” which highlights the social and economic vulnerability of girls and their exploitation by their pimps.  The documentary also looked at the demand side and interviewed buyers of sexual services.  The event then moved to the coordinator of the anti-exploitation and trafficking project in Kafa, Ghada Jabbur, who presented the findings of the study, entitled “Exploring the demand for prostitution; what male buyers say about their motives, practices and perceptions.”  The study sought to understand the behavior of sex clients in Lebanon and concluded that clients purchase sexual services to meet their desires and their expressions of masculinity which, in turns, highlights the uneven relation of power between clients and sex workers.
Lawyer Nizar Saghieh commented on the documentary and said that public authorities do not perform their role which should consist in combating such forms of exploitation and violence against women while the current law penalizes both sex workers and pimps.  He also added that although progress was made after ratifying the convention on trafficking in people, however the law has left the burden of proof on women to demonstrate that they have been exploited and trafficked.

Source: Al-Safir, Al-Akhbar 16 September 2014

An Nahar newspaper published a report about Akkar-grown apples which is now being harvested by the local farmers.  The report dwells on the hopes of the apple farmers regarding the role of the Ministries of Agriculture as well as Economy and Trade in helping to secure internal and external markets for their production which meets international standards. The report noted that apple production in Akkar constitutes 50% of the total production in the country.  In addition, some 3000 families in Akkar heavily depend for livelihood on their fruit harvests and especially on apples.  The report also shared the concerns expressed by farmers regarding the delay in selling their production to local traders who are arguing that the internal market is unable to absorb this year production.  This situation can lead to a sharp fall in prices to below the production costs which are particularly high because of high prices of pesticides, fertilizers, and labor.  The farmers hope that official efforts will be extended to market their apples in Egypt and Russia and that clear mechanisms will be put in place to ensure that farmers receive fair prices before the winter season.

Source: Al-Nahar 16 September 2014

After a two-month delay, the Minister of Economy and Trade (MoET) issued a decision yesterday to start collecting the wheat production for this year.  This decision follows a number of protests by farmers who called on the government to speed up the process and cut down on the high costs of warehousing.  According to As Safir newspaper, the Ministry of Economy and Trade will start opening its warehouses of LARI in Tell Amara as of next week to receive the harvest of hundreds of wheat farmers. The Minister’s decision has already been sent to the treasury and financial allocations have been made to settle for wheat procurements from farmers and to pay compensations for damages caused by bad weather at a rate of LBP 50,000 per damaged dunnum of land.  The wheat farmers in the Beqaa noted during their meeting held after the Ministry’s decision that they hoped the process of receiving wheat and paying compensations will be swift.

Source: Al-Safir 16 September 2014

A joint European-Arab-Lebanese delegation toured the Caza of Nabatyeh within the framework of an action entitled “know to love” and which is organized by the “Together e rebuild” association as well as other NGOs and in collaboration with the Federation of the Jabal el Sheikh municipalities.  The visit extended over three days and kicked off with a tour to the Kfermeshki agricultural valley where the delegation got to know the products of this area including its orchards and vineyards in coordination with the local economic and development agency in the Bekaa.  The delegation then visited Ayta el Fakhar including its touristic and historical landmarks and then moved to Mdookha where the Federation of Municipalities of Al Kalaa had prepared a celebration dinner.  The delegation also organized a march in solidarity with the army and the internal security forces and walked towards East Rashya and then into the Rashaya – Chebaa road which is adjacent to Mount Hermon.  The delegation was escorted by the security forces until it reached the village of Ayn Atta where the Municpality had organized a lunch prepared by the women members of the Ayn Attah rural women cooperatives.  Lunch was followed a visit to historical landmarks of the village.  The group then pursued its journey to Ain Harsha and then Beyt Lahya.  The tour ended with a village dinner in the village of Bekkifa followed by a cultural evening.
Father Marun Atallah noted that the visit aims at introducing foreigners to the real face of Lebanon, its hospitality, convivial living and goodness.  The general secretary of the Lebanese cultural hostels, Shawki Dallal, noted that the importance of this visit is in introducing the visitors to the history and landmarks of Wadi Taym, as well as create spaces for encounters between the Eastern and Western cultures.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal 15 September 2014