News

The National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) concluded yesterday its first gender training workshop which was organised at its training centre in Baabda with the distribution of certificates to the eleven women trainees who completed the training which included an overview of key concepts as well as mainstreaming gender in programmes and within organisations.
The gender training program consisted of six training sessions which took place between October and November 2013.  The subjects covered key gender concepts, analytical frameworks, gender and development, organizational analysis,  gender responsive budgeting and international human rights framework and international development collaboration.

The regional gender consultant at the UNHCR, Nada Darwazeh, noted that this is a unique programme since it involves building and sharing experiences according to international standards which the participants can then apply within their institutions.  She added that understanding gender analytical frameworks will also help in identifying gaps in relationships and in accessing equal opportunities.  She also insisted on the need to revise institutional ways of working so as to change discriminatory environments and ensure that both women and men’s strategic needs are addressed.
To be noted that the NCLW had launched this programme, which targets its members, staff and members of the gender network in ministries and public institutions, within the framework of its collaboration with the UNHCR and the UNFPA and the implementation of its women advancement strategy.
Source: Al-Nahar 5 February 2014

The Rassemblement Democratique des Femmes Libanaises (RDFL) organised yesterday a workshop on parliamentary elections from a gender perspective.  This activity falls within the framework of the electoral reform campaign project funded by the European Union and aiming at influencing change in electoral laws and behavior including having gender aware honest and democratic elections. The project aims to achieve that goal through lobbying for a gender aware electoral law as well as raising the political awareness of the electorates on the importance of women’s access to decision making and strengthening the coalition for democratic and political reform in Lebanon.
The workshop coordinator, Caroline Sukkar, noted that there is no comprehensive development without the full participation of women, hence the need to find a strategy which addresses women and men’s interests and experiences and mainstreaming these in policies and programmes as well as monitoring implementation at all level to ensure gender equality.
On the issue of political quota, the coordinator of the women sector in the Al Marada movement, Mirna Zakharia, refuted the belief that men are to be blamed for not including women in parliamentary elections.  She added that there is a need to differentiate between the issue of quota and the laws as women are also to blame because they hesitate in coming forward as candidates whereas men are responsible for rejecting a number of laws related to women such as the law to protect women from violence and to grant women the right to transmit nationality.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Nahar 5 February 2014

The National Council for Scientific Research (NCSR) launched in collaboration with the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (IAMB) in Italy the project entitled “Best Sustainable Development Practices on Food Security” during a seminar organised last week in Beirut with the participation of the Minister of Agriculture, Hussein Hajj Hasan, the representative of FAO in Lebanon, Ali Momen, the General Secretary of the National Council for Scientific Research, Dr. Muin Hamzeh and and the Head of Cooperation Office at IAMB, Biagio Di Terlizzi.

Hamzeh kicked off the seminar by highlighting the role of the National Council which is the focal point of this project. He added that the project is implemented with financial support from Milan Expo 2015 and seeks at identifying the best agricultural practice that will bring about food security.  He also emphasized the need to develop human resources, expertise, and a pool of pioneers who are able to develop creative projects in Lebanon that can compete at the global level so as to be selected among the best 15 projects in the world.  Momen for his part discussed the concept of food security and review Lebanon capacity to achieve a balanced economic and social situation.

Minister Hajj Hassan noted for his part that best practices in sustainable development and food security is ac crucial issue particularly since there is no food security or sustainable development in Lebanon, as a result of insufficient production levels and unfavorable terms of trade.  He also added that food security cannot be achieved by individual national policies since it is influenced by international regional policies.  Hajj Hassan also criticized the practices of the WTO and the Arab Common Market and called for further efforts to open external markets.  He also regretted the endemic instability of social and economic policies in Lebanon over the past 25 years at a time when the role of agriculture has been reduced to a critical level and he invited a critique of present governmental policies and so as to effect change and to adopt truly good practices.
Source: Al-Diyar, Al-Safir 3 February 2014

The representative of the Minister of Social Affairs, Georges Aida, inaugurated last week an ICT and foreign languages community centre in the village of Bakarzala in Akkar.  The Centre offers social, health and educational services within the framework of the programme entitled “strengthening the participation of women in local governance and development” and which is implemented with the support of the Italian Embassy in collaboration with the Municipality of Bakarzala and the Akkar Development Network. In his keynote address, Aida introduced the project through which the Ministry is seeking to strengthen the role of women in decision making at the local and national level as well as empowering women and encouraging them to engage in public life and to access decision making positions.  As such, the Ministry has funded a number of small projects which are expected to contribute to strengthen gender equality at the local level.  Aida also noted that a women sport center was inaugurates in Jouma three weeks ago.  In addition, the Ministry has developed a new vision to address women and equality issue namely in mainstreaming gender in plans and programmes as an approach seeking to understand the needs of the communities as well as invest to build individual capacities in order to achieve active participation in development. He also considered that the starting point for women’s representation is at the level of women’s participation in local community councils which is likely to achieve community development and addressed the needs of both women and men in the community.
Source: Al-Nahar 3 February 2014

During the commemoration of the Arab Woman’s Day on February 1st, the Lebanese First Lady expressed her concern with the realities of Arab women especially that gender equality has yet to be realized in most Arab country at a time when women are still excluded from decision making circles.  
Suleiman noted that the journey towards women’s advancement is long and arduous and does not only concern Arab women but also involves intellectuals, political leaders, opinion leaders, academics and heads of political parties in the Arab world.  She also added that the date of February 1st is an opportunity to look back at achievements and remaining priorities, while highlighting the recent developments in Tunisia with the endorsement of gender equality in the Constitution.  However, Suleiman lamented that family laws in the Arab world are still discriminatory and we have yet to struggle for laws that protect women from family violence as well as for a needed reform of the penal code.  She also added that most Arab government have yet to ratify the international convention on trafficking in humans and is still far from institutionalizing gender equality as well as women’s political participation. Suleiman concluded that everybody should be committed to celebrate this date next year with concrete achievements whilst hoping for a better future for Arab women and communities.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Diyar 3 February 2014

An opinion poll conducted by Bayt.com and YouGov about the preferred work opportunities in MENA, revealed that Lebanese prefer working in the banking sector in view of the career advancement possibilities it offers.  The poll which covered 7370 respondents in the Arab countries showed that 41% of the Lebanese preferred banking and 25% preferred ICT.

The opinion poll further indicated that women in Lebanon tend to favor banking and finance (49% of respondents) followed by education (45%), and then advertisement, media, PR, marketing and publishing (43%).  The poll also revealed that the public sector does not attract human resources in Lebanon as opposed to other countries as only 18% of women respondents in Lebanon said that they preferred working in that sector compared to 55% in Bahrain and 48% in UAE.  In Lebanon, this was justified by the fact that the public sector provides the worst employment package and because of long delays in the process of recruitment and appointment into the public sector. Lebanese respondents were also the most hesitant in terms of changing their careers in view of the difficult economic circumstances and the fear of loss of income.

Source: Al-Hayat, Al-Diyar 31 January 2014

To review the complete report, please click the following link: Top Industries in the Middle East and North Africa Survey

CERD organised in collaboration with DPNA a meeting with the media to share their joint project seeking to mainstream the concept of entrepreneurship in pre-university educational curricula as well as in vocational training programmes.  Osama Ghoneim, the president of the vocational and technical education at CERD presented the broad strokes of the project whilst highlighting that it is still in its pilot phases in a number of public schools which have already mainstreamed entrepreneurship in economics which was renamed "entrepreneurship and economics".

The president of CERD, Leila Fayyad, noted that the scientific implementation of the project will be through activities focusing on the main principles of entrepreneurship for the complementary level whilst they will focus on life skills for the secondary levels and will delve further in depth with the subject at university level.  She also added that the project is in two parts: teaching entrepreneurship at schools and spreading the culture of entrepreneurship win the community and with the aim of realising a tangible social change within ten years.

The DPNA project manager, Rami Shamma, pointed out to data included in a report issued by Central Bank which shows that 91% of investments in the private sector are concentrated in Beirut and Mount Lebanon whilst the share of South Lebanon, the Beqaa and the North in investment is only 3%. Thus, the organisation sees the need to spread a culture of entrepreneurship as well as support small and medium enterprises in rural areas in partnership wit the private and public sector as well as NGOs and so as to limit the migration from rural areas to the cities.

Source: Al-Akhbar, Al-Nahar 31 January 2014

The release of Roula Yacoob’s husband following the ruling of the Judge, Alaa Al-Khatib is still stirring waves within civil society as the husband in question has been accused by Rola's family as having allegedly killed their daughter as a result of physical abuse. As such, Kafa and Yacoob’s family are holding a joint press conference today Friday at the Kafa headquarters to announce future steps aiming at unveiling the truth around this affair.

To be noted that the Yacoob family had mistrusted the whole process of the investigation and expressed doubts about the credibility of the forensic reports which, as revealed by the media, included a lot of contradictions.  Indeed, the first Forensic report had said that there are no wounds in the head or around the neck whereas another report said that it was not able to establish the cause of death.  The judge nevertheless decided to consider that death was natural and resulted from a particular form of internal haemorrhage which is not due to beating.

Lawyer Nizar Saghieh from the “Legal Agenda” organisation lambasted the judge and accused him of having been responsive to the defense rather than to the evidence of the forensic reports.  Saghieh also condemned the fact that the Public Prosecution acted in an irregular manner and was subjected to pressure.

Source: Al-Safir 31 January 2013

The Minister of Agriculture, Hussein Hajj Hasan, organised yesterday a press conference to outline the main components of a development project targeting the fishing sector and entitled CIHEAM-PESCA LIBANO which is implemented by the Ministry with a EURO 300 million grant from the Italian cooperation.  
During the conference which was attended by Dr. Moeen Hamzeh, the Secretary General and the National Council for Scientific Research CNRS, Riccardo Smimmo the First Counselor of the Italian Embassy in Lebanon, and Biagio Di Terlizzi the Head of Cooperation Office at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (IAMB). The Minister noted that sea fishing constitutes a small percentage of the GDP despite the length of the Mediterranean coastline and basically since relies on rudimentary techniques.  The sector employs some 7000 fisherfolk using no more than 250 small old boats.  The Minister stressed the need for further efforts by both the private and public sectors to develop marine fishing especially since Lebanon produces only 10% of its total fish consumption.  The sector currently suffers from many serious problems such as water pollution, illegal fishing which result in the depletion of the fish stock.
Hajj Hassan also added that, years ago, he submitted a project to the Cabinet for a cost of USD 8 million and which is based on three main axis namely: replacing old equipments, abolishing fishing during the reproduction seasons, providing fisherfolks with compensations during the idle seasons in addition to including some 7000 fisherfolk families in the National Social Security Fund.
Source: Al-Safir, Al-Nahar 30 January 2014