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Jumblat in favor of laws against women’s discrimination

30-11-2020

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which falls on November 25, the head of the Democratic Gathering, MP Taymour Jumblat, tweeted, saying, we should continue to pressure to enact relevant draft laws to protect women and their rights. This covers the following issues: determining the age of marriage, the necessary amendments to Law 294 on the protection of women and family members against violence, the right of women to confer nationality to their children and in the forefront, the enactment of a unified civil personal status law. . On this same occasion, the head of the Woman and Child Parliamentary Committee, MP Enaya Ezzedine, stated that the approval by the Justice and Administration Committee of the Law Criminalizing Sexual Harassment and Rehabilitating its Victims earlier in November (https://bit.ly/33tf8O9), is a significant stride towards the protection and empowerment of women and strengthening cohesion in society. Ezzedine also lauded the legal implications in the above draft law, notably the recognition of a novelty in the Lebanese law which is the crime of sexual harassment, as clear-cut a definition can be, pertaining to the type of act perpetrated, its instruments, as well as the age and sex of the victim. Ezzedine maintained that the adoption of the law is consistent with international standards and is seen as a step forward in the realization of human rights. Furthermore, it influences a specific culture and traditional mindset rooted in the Lebanese society. (Al Diyar, November 29, 30, 2020)

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Higher unemployment among women in the absence of social protection

27-11-2020

In its issue of today, Al Diyar shed light on the results of a study prepared by UN Women which showed an increase in the rate of unemployment (from 14.3% to 26%) among women in Lebanon by September 2020 (https://bit.ly/3mcK8sZ). On the subject, Dr. Caroline Sukkar Salibi, expert on social diversity, attributed the surge in unemployment among females as compared to their male peers, to the fact that women are more active in informal and unprotected labor which exposes them to exploitation by employers, including dismissal from work. Such sectors, Salibi explained, are not protected or regulated by an employment contract or social security. She underlined the need to measure the economic and social value of domestic work, or at least its moral value, according to international conventions which endorse the recognition of unpaid domestic work through the provision of public services and social protection policies, in addition to fostering the sharing of household responsibilities. Similarly, feminist activist, Hayat Mershad, pointed out that women, like men, boast capacities in many fields that should be used in the workplace, however, there are many hindrances that prevent them from realizing that. Many women are exposed to sexual harassment or gender discrimination at the workplace, and sometimes to arbitrary dismissal when they become pregnant. One way of enhancing the role of women in the labor market, she concluded, is through the adoption of policies that guarantee the conditions for decent work and the enactment of laws that protect them against discrimination.  (Al Diyar, November 27, 2020)
 

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COV-19 pandemic undermines women’s global gains in gender equality

27-11-2020

An Nahar newspaper highlighted today the impact of COV-19 on women, quoting BBC website to say that women bear the greatest burden in light of an unequal distribution of household care work between men and women, adding  that in  normal times, women and girls do most of the household care, but the coronavirus pandemic has dramatically increased this care burden as a result of schools shutdown, isolation of the elderly and the growing number of patients of family members, which will force women around the world to quit their jobs, especially those that cannot be done remotely, and that will have adverse effect on their participation in the workforce An Nahar reported today. In the same vain, the newspaper talked to UN Women Deputy Executive Director, Anita Bhatia who said that because of the pandemic, gains of women’s struggles over the past 25 years could go down the drain in one year, noting that during the month of September alone, some 856,000 women in the US left their jobs compared to 200,000 men. This, she explained, can be explained by the greater domestic burden falling on women which have become heavier with the pandemic. (An Nahar, November 27, 2020)
 

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“About Her”, a short Syrian film about a woman’s ordeal

26-11-2020

Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation will screen online the Syrian short film “About Her” on the first of December 2020, at 6:30 pm, Beirut time (produced by the National Film Organization, Damascus) and directed by Rabab Merheg. The film is a portray of a representative Syrian woman. A woman who has been betrayed and tortured for money and delusional freedom and rebels against reality. The film also talks about social relationships, real and fake, the relationships between artists, in addition to the impact of social media on people’s judgments. The link will be shared before the screening on all social media platforms affiliated with the National Film Organization, to be followed by an open discussion with the director facilitated by critic Rania Hadad via Zoom application. (Discussion code: 81090574590), Facebook (https: // bit. ly / 3l9VaxA). (Al Akhbar, November 26, 2020)

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16,000 Palestinian women arrested by occupation forces since 1967

26-11-2020

Expert in prisoners’ affairs, Abdel Nasser Ferwaneh, disclosed yesterday that the Israeli Occupation Authorities have arrested more than 16,000 Palestinian women since 1967, and most were beaten and exposed to physical and psychological torture while under arrest. Ferwaneh said Palestinian women are subjected to harsh treatment by the Occupation Forces without the slightest consideration of their gender, privacy, age, illness or special needs. On his part, the director of the Palestine Center for Prisoner Studies, Riyad Ashkar, said the Israeli Occupation arrested 2,250 women since Al Aqsa Intifada in 2000, including scores of underage girls, as well as wounded, sick and elderly women. He revealed that over the past years, many harsh sentences were pronounced against female prisoners, in addition to substantial fines amounting to tens of thousands of shekels. According to Ashkar, there are currently 22 female prisoners serving different sentences, including 8 prisoners sentenced to 10 years and 39 others serving their jail terms in extreme conditions, including 14 mothers, university students and a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. (Al Diyar, November 26, 2020)

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"Egyptian Jeanne d’Arc, diary of a young woman who challenged patriarchy

26-11-2020

On November 13, Al Akhbar spotlighted an 85 minutes Egyptian documentary entitled “Egyptian Jeanne d’Arc” or “Jeanne d’Arc Masriya” (2016), directed by Iman Kamel. The film is a diary of a Bedouin girl named Jihan who resisted the oppressive patriarchal system to become a dancer. The filmmaker traces the whereabouts of Jihan by reaching out to Egyptian artists. She juxtaposes the documentary with mythic story elements, poetic narration and dance to convey stories of aspiration and resistance by Egyptian women since the outbreak of revolution in 2011. The film was premiered at the Dubai International Film Festival, and participated in the Eurasia International Film Festival, the Arab Film Festival in Rotterdam, Malmo Arab Film Festival, the Arab Film Festival Berlin and Afrika Film Festival in Cologne, Germany. It was nominated in 2013 for the German Arab Film Award. (Al Akhbar, November 13, 2010)

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Agriculture ministry integrates gender equality into planning

25-11-2020

The caretaker minister of agriculture, Abbas Mortada, announced the agriculture sector strategy for 2020-2025 in observance of gender equality through all its programs. This requires the integration of the notion of equality within the ministry’s structure. To this effect, four women liaison officers were appointed within the Ministry’s Directorate, the Directorate of Cooperatives, the Research Authority and the Green Plan, with the aim to coordinate with the National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) and form an action coordination cell that provides support and contributes to drafting national and international reports. Mortada was speaking at a dialogue meeting on the rights of women and gender equality, as well as promoting gender equality in the strategy and programs of the ministry. He stressed the continuance of similar meetings in the agriculture and food sectors with the purpose of accommodating the activities, projects and budgets of the ministry with the needs of all beneficiaries of its services, men and women. Meetings, he maintained, shall continue with the employees in the Central Administration and various regional departments to the end of strengthening the capacities of state workers and training trainers on gender equality principles in rural and agricultural areas. (Al Diyar, November 25, 2020)

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Online discussion about young women and revolution

25-11-2020

Today, Wednesday 8:30 pm, Laban Theatre Collective will hold a digital session via Zoom entitled, “Young Women’s Post-Revolution struggle”. It includes testimonies from the Laban team, in addition to video clips of previous shows and an open discussion on the subject. Recalling, that the Association has, over the past 8 months, presented performances by men and women in North Lebanon after collecting their stories and repeating the scenes through videos they shared on social media. According to Laban, there is a common approach path between the stories and the performances, which encouraged expanding discussions about common issues to incorporate a wider audience. Theatre, as a tool for cohesion and social integration, is part of the local development program in the North, implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), in partnership with the ministry of social affairs, with joint funding from the EU and Germany, Laban stated. (Al Akhbar, November 25, 2020)

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Crisis hits flower and seedlings trade, 10,000 families at risk

19-11-2020

In its issue of today, Al Diyar drew attention to the flower and seedling industry which has been directly hit by the consecutive economic, financial, climate and health related crises thus putting some 10,000 families at risk. The difficulties the sector faces, the newspaper wrote, started last year with the wild storms that wreaked havoc thus incurring huge losses on the beds of roses. The dollar shortage and the devaluation of the Lebanese pound also triggered a jump in the prices of raw material, agricultural tools, fertilizers and medicines. Then came the coronavirus pandemic which shattered all hopes of a booming season anticipated by flower growers. On the subject, Al Diyar spoke to the head of the Syndicate of Flower Cultivators in Lebanon, Elias Kamel, who disclosed that flower sales in the country reached annually between USD 17 million and USD 21 million, but regrettably, it dropped significantly as a result of the economic collapse. Many farmers, he explained, have destroyed their crops during the last Christmas with losses amounting to nearly LBP 2 billion. Workers in the sector sold only 15% to 18% of their produce, Kamel said. He criticized the Covid-19 enforced lockdown decision taken by the caretaker government, pointing to its negative impact on marketing local production. Flower growers make a living from selling their harvest in the local market which has now become impossible. The flower industry is totally marginalized, even though it is a productive rather than a consumer one. (Al Diyar, November 19, 2020)

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Controversy in Jordan over TV song demeaning domestic workers

19-11-2020

The Jordanian children’s channel, Karameesh, broadcasted recently a song “the servant”, sang by a young girl about the domestic worker who tries to escape from the house and constantly asking for money for her sick daughter. This video has sparked wide condemnation on social media, where many considered it as laden with abhorrent racism, disrespect and incitement against domestic workers. Following the angry backlash and a barrage of denunciations, the channel took the video clip down from its official accounts after claiming to have hit six million views. It also posted an apology explaining that the content looks at the treatment of “housemaids” by a specific segment of society and some of these workers actually escape from homes. The statement went on to say, that the clip sheds light on this particular issue, especially the behavior of these “servants” in their employers’ homes. “We removed the video immediately after we saw the angry reactions of viewers,” it concluded. However, the channel made a bigger mistake when it clarified its position on the use of the term “servant” in the video, which prompted even stronger criticism and fiery comments again. Over and above, the topic is neither appropriate for children, nor it is instructive, and does not point the finger at treating domestic workers with an attitude of superiority. (An Nahar, November 19, 2020)

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