News

Chaml organized on Sunday October 7th a public event entitled: “Come with your casserole to Ryad Solh to support the civil family code”.  The event was attended by a small number of activists who banged on their casseroles for half an hour with the intent of “waking the parliamentarians from their stupor and letting them know that we will not forget our rights”.  However, there were no parliamentarians in attendance in Parliament on a Sunday!

According to the organizers, this is a first step to draw the attention of decision makers on the civil family code.  Chaml indicated that these initiatives will not stop and that they are giving Parliament a one month period during which Chaml will be working towards ensuring that the law petition is on the top of the Parliament’s agenda.  Chaml indicated that in case Parliament does not positively respond, then they will resume banging the casseroles next time directed towards the parliamentarians’ homes and offices.  Such actions will continue until each individual parliamentarian comes out and states his/her opinion on the subject in public. Source: Al Akhbar, Al Safir

The Municipality of Rashayya organized in collaboration with Souk el Tayyeb and a number of local organizations a carnival entitled: “Keep cool in Rashayya”.  The event aimed at introducing visitors to the touristic wealth of Rashayya as well as to market local and traditional produce including local made food and crafts, notably traditional heaters, paintings and other art forms.
Source: Al Moustakbal

A conference was organized in the Serail of Jezzine under the auspices of the Minister of Industry, Mr. Freij Saboujian, to share the findings of a recent study entitled “supply and demand for technicians in Tyre and Jezzine”.  The study was conducted by a company known as “Knowledge Development” and focused on the needs of the industrial sectors in Jezzine, Tyre and greater Beirut as well as the aspirations of young people in these areas.  The study sought to build bridges between the industrial job market and technical training with a view to improving work conditions and enabling training to meet market demands.  The conference concluded with a series of recommendations that were addressed to the Ministry of Industry, local municipalities as well as to other relevant local and international stakeholders.
Source: Al Mustakbal, Al Nahar, Al Dyar

During its meeting of Thursday October 4th, the Lebanese Cabinet endorsed the allocation of ten billion LBP to subsidize the cost of school books.  Of these, eight billion will benefit Lebanese school children and the remaining two billion will benefit non-Lebanese children.  According to the estimates of the Ministry of Education, 50,000 non-Lebanese students enrolled in public schools are expected to benefit from this decision during the current scholastic year.  The current Minister of Education, Mr. Hassan Diab, indicated that he will issue a memorandum requesting all public school to deliver free schoolbooks to both Lebanese and non-Lebanese children enrolled in public schools.   The Minister confirmed that the Ministry will reimburse those who have already purchased their books.  To be noted that this landmark decision has, alas, not refrained some private schools to request their students to purchase additional books under the guise that the state issued books are “weak” and, as such students need additional “complementary books”.  It is also worth stating that under the law, schools are obligated to follow the national educational system and the attendant books issues by CERD.

Source: Al Akhbar

Several Rural Women Cooperatives, members of the Namlyeh Marketing Cooperative, took part in the International Conference and Exhibition organized in Quebec City between 17 and 21 October.  This participation was part of the Rural Economic Empowerment of Women Project and within the Framework of the Vth World Congress of Agronomists and Agrologists (Feed the World).  The Conference discussed various challenges facing sustainable development and food security worldwide such as the vulnerability of the eco-system, weaknesses in agricultural production, the negative impact of climate change as well as ways and strategies to address world hunger such as micro-credits and agricultural projects as well as other interventions. Discussions also dwelt on expected changes in nutritional patterns over the coming 25 years and the new ways for managing water and soil.  The global increase in the cost of food was also on the agenda as well as the reported 70% expected increase in demand for food during the coming 40 years.  These discussions formed a road map for guiding international efforts to combat shortage in food supply as well as a call to pursue the millennium development goal to decrease poverty rates by half by 2015.

Source: http://alhayat.com/Details/441290">Al-Hayat
 

During the meeting of its executive bureau held on Thursday October 4th  at the premises of the Lebanese League for Women’s Rights, the National Gathering to Abolish Discrimination Against Women discussed the need to strengthen campaigns calling for equality as well as women’s right to political participation through the adoption of a 30% quota system.  The Gathering also called for the adoption of a modern electoral system based on the principle of proportionality and which considers Lebanon as one circumscription without following the confessional distribution of seats.  The Gathering also called for government legislation to ensure the right of women to transmit their nationality to their children as well as adopting one unified civil family law.
The Bureau endorsed the rightful demands of the workers’ unions and called on all its members to take part in the demonstration called by the teachers’ union on Wednesday October 10th in support of their demand for a salary raise and of its immediate endorsement by the Parliament as well as immediate coming into effect.  Finally, the Bureau endorsed the rights of pensioners for just compensation.

Source: Annahar, Almustaqbal

Representatives of USAID, AusAID, Q-Tel group as well as the Development Fund of the International Mobile Union launched the M-Women Design Competition entitled: “Re-defining customers’ experiences”.  The competition coincides with the next round of the philanthropy summit which will take place in New York.  This competition seeks to engage designers of digital solution to create new solutions which will facilitate customers’ experiences with smart phones especially for women in developing countries who face challenges in using mobile technology on view of the limited opportunities available to them.
It is to be noted that the average usage of mobile phones in developing countries is increasing significantly, however, there is a serious concern that women will lag behind in access mobile telephony.  Indeed, research undertaken by the International Mobile Union has shown that the opportunities for women to own mobile phones are 21% less than than men in low to middle income countries.  As such, the absolute gender gap in phone usage is approximately 300 million women which are unable to use this tool to improve their living conditions.

For more information about the contest please check their website: mWomen

Source: Al Mustakbal, 4 October 2012
 

Al Safir newspaper published an article touching on the abysmal economic conditions of many strata of the Lebanese society and which threaten their security and livelihoods.  The presently dire economic conditions have forced tens of families to look for sources of living.  The article highlighted the coping mechanisms of women working within their homes and who seek to secure additional income to alleviate the impact of poverty and ensure some financial stability to their families.  According to the newspaper, these women faced with several pressing financial demands such as the burden of tuition fees, double electricity bills, the costs of hospitalisation and phone bills as well as other basic necessities.  Traditional baking of wholewheat bread appears to be mostly popular amongst women in several towns and villages.  Women are increasingly relaying on a traditional skill inherited from their mothers and grandmothers thus contributing to the revival of part of the local heritage.
Imm Rabih from the remote village of Ayn Attah in Rashaya area is one of these women who is responsible for her household.  Poverty and need forced her to look for sources of income and secure the minimum needs of her family.   She reported that traditional bread making twice a week has allowed her to secure income and protect her family from abject need.
Source:  As Safir, 4 October 2012