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Outspoken Egyptian feminist icon, Nawal Saadawi, passes away

22-3-2021

Famous feminist author and defender of women’s and human rights in the Arab world, Dr. Nawal Saadawi, died on Sunday, March 21, at the age of 90, leaving behind a legacy of over 50 books and social commentaries and critique. Renowned for her fighting spirit and her courage to write boldly, Saadawi was preoccupied with challenging taboos, social norms and harmful traditional practices, as well as religious and ideological rigidity. She received countless death threats and was imprisoned for criticizing and defending women's political and sexual rights but was motivated to keep going. She fought a cultural war with Islamist radicals and some liberals since the start of her career. Saadawi witnessed various changes in Egypt and the Arab world and was at the forefront of the second feminist intellectual renaissance period when she fought strongly against the widespread practice of female genital mutilation. Her liberating writings and daring views about FGM, women and faith were shocking to society and she was jailed for that. Among her most popular publications, is “Issues of women, thought and politics” in which she disputed many social norms and religious facts, in addition to “Issues of woman and society” in which she enthused feminist causes calling for women’s independence and their right to work as the only means for emancipation from the patriarchal society. She was a target for many campaigns but was unwavering in her belief that religion and society deliberately exclude women’s role and influence in the history of the nation for the sole reason of being women. Other books include, “women and sex”, “sex and power”, “Al Hakim bi amr el lah” and “Memoirs from the women’s prison”. (An Nahar, March 22, 2021)

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Report on VAW during COV-19 in Lebanon, domestic violence in Egypt, awareness on sexual harassment in Jordan

12-3-2021

Last Friday, UN Women and UNFPA released a report entitled, ‘Violence Against Women during Covid-19’, the outcomes of which were presented during the launch meeting, in addition to ways of supporting survivors of violence in Lebanon during the coronavirus pandemic and the necessary measures to be taken to this effect in 2021. On the same front, NCLW head, Claudine Aoun Ruzuk, outlined the priorities of the Commission’s upcoming activities in this regard, specifically pressuring lawmakers to enact the amendments on the domestic violence law that have not been adopted. These include notably: abolishing the offense of adultery; the comprehensive protection of the victim and her underage children; maximizing penalties on perpetrators; influencing the legislature to approve the text drafted jointly between NCLW, the justice ministry, ISF and Kafa Organization which addresses all topics involving violence against women, namely early marriage and sex-related crimes. In a related development, and in partnership with the Swedish Center, the Organization of Backing Liberty and Social Development in Egypt (OBLSD), live streamed on February 19 a meeting via Facebook about how domestic violence affects community or societal peace. Also, the Royal Film Commission, Jordan, held on February 24 a dialogue session via Zoom on sexual harassment aimed to educate workers in the audiovisual industry about the topic, and discussed the definition, forms and ways to end harassment. (Al Akhbar, Al Diyar, March 6, February 18, 25, 2021)

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International Women's Day: Western diplomats call for a gender-equitable world; an end to marginalisation

8-3-2021

On the occasion of International Women’s Day which falls of March 8, a group of Western diplomats to Lebanon warned that Covid-19 pandemic has set off alarm bells advising that tremendous efforts need to be done to build a gender-equal world, claiming, the time for change is now. In their statement, the diplomats underlined the following: that the Covid-19 response plans should seek to eliminate inequality and build more-integrated societies; continue to work to the end of ensuring an increase in the participation rate of women and girls in society, including political engagement at all levels; ensure the full participation of women in consultation processes and in economic recovery initiatives, and that they effectively share in decision-making and in the leadership of campaigns; ensure that the new policies and legislations protect women and girls against exploitation and abuse at home and in the workplace; take action that guarantees the rights of women working in the informal sector and protect them against discriminatory or arbitrary measures, and finally, abolish the sponsorship (kafala) system. The statement concluded by saying: it is incumbent upon us in all parts of the world to take an active role in endorsing those demands and challenging the prevalent cultural and social practices that negatively affect women and girls. (Al Diyar, An Nahar, March 8, 2021)

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Arab women Organisation still committed to enforcing laws!

1-3-2021

The 8th Conference of the Arab Women Organization (AWO) was held in Beirut between February 23 and 25 under the theme “Arab Women and cultural challenges”, Under the patronage of President Michel Aoun. According to the organization’s general director, Fadia Kiwan, the conference focused on approaching women's issues from a cultural perspective, shedding light on the challenges faced by Arab women due to the stereotypes rooted in the social culture regarding the status and roles of women. The conference ended with a set of recommendations including the following: 1) push for research focused on closely reading and deconstructing religious texts related to women and their roles to the end of uncovering the real meaning behind them; 2) set up an Arab observatory to investigate women’s image in the cultural, artistic and media production; 3) motivate and encourage joint Arab artistic and media production with the aim to spread the notion of gender equality and the positive image of women; 4) call on Arab governments to put in place public policies and develop plans and strategies that are consistent with a holistic vision and comprehensive approach that considers the needs and roles of both sexes in society and aims to generate prospects and resources for all on the basis of justice and equality; 5) stress a better representation of women in decision-making positions in the various Arab institutions; 6) pressure governments and civil society organizations to intensify efforts in the field of women’s human rights empowerment, especially in the areas of women’s rights in inheritance and the control over their ownership, as well as their right to benefit from loans and services, the right to political participation and representation, and the right to legal protection from all forms of violence in the private and public arenas; 7) urge Arab educational institutions to incorporate principles of rational management and protection of the environment into the school curricula at all stages; and finally, 8) stress commitment to enforce laws and ensure that the objectives are reached that are set out in plans and programs through the adoption of an assessment mechanism that measures achievements and monitors hindrances in order to address them. During the conference, President Aoun underlined the need to activate the role of women in societies and accordingly launch an actual educational approach congruent with the 21th century aspirations, calling for the provision of equal opportunities for women and men, and warning that any failure to this effect would exacerbate conflict between reality and expectations. (Al Diyar, February, 24, 26, 2021)

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My Nationality Campaign documents violations against women during Covid-19

1-3-2021

Jointly with the Collective for Research & Training on Development (CRTDA), and in partnership with Friedrich Ebert Foundation, My Nationality is a Right for Me and My Family Campaign, launched last week a short documentary “25 Stop Covid-19 Discrimination” https://bit.ly/3dSRQap. The film highlights violations against Lebanese women married to non-Lebanese and their families during the Corona pandemic one year after the first covid-19 case was detected. Based on the title, the film draws an association between the Nationality Law dated 1925 which bluntly deprives Lebanese women from passing their nationality to their family members and the pandemic, to state that the said law is yet more deadly than the coronavirus as it denies these women their basic rights by depriving them of a nationality joined at the hip with the concept of citizenship. The documentary also monitors and exposes by facts and video testimonies the life of Lebanese women and their families under the decisions and measures taken by the government during and after the frequent lockdowns, including their forced stay outside the country and denying them aid and other rights. Noting, that the Lebanese state has completely snubbed Lebanese women and their families in all the measures it took to this effect. My Nationality Campaign demanded the government to address the rights of women from the perspective of justice and equality, away from thin arguments as echoed by the male-controlled system. It called for an amendment of the current Nationality Law in accordance with international conventions and the lifting of all reservations on the CEDAW agreement. The Campaign pressed for an equal treatment of Lebanese women married to non-Lebanese on par with other Lebanese citizens in all the public procedures, decisions and actions to the end of abolishing all forms of prejudices against women.

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COVID-19 and femicide: Four reported cases since the start of 2021

11-2-2021

The number of domestic violence victims in Lebanon is expected to increase further, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the repeated closures it imposes, noting that the statistics of the security forces had shown that with the beginning of quarantine, rates of reporting violence increased, while indicating an increase of 122 % in the rate of violence reporting within 2 months (https://bit.ly/2MN889K). In this context, local media channels monitored four murders whose victims are women and girls from Beirut, Akkar, Mount Lebanon and Bekaa. In Beirut, Zeina Kanjo, young Lebanese model was found dead on January 30, strangled in her home. Her husband, Ibrahim Ghazal, the prime suspect, fled to Istanbul shortly after the murder and started leaking news of infidelity as an attempt to divert attention from the crime, which is punishable by death, as said victim’s attorney, Ashraf Mousawi. Mousawi hoped the Lebanese judiciary could talk the Turkish authorities into handing over the convict. Kafa lawyer, Leila Awada, said it is not possible to end domestic violence crimes completely, but that they can be reduced by addressing the clear motives behind them. In other words, the patriarchal social and legal system and the notion of authorizing males in the family to act as guardians and according them full power to take any action against female members who challenge their rules. On February 9, a husband lies in wait for his wife at her parents’ house in the neighborhood of Hay el Sullam and stabs her with sharp objects tearing her lungs and severely wounding her liver simply because he refuses to divorce her. In Bekaa, journalist Joe Maalouf, revealed that the 7-year-old Tracey was assaulted and beaten by her step-mother while lying in hospital and an investigation was reportedly opened into the incident. In Akkar, the husband discovers his wife stabbed to death in the backyard. Security forces recovered the body and arrested the assailant, who is the victim’s nephew. (Al-Akhbar, Annahar, Addiyar, 23 Jan, 1,4 Feb 2021)

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Lujain Hathloul freed after 3 years behind bars

11-2-2021

Yesterday, Saudi authorities released renowned human rights activist Lujain Hathloul after three years behind bars on charges of inciting to change the political system, according to her family. Hathloul, 31, has been detained along with other human and women rights defenders during May, 2018, a few weeks before lifting the ban on women’s right to drive in Saudi Arabia, which she was calling for (https://bit.ly/2NaZ5Pz), causing international condemnation. Last December, a court in Riyadh sentenced Hathloul to nearly six years in prison accusing her of conspiring with foreign parties to overthrow the regime. The judge reduced her sentence to two years and 10 months which fast-tracked her release. At that time, the family described the verdict as disappointing, unfair and politically motivated, stating that they will appeal. An Nahar daily wrote today that Hathoul’s release came after US President Joe Biden pledged to scrutinize the human rights record in Saudi Arabia. It said it expected the Saudi government to try to win the favor of the Biden White House and release other prisoners of US and Saudi nationalities, as well as activists from the ruling family who have been detained without formal charges. (An Nahar, February, 2021)

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Law Criminalizing Sexual Harassment: Progressive deterrent penalties, prosecution without prior authorization, rehabilitation of victims

4-1-2021

In its issue of December 31, An Nahar newspaper published the key articles of the Law Criminalizing Sexual Harassment passed by the Legislature on December 21, (https://bit.ly/3rToInK), as cited by MP Enaya Ezzedine. Article One: Definition of sexual harassment: It is any improper, not within the range of normal, behavior, an unwelcome conduct by the victim, and carrying sexual connotations that constitute a flagrant encroachment on the body, privacy and feelings of the victim in any place, whether by words, actions, gestures or insinuations, including cyber harassment. Article Two: Progressive penalties: Anyone who commits the crime of sexual harassment is punished with a month to a year imprisonment, and a fine of three times the minimum wage. Should the harassment act occur within the framework of hiearchy, or work relationship, or if it occurred at a military or public department, the perpetrator is punished with 6 months to 2 years imprisonment and a fine equivalent to 10-20 times the minimum wage. And if the offense was committed against a juvenile or a person with special needs, the harasser is punished with 2-4 year imprisonment and a fine equivalent to 30-50 times the minimum wage. Article Three: Prosecution of a crime of sexual harassment does not require obtaining prior permission Article Six: Setting up a special fund at the Ministry of Social Affairs with the aim to assist victims of sexual harassment, including provision of assistance, rehabilitation and integration in society. Ezz El-Din stressed what is important is the application and observance of the law, with the cooperation, to this effect, of the security apparatus, the judiciary and all concerned care institutions, and with follow-up by awareness programs in the curricula of schools and universities. (An Nahar, December 31, 2020)

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Women’s sit-in in front of Jaafari Court to repeal unfair rulings

29-12-2020

The National Campaign to Increase the Age of Custody for the Shiite Sect staged a sit-in yesterday in front of the Jaafari Court in the UNESCO area, Beirut to pressure for overturning a ruling issued by Judge Bashir Mortada to deprive Abir Khashab of her twin boys and granting custody to their socially privileged father, (https://bit.ly/34Rn7VM). Under the motto ‘floor to floor’, women demonstrators deliberately changed the strategies of protest from passive demands to accelerate the issuance of appeals and raise the custody age, to seeking to defame Sharia judges who misjudge their anguish and suffering, requesting them to step down, resign or retreat. Demonstrators tried to enter the Court building to meet Mortada and the head of the Court, Mohamad Kanaan, but the security forces formed a solid barrier to block their repeated attempts. The head of the Campaign, Zeina Ibrahim, told Al Akhbar that the Inspector General of the Sharia Courts, Judge Hassan Shami, spoke to the protestors at the end of their sit-in pledging to settle the case of Khashab against Mortada next Monday. Ibrahim said she expected the decision to be a disciplinary measure to pressurize for repealing Mortada’s ruling. She finally asked the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council to remove Mortada as he proved incompetent to rule in similar cases and to be a lesson learnt for every Jaafari judge under the influence of political nepotism. (Al Akhbar, December 29, 2020)

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Injustices of Sharia courts: Judge annuls marriage to impede wife’s inheritance

28-12-2020

In its follow-up of the discriminatory sharia rulings issued by the various Lebanese sects against women, Al Akhbar drew attention today to a decision by First Judge, Bashir Mortada, head of the Beirut Jaafari Court, in which he ordered the annulment of a marriage contract, he authorized 4 years ago, with the aim to deprive the wife of her share in inheritance of her late husband. In the details, the newspaper cited the parents of the wife, Fatma Amzian, as saying that the family of the deceased, who has similar political affiliations as the judge, has filed a request to the court to annul the marriage alleging the spouse is “legally and psychologically” unfit to sign the contract. After the judge ordered the contract null and void, they received a determination of heirs certificate and managed to withdraw around USD 875,000 in 48 hours from the bank account of the deceased. On the other hand, Al Akhbar wrote that the text of the annulment ruling is based on medical reports by Iraqi specialists dating back to 1979 stating that the husband, during his service as an ambassador for Lebanon in Baghdad, was emotionally disturbed after killing his wife and son in Iraq. The ruling was also built on recent medical reports stating that patients suffering from "paranoid schizophrenia” do not recover. The newspaper also quoted informed legal sources that the text of the court ruling is a partial summary of the case and does not reflect the full story, neither did it expand the investigations which mention the actual reasons that led to the homicide. According to Al Akhbar, the medical reports written then were just a whitewash to avoid his imprisonment. What is most important, Al Akhbar concluded, that the ruling did not take into account the reports issued by the Supreme Islamic Shia Council stating that the marriage contract should not be annulled. ( Al Akhbar, December 28, 2020)

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