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Deportation of battered Kenyan MWDW because of Kafala

17-7-2018

Notwithstanding the latest decision by the General Security to suspend the deportation of the Kenyan migrant domestic worker Shamila and her national who were beaten in the neighborhood of Burj Hammoud last June (c.f: https://bit.ly/2LiXSTE), Shamila was reportedly deported on Sunday, according to the Legal Agenda following up the case, while noting that, the court hearings on the incident are still ongoing. The Agenda stressed that Shamila’s expulsion was made possible supported by the Kafala (sponsorship) system which relinquishes the fate of MWDWs to their sponsors. The latter, a woman in this case, has refused to waive Shamila’s kafala, demanding USD 3000 for bailing her out. When the amount was not paid, the employer booked a plane ticket to force her to leave the country. On the other hand, Al Mustaqbal newspaper pointed to the famous Dora Roundabout which becomes every weekend a meeting place for MWDWs from different African and Asian nationalities. The visitor, Al Mustaqbal wrote, pictures himself outside Lebanon and travels with the dialects, colors and traditions of Dora Sunday street goers, namely to India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and others. There, visitors can discover various fashion, food, jewelry, beauty and hairdressing parlors which characterizes each of the above countries, the newspaper added. Still on the front of migrant workers, the General Security Director General Abaas Ibrahim met the Ethiopian Minister of State for Labor and Social Affairs in the presence of the director of FENASOL, Castro Abdallah, to discuss matters relevant to Ethiopian and African MWDWs in general. (Al Mustaqbal, AL Diyar, L’Orient Le Jour, July 14, 16, 17, 2018)

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Muhajaba (veiled) woman director of brewery factory in Damascus

17-7-2018

The Syrian industry minister Mohamad Mazen Ali Yousef issued a directive last week appointing Reem Halale, a veiled (muhajabah) Muslim woman as director to the Barada Brewery in Rif Damascus. Halale, to recall, is the current assistant general director and marketing executive of the General Establishment for Food Industries and a former planning director at the ministry of industry (between 2005-2014). The above decision has sparked controversy among Syrians on social media who saw it as contradictory in terms of what the connotation when a committed muhajabah woman manages an alcoholic drink factory that is forbidden in Islam. For her part, Halale described the minister’s decision as a sign of utmost trust on his part, pledging to do everything she can to repair the local brewery in partnership with a private sector investor, noting that the factory has been demolished in 2012 at the start of the war in neighboring Syria. Likewise, and in response to the wave of objections to Halale’s appointment, the ministry said in a statement that, the decision aimed to cut spending and benefit from the experience of cadres of industrial enterprises and of operational companies in managing the affairs of suspended businesses. And as an assistant to the general director of the General Establishment for Food Industries under which Barada Brewery is enlisted, Halale was assigned to run certain administrative matters, the statement concluded. (Al Diyra, July 15, 2018)

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10 thousand driving schools for women in Saudi Arabia

16-7-2018

After Saudi women were allowed to drive inside Saudi Arabia (c.f: https://goo.gl/A52YQu), driving schools thrived in the Kingdom to reach nearly 10,000 offices, Al Diyar reported yesterday. The newspaper pointed out that women enrolled in driving offices belong to the age group (20-30 years) and are expected to become drivers in two months. According to the plan, some 100,000 women will learn to drive in the immediate future and 250,000 women over a year, which is the highest record for a country in the world. Saudi Arabia, Al Diyar wrote, is anticipated to import half a million additional cars, noting that households and parents have by now purchased or booked cars for their daughters to be delivered to them during this coming September and the New Year. (Al Diyar, July 15, 2018)

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Free computer, English language courses for Hasbaya women

16-7-2018

In collaboration with the Municipality of Hasbaya, the Community Association for Student Support organized last week free training courses in computer and English language for women and girls in the district. These sessions come as part of Creation of Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSS) initiative which is the outcome of the Active Citizenship workshop implemented by the British Council and funded by the EU. The training courses aimed to improve and enhance the capacities of women in society were highly appreciated by a large number of women in Hasbaya. (Al Akhbar, July 14, 2018)

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Rabia Hamiyeh, a new victim of domestic violence

13-7-2018

Rabia Hamiyeh, 35, a mother of two daughters, was found shot dead with three bullets in a pitch in the Beqaa town of Taraya. Circumstances are still unknown about motives of the crime, as said the chief of the ISF Public Relations Department, Colonel Joseph Msallam, who preferred not to comment pending the results of ongoing investigation. L’Orient Le Jour newspaper wrote about more than one version on the murder. While the victim’s mother, Iman, disclosed that the husband’s family trades in prohibited items and that they killed her after she threatened to tell the authorities what she knows. The mother pointed out that her daughter who after the death of her father was brought up in her paternal grandfather’s house, was forced to marry at the age of 14 where she was incessantly beaten and humiliated. Two months ago, the mother went on to say, the victim managed to get the divorce, which possibly contributed to the decision to kill her. According to the in laws family account, the murder is related to the victim’s indecent behavior, and is hence considered a crime of honor, an account that was fully rejected by the victim’s mother. For her part, lawyer Leila Awada from Kafa organization, pointed to an official slackness in monitoring crimes against women, in addition to a laidback and hasty labeling of similar crimes under the category of ‘honor killings’ which was purportedly scraped in 2011. (L’Orient Le Jour, July 13, 2018)
 

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BPW Lebanon honors two leading women

13-7-2018

The International Federation of Business and Professional Women, BPW Lebanon, organized its annual ceremony under the patronage of chief of the Council of Arab Businesswomen, Sheikha Hossa Saad al Abdallah Salem Al Sabah. The event saw the honoring of the director general of the ministry of economy and trade, Alia Abbas, and the director of the National News Agency, NNA, Laure Suleiman, who were handed the PWP Golden Card Award. On the occasion, Suleiman maintained that women are key partners in society, stressing that reinforcing their role to this end is the responsibility of all. She called on every Lebanese woman to have confidence in herself and her potentials and pursue education and knowledge in order to contribute to the advancement and development of her society. Abbas for her part, said: “Our meeting today with all the diverse experiences it embraces says again that women are capable of enriching their role, presence and aptitudes if they are given the opportunity...”. (Al Diyar, July 13, 2018)

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Promoting the education of Syrian women refugees in Bar Elias

11-7-2018

In cooperation with Kayany Foundation led by Nura Jumblat, AUB and WFP, and under the patronage of education minister Marwan Hamadeh, L’Oreal Foundation for Social Responsibility launched yesterday the charity education program ‘Beauty For a Better Life’ which benefits underprivileged girls and young women refugees in Bar Elias. The program to note, targets young women denied of regular school education according to the Lebanese or Syrian national curriculums. It provides them with vocational training that facilitates their reintegration in society through acquisition of a profession which helps them provide for themselves and their families. On the occasion, the managing director of L’Oréal Levant Philippe Patsalides, said: “We inaugurated Beauty For a Better Life program to assure all young women that we are committed to give them motivation, self-esteem and the means to restore their professional role through training courses conducted by experts.” (Al Akhbar, July 11, 2018)

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Rehabilitation of married couples in Mabarrat Charity

11-7-2018

The Islamic Cultural Center at Al Imamayn Al Hasanayn Complex affiliated with Al Mabarrat Charity Association launched yesterday the Family Support Center aimed to rehabilitate the family. During the occasion, Sayyid Ali Fadlallah pointed out that change is not achieved through changing political posts or replacing those in senior positions, but instead comes from within the family itself through the proper education of the children which has positive impact on real life. Fadlallah urged spiritual sharia courts to consider the eligibility of a couple and their physical and mental health status to raise a stable family, stressing the need to stimulate, develop and activate Islamic jurisprudence to be able to provide appropriate remedies to many family problems. He clarified that the newly established center seeks to bring about change in the way of thinking and methods of behavior within a family, hoping this could be a positive factor in the advancement of a family. Fadlallah concluded by saying: “The dilemma of this society lies in the fact that we raise our kids like our parents raised us without taking into account the changes and developments that took place in this society.” (Al Akhbar, July 11, 2018)

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Lebanese woman victim of sexual harassment sentenced to prison in Egypt

10-7-2018

After Egypt’s Public Prosecutor referred last May the Lebanese citizen Mona Mazbouh to criminal trial for insulting the Egyptian people by posting a video accusing them of sexual harassment and theft (c.f: https://bit.ly/2J8wkvl), the Egyptian Misdemeanour Court on Saturday sentenced Mazbouh to 8 years in prison after being found guilty for defaming the country and its citizens, undermining society and attacking religions. On the subject, Al Akhbar newspaper wrote yesterday that Mazbouh’s case lays bare the issue of sexual harassment in the North African state, whether victims were Egyptians or others. This phenomenon, the newspaper said, has transcended the street to the workplace, parks, transport and restaurants, to move in touristic resorts and air, land and sea ports and become part of the daily customs. Al Akhbar recalled a legislation enacted by the government back in 2014 which penalizes the person involved in sexual harassment with fines reaching 50,000 Egyptian pounds (USD 2750) and imprisonment from 6 months up to 5 years in an attempt to curtail the phenomenon. However, Al Akhbar went on to say, Egypt remains one of the worst countries in the world for women in terms of sexual harassment, concluding that, the case of Mazbouh reveals a sweeping culture that ‘blames the victims’, which is an attitude the Egyptian people have settled into. (Al Akhbar, July 9, 2018)

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ChocoDar in Saida in support of women’s livelihoods

10-7-2018

Dar al Inaya- Foyer de la Providence launched yesterday the Atelier ChocoDar as part of the AFKAR III ‘Active Citizenship through Couching and Training (PACCT) program managed by the Office of the Minister of State for Administrative Reform (OMSAR) and funded by the EU. The launch took place during a chocolate and sweets fair prepared by women beneficiaries in the program held at Dar al Inaya hall in Salhiya, Saida. On the occasion, Al Inaya director Father Talal Taalab Mukhalisi, said: “We have noticed that undertakings targeting and supporting women are relatively limited, hence we thought of this project,” to emphasize the role of women in Saida and environs who are capable of becoming key elements in the growth of their community. For her part, MP Bahiya Hariri pointed out that Dar al Inaya is very active in taking initiatives that contribute to building a society of development and peace, a society of solidarity and interdependence focused on enhancing youth skills in crafts and professions and ensuring a social safety net through countering unemployment and need. (Al Mustaqbal, July 10, 2018)

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