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Head of Baalbek International Festival, May Arida, passes away

14-5-2018

The president of Lebanon’s Baalbek International Festival since 1973, May Arida, passed away yesterday at the age of 92. Arida strived to bring to light Lebanon’s cultural and civilized image and spotlighted the country on the map of international festivals. She is considered as one of the icons of the country’s Golden Age, as she was a founding member of the Baalbek International Festival and later became the honorary president of these festivals. Arida received many awards, including the Gold Medal of the Lebanese Merit from President Suleiman Franjieh in 1976; the Commander of National Order of Cedars from President Emile Lahoud, 2000, and from King Hussein Bin Talal of Jordan, the Order of Commander. Arida also received the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur from President Valery Giscard d’Estaing, 1978, besides awards from the Italian President, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, 2005, and from the King of Spain, Juan carlos, 2009. (Al Diyar, An Nahar, May 14, 2018)

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Philippine domestic workers to Emirates after Kuwait dispute

11-5-2018

A group of private Filipino recruiting agencies appealed to their government to approve sending national household service workers (HSW) to the UAE following the dispute with Kuwait. Dolly Oanang from the Philippine workforce agencies said the Emirates is a good alternative market to replace Kuwait, noting similarity of working conditions between the two Arab states, which expedites workers’ transition. For his part, Jacinto Barras, the undersecretary of the ministry of foreign trade, braced the idea of opening the UAE market to HSW agencies. To recall, the standoff between Philippine and Kuwait has intensified after President Duterte banned the deployment of Filipinos in Kuwait and asked his nationals to leave the Gulf state within 72 hours, extending free return tickets for that purpose. The row erupted following the murder of a Filipino domestic worker whose body was found stuffed in a freezer inside the apartment of expatriate employers in Kuwait. And despite the announcement by Kuwaiti authorities of the arrest of the murderer, the crisis re-ignited between the two countries over videos which went viral on social media showing Philippine embassy staff helping workers in Kuwait flee allegedly abusive employees in cars with diplomatic plates after complaints of abuse. (Al Diyar, May 8, 2018)

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Call for lifting discrimination against Arab women with disabilities

11-5-2018

The Arab Organization of People with Disabilities (AODP) held its third regional conference of the Arab Forum for Women with Disabilities in Cairo (April 28-29) under the headline, ‘Cooperation for a safer world without obstacles’. The event, which comes as part of the ‘The inclusion of persons with disabilities within the Sustainable Development agenda 2030’, is in partnership with the Women, Family and Childhood Department at the League of Arab States, WRC and CRTDA with the support of AGFUND. Participants in the conference stressed the need to repeal discriminatory legislations and policies that prevent women and girls with disabilities from enjoying their rights as recognized in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and similar human and women’s rights agreements. Participants also pressed for ensuring that individuals with disabilities have access to quality health services, particularly sexual and reproductive health services, and the inclusion of plans targeting women and girls with disabilities in all relevant strategies. They appealed to the Arab League to adopt the said declaration, including demands related to girls and women with disabilities and the mothers of disabled children in order to ensure their equal participation in society. (An Nahar, May 11, 2018)

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Bazaar in Beirut to support small-scale artisans, producers

11-5-2018

As part of ‘Supporting host communities in Lebanon affected by the high influx of Syrian refugees’, the industry ministry and UNIDO opened yesterday the artisan and handicraft fair, YAD, in Ashrafieh, Beirut, under the patronage of minister Hussein Haj Hassan, represented by director general, Dany Gedoun. On the occasion, the ambassador of Austria, Mayan Wrba, said YAD is a convenient tool to improve the productive capacity of host communities and to generate livelihood support. It also provides beneficiaries from host communities with technical and market-oriented skills. Gedoun for his part, stressed the importance of the project, which he maintained, “does not only lie in the direct assistance, in terms of specialized machinery and technical training, but, it is the first time we decide to include innovation and creativity into specific selected made-in-Lebanon products.” This innovation, he said, displayed a range of goods like, tableware (cutleries and ceramics), home decorations (lightings, cushions, curtains and tablecloths), in addition to traditional and modern soap designs, with the aim to help small producers enter the local and international markets. (Al Mustaqbal, May 11, 2018)

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Council of Women: Lebanese electoral law must be amended to include quota

11-5-2018

The Lebanese Council of Women (LCW), an umbrella for some 150 women associations, thanked yesterday President Michel Aoun for the democratic process of the parliamentary elections which ran smoothly and without security threats. LCW however expressed regret for the failure to vote women into the parliament in consistence with the ratio they represent across the country (nearly 53%), despite the relatively unexpected large number of female candidates, of which only 4% made it to the Legislature. Therefore, LCW submitted to Aoun the approval of the amendment of the current electoral law with the inclusion of the minimum 30% women representation quota, as mandated by the Beijing Declaration, pointing that the application of the law in effect has proved that the Lebanese people are not prepared yet to voluntarily elect women. LCW President, Iqbal Dughan, congratulated MP Bahiya Hariri for her victory in the elections, inspiring her to adopt the Council’s demands to support women’s right and the above quota, as well as, their rights to confer nationality to their children in line with the Constitution which sustained gender parity. (Al Mustaqbal, May 11, 2018)

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Parties failed women during 2018 elections

10-5-2018

Prime Minister Saad Hariri congratulated Lebanese women for winning in the elections, tweeting: “Congratulations to the women of Lebanon their six seats in the Legislature and Mabrook to the Future Movement its winning half of these seats’. Our struggle to advocate women’s rights and support their active political engagement is long and unceasing.” Similarly, the minister of state for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, said in an address to the new women lawmakers, that he was anticipating a larger share for women in the parliament, pledging to strive for reaching a minimum of 30% quota. For her part, NCLW chief, Claudine Aoun Rukuz, said the Commission will seek to improve women’s representation in parliament through demanding the inclusion of a transitional women’s quota in the electoral law in order to pursue political parties to change the repetitive political practices in recruiting their candidates. Rukuz disclosed that NCLW shall work to increase the number of women ministers in the upcoming cabinet, lamenting that parties in Lebanon have failed to back women. On the other hand, Jumana Haddad, candidate on Beirut 1st District (https://bit.ly/2InGdbT), is preparing to appeal before the Constitutional Council, noting that she has submitted a petition through her agent Melhem Khalaf, to the minister of interior to obtain the necessary documents to this effect. (AL Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, May 10, 2018)

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First women rally in Lebanon and first car driving day in Saudi Arabia!

10-5-2018

For the first time in Lebanon and under the supervision of ATCL and the auspices of Tech Group, the Rallye des Graces will take place on Saturday and Sunday May 19-20, with the participation of women drivers and sailors on classic cars from the UK, US, Switzerland, China, Azerbaijan, Algeria, Italy and Lebanon. On the event, the head of the organizing party, Shahrazad Rizk, who took part in the Switzerland rally three times, said Arab and foreign women participants are business women who are well-known around the world, calling on Lebanese women to join the race. Rizk explained that the rally has three objectives, first of which is economic, especially that partakers come from the world of business and economy and seek to promote their products in the country. The second and third objectives are sportive and touristic where the rally will pass through scenic Lebanese countryside and towns. Meanwhile, the director of the Saudi General Department of Traffic, General Mohamad Bin Abdallah Bassami announced in a statement yesterday that women in the Kingdom will be allowed to start driving as of June 24th. He said all requirements and conditions to this effect have been met. To recall, that on last September 26, King Salman Abdel Aziz issued a royal decree sanctioning women to get driving licenses for the first time in the history of the Kingdom. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, May 9, 10, 2018)

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Ballerina Georgette Gebara honored again

10-5-2018

Under the patronage of culture minister, Ghattas Khoury, the Lebanese American University, LAU, paid tribute yesterday to Lebanese ballerina, academic and choreographer Georgette Gebara, during a ceremony in Irwin Hall. This comes less than three weeks after Gebara’s honoring by the Maqamat Dance Theatre. During the event, the chairperson of the Department of Communication Arts at LAU, Dr. Jad Melki, presented the Festival NEXT 2018 (from May 9-11) to Gebara. Minister Khoury revealed a plan set by his ministry to develop the art of dancing in Lebanon. For his part, LAU president, Dr. Joseph Jabra, said Gebara’s honoring is not a surprise, as the university is an educational cultural venue involved with promoting brilliance and creativity in society. After her receiving a painting designed especially for the occasion, Gebara thanked all those who contributed to the event, recounting the successes as well as the challenges throughout her career life. (An Nahar, Al Diyar, May 10, 2018)

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On new women of Parliament

9-5-2018

In its today’s edition, L’Orient Le Jour wrote about women representation in the new Lebanese Parliament, pointing to a modest share not exceeding 4.68%, whereby only six women landed seats out of the 128 seats in the legislature. These include two lawmakers that have been re-elected, and they are, Bahiya Hariri the aunt of premier Saad Hariri for Future Movement, and Sitrida Tawk Geagea, wife of Lebanese Party chief, Samir Geagea, who retains her seat for the LF Party since 2005. The new faces voted into the Parliament are, the minister of state for administrative reform, Dr. Inaya Izzedine, representing Amal Movement in the South 2nd District; Paula Yacubian, television journalist and member of 7 Party, for Beirut 1st District; Rula Tabsh Jarudi, lawyer, representing Future Movement in Beirut 1st District and Dima Jamali, university professor and development consultant from the North, representing Future Movement as well. In its analysis, L’Orient Le Jour said the ratio of women in the new parliament is dramatically low, indicating reluctance on part of the major political parties to recruit women on their electoral lists. Parties, like the Kataeb (phalange) party, the PSP, Marada, Hizbullah, FPM and the Syrian Socialist Nationalist party did not back women’s access to the legislature, the newspaper explained. It concluded by saying that, in the absence of a law that enforces a minimum 30% female representation quota, Lebanese women cannot make it to the House of Representatives. In this respect, Jeolle Abu Farhat from Women in Front association, said the poor turnout was expected, pledging to continue her advocacy campaign and struggle to prop the participation of women in political life, revealing that work is underway to pressure for the appointment of women ministers in the new cabinet. (L’Orient Le Jour, An Nahar, May 9, 2018)

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Only six women candidates voted to Parliament

8-5-2018

The results of the May 6 Parliamentary elections for the year 2018, in terms of women representation, were disappointing, with victory not exceeding the threshold of 6.8%. To recall, the total number of women candidates for the elections was as high as 86 women out of a total of 598 candidates, equivalent to 14.3%, according to ministry of interior figures, and representing is a noticeable increase compared to 2009 when only 4 women won the elections out of only 12 women candidates. The total number of women candidates this year originally was as high as 111 candidates out of 976 total candidates before the close of registration. According to incomplete official results announced yesterday, the winning women candidates were: Paula Yacubian (7 Party) from ‘Kuluna Watani’ Alliance, Beirut 1st District, Rula Tabsh (Future Movement) for Beirut 2nd District, Bahiya Hariri (Future) South 1st District, Inaya Izzedine (Amal Movement) for South 2nd District, Dima Jamali (Future Movement) for North 2nd District and Sitrida Tawk Geagea (LF Party) for the North 3rd District. On the other hand, Jumana Hadad recruited on the ‘Kuluna Watani’ civil society electoral list for the minorities seat in Beirut 1st District, said there has been vote-rigging of the results after her victory was confirmed by the electoral machine of ‘Kuluna Watani’, adding that on the next day she was robbed of the seat that was given to the Free Patriotic Movement candidate. Haddad demanded re-tallying of the votes and threatened to appeal before the Constitutional Council. On female participation, MP elect Paula Yacubian, declared one day before the elections, that women have yet to overcome many roadblocks in order to reach political decision-making positions. And despite the relatively large number of women nominated for this year’s elections, only a few of them shall see victory, Yacubian maintained, pointing out that Lebanon is still a patriarchal country. Al Diyar wrote that many women voters interviewed by the BBC said they were not very optimistic about the upsurge in the number of women in the Legislative. (Al Diyar, An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, May 5, 6, 2018)

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