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Women of Nabatieh busy preparing traditional “mooneh”

31-7-2017

In its issue of today, Al Muthstaqbal newspaper shed light on the local tomato paste produced by the southern women of Arnoun and Kfartibnit in Nabatiyeh up to Kfar Roumman in Iqlima al Toffah. These women, Al Mustaqbal wrote, are busy these days preparing the traditional home-made and clean tomato paste or tomato juice, while the surplus is being sold locally and sometimes reaching as far as the capital, Beirut. Al Mustaqbal spoke to a number of women involved in preparation of mouneh items. One of these women, Samira Yaghi, said over 60 women produce tomato paste from the locally grown crops, noting that the extracted juice is stored for domestic consumption. The excess is sold at LBP 12,000 per one Kg to the agricultural cooperative association which takes care of its marketing at LBP 18 thousand. To recall, tomato paste is ultimately prepared from red ripe tomatoes cultivated lavishly in the villages and towns of Zawtar and Yuhmor up to Jbaa. Every 10 Kgs of the tomato fruit makes 1 kg of paste sold in the southern marketplace at between LBP 15,000 to 20,000, while the reported price of one kilo of tomatoes stands at LBP 500 to 700. (Al Mustaqbal, July 31, 2017)

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USJ launch a new degree in fashion design

31-7-2017

Saint Joseph University (USJ) and ESMOD France, signed an agreement on Wednesday announcing the launch of a 180-credit degree in styling and pattern making whereby credits can be cumulatively converted according to the European university system. Applicants should have completed the Lebanese baccalaureate or its equivalent and passed an exam organized by ESMOD, as well as an interview with the administration and one faculty member. As for non-holders of a Bacc certificate, they are invited to attend classes at the end of which they are given a certificate instead of a degree. Courses begin with the start of the upcoming academic year 2017-2018 at the USJ School of Social Sciences, Ashrafieh. To note, USJ and ESMOD will offer a series of open training workshops covering the following subjects: fashion design, pattern drafting, fashion management, sales, jewelry design, shoe design, fashion journalism, luxury product marketing, photography and technical management. (Al Akhbar, July 31, 2017)

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Tunisian Parliament approves law ending violence against women

28-7-2017

The Tunisian Parliament passed a unanimous bill on Wednesday (146 out of 217 MPs) which protects women from violence. The new law, which will become effective six months after its publishing in the official gazette, aims to eliminate all forms of violence against women. It supports provision of victims with the necessary legal and psychological assistance and imposes specific programs incorporating the principles of humanitarian law and gender equality in the national curricula. The newly endorsed law also introduces amendments to Article 227-bis of the Criminal Code, including the abolition of a controversial provision which pardons rapists (non-violent sexual intercourse) if they married their victim (under 15 years of age). In her comment on the new bill, the minister of women, family and children, Naziha Laabidi, said she was proud with this landmark achievement. In her turn, MP Bushra Balhaj Hamida, welcomed the victorious adoption of the law, stressing that it recognizes the various forms of physical, moral and sexual violence against women. She pointed out that the spirit of said law proclaims that incidents of violence are no longer a private matter but a public and state affair. The proof, she added, is that relinquishing or dropping charges against offenders no longer trims legal proceedings. (Al Mustaqbal, July 28, 2017)

 

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Tunisian modern law to fight violence against women

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Few women in the boardroom worldwide

26-7-2017

In its review of more than 60 countries promoting boardroom gender diversity, the ‘Women in the boardroom: A global perspective’ fifth report by Deloitte Global, found that women still lack sufficient representation despite continuous efforts to endorse gender diversity in these spaces. The report published in Al Hayat newspaper today has shown that only 15% of board seats are filled by women globally, noting a slight progress from the findings of 2015 edition of the report. The talent and communications partner at Deloitte Middle East, Rana Ghandour Salhab, said that companies with female chairs have double the number of women in senior executive posts, and that boards of directors with a marked female representation have increased chances of appointing a woman as president or CEO, Al Hayat wrote. This demonstrates that as the number of women board chairs rises, there is likely a greater gender board diversity, Salhab maintained, pointing that the percentage of women in top leadership positions remains low, with only 4% represented in CEO and board chair positions around the world. In conclusion, the report indicated that Middle Eastern states do not generally observe the quota system for women on boards, yet, some countries in the region are beginning to witness strategies promoting higher female participation in the boards. Despite said attempts, the report said, representation rates are still modest, with women barely occupying 2% of board positions in the GCC states, for example. For full report: http://bit.ly/2sfqhAc . (Al Hayat, July 26, 2017)

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Women group open a free library in Saida

26-7-2017

Following the creation by a group of women from Saida of a literary salon ( http://bit.ly/2uWmJo3), the same group launched last week an initiative under the slogan ‘Saida Reads”. This is the first of its kind undertaking in Lebanon aimed to revive the glamor of reading when social media and digital technology has stolen the sense of thrill. These innovative women from the southern capital opened a small public library to inspire people to read and exchange books for free, and have for that reason chosen the Spot Saida center to be the place. During the opening event, the activist in the literary salon of Saida, Safaa Makawi, said the idea originated from a US-based global association that promotes establishing little free libraries around the world (in 50 US states and 70 countries worldwide). Lebanon, Mekawi boasted, has become the 71th country applying the concept which has placed it on the global map of little free libraries. Mekawi also pointed out that ‘Saida Reads’ scheme brings books free of charge to book mongers allowing exchange by the ‘take a book, return a book’ rule. The newly installed library is divided into three sections, for children, young adults and adults, and includes novels, documentaries and other subjects. (Al Mustaqbal, July 26, 2017)

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A comprehensive policy is needed to reduce statelessness

25-7-2017

The Frontiers Rights association held last Thursday a conference on statelessness in Lebanon entitled, ‘Out of the Shadow: Towards ensuring the rights of the stateless’ in the presence of the minister of state for human rights affairs, Ayman Choukair. The event was organized with the support of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the European Union and the Embassy of Norway in Lebanon. The conference discussed the factors that keep this phenomenon in the shadows, realities on the ground and groups most affected by it. Choukair on the occasion, said the Lebanese State should be responsible and seriously collaborate with civil society to find solutions to snowballing problems inherited by children from their parents. Ruwad representative, Samira Trad, for her part, said it is high time to bring all the stakeholders around one table to come up with a comprehensive vision that brings stateless persons into the world of reality. The conference concluded with a number of recommendations, stressing the need to: evaluate and deliberate amendments to the relevant laws in force; deal with the issue of statelessness as a priority through placing it on the political, societal and media agendas, while engaging key players, particularly legislator, in discussions through an all-encompassing national workshop; upgrade and mechanize personal status registry system as well as promote access to justice through streamlined and cost-effective judicial proceedings. ( Al Diyar, Al Akhbar, July 25, 2017)

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Women and politics in the Arab region

25-7-2017

The women in Politics Forum in the Arab Region in cooperation with the Arab Network for Electoral Democracy launched yesterday the first report on the situation of women and politics in the Arab region. The report included monitoring and analysis of remarkable women political trends in the Arab countries, in terms of the following: The role of the women's movements in negotiating their political and constitutional rights; monitoring the status of women in some Arab constitutions and the notable accomplishments by women in this respect; analysis of the main legislations regulating the electoral process in regional countries and women’s conditions as seen by these laws in view of the principle of equality, non-discrimination and other positive measures in support of women’s rights. On the Lebanese front, the report noticed that women groups have evolved in the middle of the twentieth century, ensuring a solid foundation for women specific bodies within civil society. And they developed in successive waves, starting with mobilization within the upper classes in the framework of struggle for independence. Following independence, the second wave of left-wing movements was formed only to break off during the civil war and to witness a new beginning which coincided with the Beijing world conference on women and its adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, succeeded by a proliferation of non-governmental organizations. )An Nahar, July 25, 2017(

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Tunisian modern law to fight violence against women

25-7-2017

The Tunisian Parliament resumed on Monday discussion of a draft law criminalizing all forms of violence against women, including tightening sanctions against aggressors. The session, which was adjourned before a complete vote on all provisions, will reportedly continue tomorrow. To note, according to the new bill, dropping charges on the part of women who were subject to violence does not end legal proceedings or pronouncement of penalties against the offender. In its provisos, said law has gone beyond the term ‘gender’ due to its association with agendas of international organizations, a term that was deleted from the text of the law by pressure from the Islamist movement known for its resistance to complete equality between men and women that the term ‘gender’ signifies. Under the draft bill, punishment shall be severe against perpetrators of sexual harassment (whoever harasses women in a public place will be imprisoned for two years and fined with a 5 thousand Tunisian dinars, roughly USD 2,000). Similarly, anyone who purposely beats or injures without intention to kill but which results in the death of the victim will face a 20-year prison term. The debate focused on the chapter dealing with dropping charges against the culprit in the event of marrying his victim. A number of MPs said it reflected an insult to Tunisian women and a legitimization of the crime of rape, warning that the bill is unlikely to be passed without abolishing or modifying this chapter. In her comment on the bill, the minister of women, family and children, Naziha Laabidi stressed that it will be a breakthrough in the history of the country, given its projected role in protecting women from all forms of abuse and violence and penalizing perpetrators. (Al Hayat, July 25, 2017)

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Designer Elie Saab launches the “Girl of Now” initiative to support women’s leadership

24-7-2017

The Elie Saab Design House launched in April the Girl of Now initiative at the Dubai-based Ayyam Gallery to motivate a new generation of girl leaders and dreamers. The representative of Elie Saab House said that as women around the world have used their talents, aptitudes and skills to hit success, the initiative comes to celebrate all those women who starred in their careers to enthuse generations of young women to follow their inspirations. She stressed that the Girl of Now seeks to spread awareness around the accomplishments and learnings of ambition-driven females in order to empower them to go higher and perhaps, become leaders of the future. The initiative is based on the principle of the ‘role model’, she said, hoping girls’ active engagement in events and on the website to raise awareness on opinion leaders in the region and worldwide, would stimulate others. For her part, Elissa Freiha, founder and CEO of Womena, an angel investment platform for female investors in the Arab region, maintained that Girl of Now initiative “is an ideal showground for us to spotlight women in our network, be them investors or entrepreneurs, to celebrate their successes, and it also highlights models of smart, business-motivated and bold women to shape their career in investment and entrepreneurship, that is conventionally, a men’s world,” as she put it. (Al Mustaqbal, July 23, 2017)

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High women’s share of diplomatic appointments

24-7-2017

The reported women’s share of the latest diplomatic appointments approved during last Thursday’s legislative session, and which has been suspended for years, is 17 women, including 3 (non-state employee) ambassadors, (c.f: http://bit.ly/2uqzebl), according to Al Mustaqbal newspaper. To note, the session devoted to discuss the appointments has recorded several objections by ministers of the ‘Marada’ and Lebanese Forces parties, but which did not disrupt the political consensus reached. Said parties objected for not forwarding the diplomatic appointment lists to the Cabinet prior to the session. (Al Mustaqbal, An Nahar, Al Akhbar, Al Diyar, July 20, 21, 22, 23, 2017)

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