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Tawlet restaurant showcases traditional food and supports women

9-5-2017

A special feature appeared in Al Akhbar today highlighting Tawlet authentic eatery in the Mar Mkhail neighborhood of Beirut. What distinguishes the restaurant, Al Akhbar wrote, is its effortlessness, particularly in its down-to-earth interior design, according to food entrepreneur and architect of Souk el Tayyib venture, Kamal Mozawak. The farmers’ market was set up back in 2004 with the aim to help small scale producers and rural farmers in selling their goods directly to consumers by bringing them to urban areas. The idea gradually developed in 2007 with the launch of Beirut’s Food and Feast summer events, Mozawak expounded. “While sustaining Souk el Tayyib, we sought to invite people to the countryside to savor the culinary native heritage of each area,” he told Al Akhbar reporter. Tawlet, he added, is a blend of both ventures aimed to give the benefit of the experience and delight in a sustainable manner through the establishment of a permanent restaurant that serves traditional Lebanese menus every day prepared by women cooks from their homes in the different regions. Mozawak said he did not intend to literally set up a diner but rather create a location that communicates his appreciation for local customs through food. He stressed the social objectives of Tawlet in terms of empowering “housewives” and assisting them to become active and productive in the labor market. Instead of being a mere entertainment or duty towards her family, the “housewife” has now a substantial source of income generated by cooking. Every woman who cooks at Tawlet, Mozawak told Al Akhbar, is paid USD 100 for her day’s work, plus USD 50 for transportation costs. She prepares one third of the dishes at her home, one third at Tawlet and the remaining is taken care of by the restaurant, Mozawak boasted, pointing that the woman cook is also reimbursed for the ingredients she used at her home as if “we are buying from her” . In conclusion, Mozawak pointed out that Tawlet gives women the opportunity to meet potential customers who could be interested in contracting them for special occasions, which has happened many times. (Al Akhbar, May 9, 2017)

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Sidon Food Festival and Souk el Akl in Amchit

8-5-2017

The Awali Exhibition and Leisure Center opened on Friday the Sidon Food Festival at La Salle urban venue in Rmeileh- Alman road. the sponsorship of MP Bahia Hariri. Over 30 food manufacturing establishments and associations from Saida and environs, showcased the area’s food delicacies under the sponsorship of MP Bahia Hariri. The festival attracted a large number of visitors from the South and Iklim al Kharub districts. On the occasion, event planner, Walid Saleh, noted that the activity aims to stimulate the pulse of the city and nearby areas, pointing that Rmeileh was selected for its strategic location on the middle road between the capital, the South, Shuf and the North. Similarly, Bahia Hariri underlined the significance of the initiative which comes as part of a series of relevant activities in Sidon, describing it as an opportunity for people to meet and savor gastronomic varieties known as part of the city’s heritage. In a related vein, the municipality of Amchit inaugurated last Friday Souk el Akl at the heart of the Old Town’s Heritage Trail in al Maabur neighborhood. More than 120 traditional food menus were showcased in the presence of mayor, Antoine Issa, who disclosed that the event is only the beginning of a series of festivals planned for Amchit. (Al Mustaqbal, May 8, 20017)

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Italy to create new jobs for women in agro-food sector

8-5-2017

The Italian Embassy and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) announced on Friday a 500 thousand euro grant to create jobs in the agro-food sector in Lebanon. Italian Ambassador to Lebanon, Massimo Marotti and UNIDO representative for Lebanon, Cristiano Passini, said that the 12-month project is aimed at promoting new employment opportunities through the development of selected agro-food productive capacities, as well as provision of new economic prospects for unemployed youth and women. During the signing event held at the Italian embassy, Passini underlined the importance of supporting productive industries in the Lebanese economy today more than any time. As unemployment exacerbates, he said, the agro-food industry is expected to become a major catalyst for jobs for young men and women. The main goal is to improve work likelihoods for a number of Lebanese households through technical support and market oriented training on professional skills targeting the youth. Beneficiaries, Passini stated, include small and medium enterprises and agricultural cooperatives, particularly in the dairy and beekeeping sectors. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, May 6, 2017)

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Promoting women’s participation in ICT

8-5-2017

For the fifth consecutive year, Alfa, the leading mobile operator in Lebanon managed by Orascom Telectom, celebrated last Thursday the International Girls in ICT Day. Organized by the International telecommunications Union (ITU), the initiative encourages girls to venture into the information and communication technology sector. As part of the annual routine, Alfa hosted a group of young female students from different high schools to engage in one day-long activities, tour the company’s sections and technological innovation competitions. The event is basically aimed at motivating the students to major in the ITC industry and introduce them to the broad employment prospects in the field. To note, for the first time in the Middle East region, Lebanon, and Alfa, have been shortlisted to take part in a live broadcast attended by ITU representatives, ambassadors of participating countries, as well as female students partaking in the special day events in each of Switzerland, Lithuania and Lebanon (alfa). A Lebanese student has come second place in a completion between the three states. Alfa CEO and Chairperson, Marwan Hayek, said that as the telecommunications sector is heading for a revolution similar to the Industrial Revolution in terms of anticipated fundamental changes, “women should play an effective and influential role in that walk.” (Al Mustaqbal, May 6, 2017)

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Order of physicians accused in case of child Sophie and a father arrested for selling his daughter

4-5-2017

The head of the Court of Appeal in Beirut Judge Amin Oweidat issued a decision yesterday requiring the Lebanese Order of Physicians to pass the report of the ‘anesthesia and recovery committee’ to parents of child Sophie Mashlab who has suffered traumatic brain injury following tumor surgery at Saint Georges Hospital in June 2015. The Order, to recall, has been procrastinating for 8 months to deliver the report which has confirmed that the cause of the injury is cumulative negligence and medical errors. According to Sophie’s parents, the said report refers to a set of medical errors that are primarily the responsibility of the hospital, the surgeon and his assistant, the pediatrician and the anesthesiologist. These notes, however, are not mentioned in the final report of the committee of faculty professional investigations headed by Dr. Claude Semaan and signed by the Head of Physicians. On this, Al Akhbar newspaper wrote that the report obtained by the family shall be the subject of a lawsuit Sophie’s father is planning to file against Dr. Semaan and the head of physicians containing charges of fraud and perjury. The father in his litigation will ask for the resignation of those involved, while knowing that the investigative system tends to conceal facts and deliberately prolong court proceedings in order to enforce mandatory protection the accused doctors can benefit from. On another vein, namely regarding abuses against children, a woman reported to the Zahleh Police Unit on Tuesday that her husband had sold their 1-year-old daughter for LBP 1,800,000 (USD1,200). Upon investigations, the police successfully arrested the suspect, who acted as the mediator in the deal, in the neighborhood of Karak in Zahleh, Beqaa, as well as the couple who bought the baby girl and later, the father, a former convict, who admitted that he put his two daughters (aged 1 and 2 years) for sale. The baby was handed to her mother, and investigations by competent judiciary are ongoing. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, Al Akhbar, May 4, 2017)

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Islamic microfinance expands globally

3-5-2017

The largest Islamic Bank in the United Kingdom, Rayan Bank, concluded a partnership with the Islamic Relief Worldwide charity organization (IRW) to promote the latest microfinance initiatives and make them available to its client database in the UK and the Middle East region. On the subject, the head of the Islamic Microfinance Business Unit at IRW, Dr. Mohamad Kroessin, said the purpose is to raise awareness on the significance of Islamic microfinance enterprises which currently represent only 1% of total similar projects globally. According to the Islamic Microfinance Report, and despite the accessibility of financial services to support underprivileged populations, yet many people are hesitant or totally reject benefit from such financial products that are in conflict with Islamic Sharia principles, as they claim. Among projects backed by Rayan Bank, is the Shea Butter initiative in Mali, that was originally established by one woman and later developed into a cooperative comprising at present some 74 women who work in the production of shea butter. As for the proceeds, they go to support the entire community or are re-invested in the project, like for example, in the construction of an enterprise specialized in manufacture and storage, thus enabling more community members to benefit from women entrepreneurial ventures. For his part, Rupert Scofield, president of one of the world’s leading microfinance providers, FINCA International, explained that high unemployment rates in the region, particularly among women and youth, could be improved by microfinance plans. (Al Mustaqbal, April 30, 2017)

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Migrant workers demonstrate and call for the abolishment of the sponsorship (kafala) system

2-5-2017

On the occasion of Workers’ Day (May 1st), migrant workers in Lebanon organized two demonstrations to demand their rights. The first demo took place in Ashrafiey, Sassine Plaza, and was called for by the National Federation of workers and employees in Lebanon and the domestic workers trade union. Migrant workers celebrated the day and called for the abolishing of the Sponsorship (Kafala) system and the ratification of the convention for decent work for domestic workers. For the occasion, the President of the Federation, Castro Abdallah, gave a speech noting that the demonstration is a message calling for the ratification of the Decent Work Convention number 189 and which would guarantee domestic workers their natural rights especially since they are not protected by Labor laws. This, he noted, has subjected many a domestic worker to various predicaments including racism and that is despite the fact that “migrant domestic workers have become essential to the Lebanese” as he put it. The other demonstration was organized by civil society organisations including Kafa, Amel, and Insan calling for the same message. The second demonstration moved from Sodeco to Rawsheh and going through Zukak el Blat and Verdun. L’Orient le Jour interviewed Guima, a migrant domestic worker from the Philippines, and also an activist for MWDW rights. Guima noted that migrant women workers are still denied their basic rights. She called for the abolishing of the sponsorship system and its replacement by an immigration system, allowing domestic workers to live outside their employers’ houses as well as the freedom to change employers. (L’Orient le Jour, April 30th and May 1st, 1027)

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Tawlet Saida to support women, features traditional cuisine

28-4-2017

The Hariri Foundation for Sustainable Human Development in partnership with Souk el Tayyib, inaugurated yesterday the Tawlet Saida restaurant catering to the southern capital and its environs. Located in a 2-storey heritage building on the Old City’s waterfront overlooking the ancient Phoenician port, the venue seeks to improve the skills of the local community, particularly women, and to shed a spotlight on the rich traditional culinary traditions of Saida. All chefs at Tawlet Saida have completed training courses in capacity building, focusing on cooking, hygiene and communication. On the occasion, Souk el Tayyib founder, Kamal Mozawek, pointed out that the project aims at developing into a social kitchen that brings in women of the area to prepare gourmets meals common in Saida and the neighborhoods. The restaurant is expected to attract city dwellers to its mouthwatering and healthy home-cooked food, Mozawek said, noting that all women beneficiaries come from the Old City and have been trained for months in collaboration with the Hariri Foundation. It should be noted, that Tawlet Saida, which will be open to guests from Tuesday through Sunday, is the fifth venture for Souk el Tayyib in the country, after Ammeek- Beqaa, Deir el Qamar, Gritta- Batroon restaurants. The initiative, to mention, was implemented with the contribution of Norway through the UNDP and the ministry of social affairs. (Al Mustaqbal, April 28, 2017)

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Partnership between Hariri Foundation and Souk el Tayeb for catering training

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Violation of the right of MWDWs to have children

26-4-2017

Human Rights Watch (HRW) revealed in a statement yesterday the arrest and deportation by the Lebanese General Security of a number of migrant women domestic workers (MWDWs) for giving birth in Lebanon. Citing information by the non-profit humanitarian association, Insan, HWR said the Lebanese authorities have since summer 2016 sent away at least 21 MWDWs for having children on the pretext that they were not living at their employers’ houses or that they were not supposed to have children in the country. Similarly, Lama Fakih, deputy director in HRW’s Middle East division, made clear that working in Lebanon does not deny those women workers their right to have a family, pointing out that deportations have interrupted the family life of MWDWs. This was confirmed by three deported MWDWs who spelled out the devastating psychological impact on their lives, starting from banning them from work and disconnecting them from immediate family members up to disrupting their children’s schooling. According to the HRW report, deportation procedures were brought to a halt in the summer of 2015 but resumed in the summer of the next year. Dozens of domestic workers were summoned to the GS offices along with their kids, were detained and denied renewal of residency. And when HRW called the GS Directorate to find out on the matter, the latter said it did not send away any MWDW who have children in Lebanon. But with regard to the issue of having children in the country, the GS explained that is more complicated and cannot happen without a series of violations to laws and regulations in effect. The continuous infringement on said laws, the GS added, will “undoubtedly fall back on the perpetrator.” Human Rights organization called on the GS again on April 20 for clarification, but it was not available for comment. (Al Akhbar, April 26, 2017)

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Ogassapian praises Jordan for scrapping article allowing rapist to escape punishment

25-4-2017

The minister of state for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, commended yesterday on the bold decision by the Jordanian government to scrap a provision that allowed the rapist to escape punishment if he marries his victim for at least three years. Ogassapian stressed that Lebanon should revoke the article that turns the blind eye to rape and strips women of their human dignity. “It is high time for the Lebanese government to abolish this humiliating legislation and replace it with provisions that enforce harsher penalties on anyone who commits an act of rape,” he said, noting that this step is key in strengthening and protecting the rights of women and in setting up a civilized legislative system to maintain that. On the other hand, Ogassapian disclosed that the ministry of interior, upon his request, has said it will introduce a ‘sex’ question to the application of any candidate in any upcoming electoral process in order to facilitate the work of the ministry when counting the number of male and female nominees and avoid any mix-up of names. (Al Mustaqbal, April 25, 2017)
 

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Calls for full annulment of an unfair law article on VAW

 

 

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