News updates

Following repeated statements by the industry minister, Hussein Hajj Hassan, warning of a gap in trade relations with numerous countries, the director general of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI), Talal Hijazi, noted that one of the key reasons for that gap is what he noted as harsh restrictions enforced on Lebanon’s exports, while describing the benchmarks set by trading partners as ‘manipulative’ and aiming to impede exports. Hijazi was speaking during the launching last week of the agro-products site directory for international export requirements (Tasdier) funded by USAID in collaboration with the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, which contains a database of the technical standards required for the access of fresh and processed agricultural goods to above states. In the same vain, and during his inauguration on Tuesday of the solar power plant in Bekfaya, Industry Minister Hussein Haj Hassan warned of detrimental effects on production which is neither protected here, nor can enter foreign markets. In a related vein, Hajj Hassan relieved that during the discussion of the state budget, the prime minister asked the ministers of industry, economy and finance to enforce new protective fees in the coming few weeks on specific imported products in order to curb the dumping of cheap foreign goods. Haj Hassan speech was during  a ceremony where he awarded an ISO quality control certificate to the ALI, where he noted that the items that apply to the said taxes are those that are produced in abundance domestically and meet the demands of the market, and that the planned fees will be imposed on all countries without exception, and will target the following items: chicken, white cheese, yogurt, eggs, cut stones, industrial paper, garments, jewelry, shoes, steel, aluminum, plastic, flour, spaghetti, chips and handcrafts (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, L’Orient Le Jour, March 3, 7, 9, 2017)

 

 

A report prepared jointly by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the global performance-management consulting firm, Gallup, entitled “Towards a better future for women and work: Voices of women and men” has shown that nearly 70% of women and 66% of men prefer that women work in paid jobs. Based on a world poll targeting some 149 thousand men and women in 142 countries, the report has indicated that while around 28% of men prefer women in their families to work at paid jobs, 29% prefer to see them devoted to household work and 38% would like them to be able to both work and care for their families. Internationally, the above report revealed that full time female workers (more than 30 working hours per week according to Gallup) prefer to reconcile work and family. Citing respondents’ opinions, the report pointed out that said reconciliation constituted a major challenge for working women across the globe. To name some of these snags, the report mentioned abuse and unfair treatment of women, sexual harassment at the workplace, inadequacy of well-paid jobs and unequal pay. Commenting on the above study, ILO director-general, Buy Ryder, clarified that the report clearly shows a preference by the majority of men and women workers for women working at paid jobs. The recipe for gender equality at the workplace, he stated, is the development of family-supportive policies that promote the resilience of working women and inspire men to share fairly the parenting chores with their spouses. For full report please check: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_546256.pdf ) (Al Hayat, March 8, 2017)

 

In commemoration of International Women’s Day (IWD) in Lebanon, An Nahar newspaper interviewed the newly-appointed minister of state for administrative development affairs, Dr. Inaya Ezzideen (the only woman member of the cabinet), and the minister of state for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, to highlight the required measures needed to realize women’s rights. Ezzideen explained to An Nahar that demands related to the rights of women should not be linked to an elections event only, “but should represent a comprehensive endeavor involving all elements society.” Ezzideen called for changing the stereotypes of women in textbooks, as well as, in the media, urging Lebanese women to work more on self-development as a means for accessing politics and public life. Ezzideen reiterated her commitment, as a woman and as a minister, to endorse the women’s quota, notwithstanding the stubborn hurdles on the way. Ogassapian, for his part, disclosed to An Nahar a 3-axes plan based on “the empowerment, strengthening and education of women’, as he said. On the other hand, the First Lebanese Lady, Nadia Shami Aoun, in her message on this special day, said that despite the burdensome challenges facing them, Lebanese women play a pivotal role in all aspects of life, and inspired them to be bold and contribute to the sought-for change. On the civil society front, Kafa Enough Violence and Exploitation organization recalled in a statement released yesterday the dirty game of confessionalism in Lebanon, aided with the macho mindset, that have taken their toll in the past few years to substantiate deprivation of the rights of women. And the list is long, the statement wrote: prevention of criminalization in marital or spousal rape cases, prevention of protection of domestic violence children victims, substantiating monopoly in family planning matters, as well as, fostering male dominance inside families, deprivation of women from their rights to grant nationality to family members and, last but not least, the consecration of the marriage of minors. Kafa pledged to continue its struggle against confessional hegemony. Similarly, Green Party Lebanon hailed the achievements by women in Lebanon, notably in ratification of a law against violence, pointing out that women’s political participation requires inclusion of the quota, provisionally, in any electoral legislation. It called on all political parties to encourage their women members to reach senior posts. (An Nahar, March 8, 2017)

 

As usual each year, associations involved with women’s issues celebrate the International Women’s Day on March 8 by organizing various events and activities to commemorate that day. The May Chidiac Foundation launched its conference “Women on the Front Lines” in its 5th edition at Phoenicia Hotel, Beirut. Speeches called for the following: implementation of CEDAW convention which Lebanon signed in 1996; amendment and endorsement of the Nationality Law; development of a unified Personal Status Law, and modification of the Penal Code and its discriminatory provisions as per crimes of honor and adultery related rulings. Aside, the Lebanese Forces Apparatus for Activating the Role of Women,  organized a dinner banquet at Habtour Hotel in Sin el Fil, under the theme, ‘the mirror of the nation’. The event honored seven women ambassadors, including three foreign ambassadors, and screened the achievements of the Apparatus during 2016. On the occasion, MP Setrida Geagea disclosed a plan by the LF to nominate a number of women for the Parliament. For its part, ESCWA in Beirut organized a conference under the banner, “ Women’s Empowerment is the Nations’ Empowerment, Be Bold for Change’, where the minister of state for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, pledged to support women’s representation quota as a transitional phase, while insisting that quota should be observed not only in ministries of administrative nature or are involved with women’s issues, but also in so-called sovereignty ministries, such as the defense and finance ministries. Also, the Human Rights Institute at the Beirut Bar Association in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Foundation, called for a workshop on human rights in Lebanon, where Participants tackled the work, objectives, roles and structures of the ministries of human rights and women’s affairs and the possibility of turning them into permanent state ministries. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, An Nahar, March 7, 2017)

 

The president of the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL), Joseph Torbay, said that women represent more than half of the world population, yet they own only 1% of its wealth, receive just 10% of its income and occupy hardly 14% of leading world positions in both the private and public sectors. Torbey was speaking at the opening of the Women’s Empowerment in the Banking and Financial Sectors Forum in Beirut organized by the World Union of Arab Bankers (WUAB).Torbey pointed out that Arab countries fall at the bottommost global gender gap. Arab women, he said, are continuously faced with barriers that can hardly be overcome, with discriminatory laws and regulations, inadequate economic prospects, harsh working conditions and with the complete absence of a societal and institutional support to this effect. “Women in the Arab World constitute only 24% of the domestic workforce,” he lamented, drawing attention to the purpose of this forum and future forums in substantiating the full contribution of women in all economic sectors. He finally stressed the significance of women’s empowerment in building stronger economies and more stable societies. For her part, the director general of the Arab Women’s Organization, Mervat Tellawi, explained that the economic empowerment of women is not measured by their access to the labor market only, but is also related to the conditions of this access, the type of jobs, the legal framework regulating their work, as well as, the degree of protection they receive and the equality in rights and duties a par with their men partners. Similarly, the minister of state for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, said that the presence of women at constitutional institutions and boards of directors is not a luxury or formality, but rather a need and requisite for those departments to enhance their performance. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, March 4, 2017)

 

The minister of state for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, disclosed during Friday’s Cabinet meeting, that discussion is underway to adopt the 30% women’s quota in Parliament. The Minister pointed out that the Future Movement shall turn down any electoral draft law that does not include the said quota, in nomination as well as in Parliamentary seats. Ogassapian indicated that everyone should reconcile with the idea of women’s presence in Parliament and in the state administration, adding that this can be realized only through the representation quota. “The issue is a cultural one…. the quota is an inevitable stage to ensure the presence of women in all sectors,” he stated. In this respect, The Daily Star highlighted today the Algerian Law of 2012 concerning women’s quota representation, which requires that the next Parliament be made up of 30% of women. Political parties affiliated with the Algerian government pain to bring sufficient women candidates, despite the considerable number of accomplished and educated Algerian women out there, The Daily Star wrote. The reason, the newspaper added, has to do with the dominant male culture which largely considers politics as a male arena. According to political sociologist, Nasser Jabi, the macho culture of local political parties prevented these parties from involving women in political life. It is a culture that is totally cut off from the natural evolution of society, where girls have become a majority in universities as well as in some businesses, Jabi explained. To note, the NLF has received up to 6,228 applicants for the upcoming May 4 elections, only 100 of which are women. (Al Diyar, The Daily Star, March 4 and 6, 2017)

 

In its continuous crackdown on human trafficking networks across Lebanon, Internal Security Forces (ISF) announced that it arrested a prostitution ring which used a nightclub in Mkalles (Metn area) to meet with customers via Whatsapp and YouChat. An ISF statement revealed that the owner of the nightclub and mastermind of the ring, is a 37-year old Lebanese national who has a record in human trafficking. Some 50 girls and 13 young men, members of the ring, set dates with paying customers, the statement said. The involved women were Ethiopian migrant domestic workers who fled their employers’ houses to work in prostitution, the statement added. They met with potential clients online and went out together later. (An Nahar, Al Diyar, March 4 and 5, 2017)

 

The National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) held last Friday the closing ceremony to present the accomplishments of the EU-funded “Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women in Lebanon” program including the presentation of an advocacy study promoting the adoption of the women’s representation quota in electoral law. This was followed by a panel discussion on women’s political contribution and the sought for quota system, which was attended by minister of state for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, the head of the EU Delegation, Chrisina Lassen and secretary general of the Women in Parliament Coalition, former minister Wafaa Diqa Hamzeh. In his opening address, NCLW secretary general, Fadi Karam, underlined the program’s achievements in developing NCLW’s capacities and expanding new horizons to ensure outreach to civil society groups. This, Karam maintained, is realized through the “establishment of a national coalition in support of women’s political participation with the aim to adopt the electoral quota.” For her part, former Minister Diqa stressed the main purpose of the said coalition which is the inclusion of at least 30% women’s quota in the upcoming Parliamentary elections, in observance of the democratic and constitutional process which is based on social justice and equality. Similarly, Lassen considered that collaboration between the involved ministry and NCLW is “essential to bring about a full participation of women in the economic, social, political and cultural development of the country.” Ogassapian, in conclusion, said that women’s presence in the government can enrich it. “They can be productive and have impact at all levels, and can become indispensable for advancing the performance of the cabinet,” Ogassapian said. (Al Mustaqbal, March 4, 2017)

 

 

The British Ambassador to Beirut, Hugo Shorter, said on Tuesday that he is looking forward to greater women participation in Lebanon’s political life, pointing that the minimum representation quota is just a temporary measure to help women rise above the present reality. Shorter was speaking after the launching of the structure of the new women portfolio in the presence of state minister for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian, and prime minister Saad Hariri. Shorter described the meeting as “satisfactory” noting that all agreed that “any community cannot advance if half of its constituents remain completely outside public life.” A great number of accomplished women of all affiliations are out there, Shorter stated, yet they are notably absent in politics, he added. He underlined the need for a larger political role for women on par with men, hailing the effective campaigns by concerned political parties, the media and the civil society to achieve this and hoping to see more women in the next Parliament and government. (The Daily Star, March 3, 2017)

 

The third court hearing in the case of Manal Assi came out with fresh data that emerged from statements by witnesses at the Court under Judge Suheir Harakeh, in the presence of representative of the Public Prosecutor, Judge Imad Qabalan, Al Mustaqbal newspaper reported. To recall, the Criminal Court of Cassation postponed the trial of killer of wife, Mohamad Nuheili, till yesterday to hear witnesses including the two daughters of the culprit (htt://bit.ly/2lATaQ). Al Mustaqbal mentioned that the court held a secret hearing yesterday to listen to testimonies of the minor daughter of the murdered mother and the accused father. The court also heard the victim’s brother, sister and aunt who gave statements different from what they previously made regarding earlier facts, during and after the crime, the newspaper noted. As such, the court decided to adjourn the hearing until the 27th of this coming April to listen to Manal Assi’s mother and other involved witnesses as requested by the defendant’s attorney, Ahmad Badran. (Al Mustaqbal, March 3, 2017)