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Motivating private sector to lift women’s representation from 1% to 30%

21-10-2016

The Lebanese League for Women in Business (LLWB) launched yesterday a new initiative engaging the private sector to appoint women in administrative boards in order to reach a participation rate of 30% by the year 2025. On the plan, LLWB director, Asmahan Zein, revealed that since two weeks, some 20 Lebanese establishments have committed to this goal. Noting that women currently represent only 1% of posts in the boards of directors of private sector institutions, Zein said she hopes the initiative will eventually attract more establishments. Stating that the majority of businesses are family run, with a dominating patriarchal presence, Zein disclosed that in the second phase of the plan, LLWB will press for the enactment of a women representation quota in the private sector. She also pointed out that each of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Beirut and Mount Lebanon, the Lebanese Businessmen Gathering, the Lebanese Franchise Association and Capital Concepts Holding, have agreed to this suggestion yesterday and signed on move towards achieving the goals of the initiative. During the launch ceremony, Nabil Fahed, the Beirut Chamber’s vice president, mentioned that women presently make up nearly 21% of board positions, hoping to hit the 30% figure shortly. Fahed pledged to spread the word to some 15 thousand member companies to study the subject. Meanwhile, Fouad Zmekhol, head of the Businesspeople’s Gathering, confirmed that the presence of women in private sector institutions and on its boards is a positive element and a catalyst for diversity. A study by Peterson Institute for International Economics covering around 22 thousand institutions worldwide, has shown that nearly 60% of these institutions do not involve women in their executive boards. (L’Orient Le Jour, October 21, 2016)
 

 

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Beirut Fashion Week for the creation of jobs, promotion of local designers

21-20-2016

The minister of tourism, Michel Pharaon, pointed out on Tuesday that notwithstanding the political instability, the country is witnessing an extraordinary cultural resurgence at all levels. Pharaon who was speaking during the opening of the Beirut Fashion Week which will last till tomorrow, noted that culture is rooted in freedom and democracy and is nurtured by intellectual and artistic dynamism. He stressed that Lebanon will remain the capital of culture and Beirut will always boast itself as a fashion hub. Yet, Pharaon pressed the need for better organization in the field to accommodate more exhibitions that showcase the creations of Lebanese designers and propel them globally. “We should be encouraging and sponsoring similar events which generate jobs and contribute to an integrated economic activity,” Pharaon said. In the same spirit, the external relations officer at the Beirut Fashion Week Organization, Claire Damaa, underlined the importance of the fashion week at this time as a boost to the designers steadfastness. “In supporting the domestic industry, we restore Beirut to the map of the international fashion,” Damaa maintained. The Organization’s CEO, Johny Fadlalah, for his part, disclosed that there will be a competition for young designers on the sidelines of the week-long event at the end of which a winner for distinguished design will be announced in the presence of a professional jury, led by the Lebanese international fashion designer, Nicolas Gebran. (Al Diyar, October 19, 2015)
 

 

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Court of Cassation repeals decision in the case of Manal Assi

21-10-2016

The case of Manal Assi who was murdered by her husband back in February, 2014 resurfaced after the Court of Cassation, led by Judge Suheir Harakeh, decided on Tuesday to repeal an early ruling by the Criminal Court of Beirut, under Judge Helena Iskandar, and repeat the trial setting a new date, December 1, for the hearing. To note, the Public Prosecutor Discriminatory, Judge Samir Hamud, has appealed on August 22 to the Court of Cassation to revoke the mitigating sentence from the death penalty to 5 years in prison against the perpetrator husband Mohammad Nuheili issued by Judge Iskandar on July 14. Hamud saw that the decision was a mistake in explaining and implementing Article 525 of the Penal Code, and called for criminalizing the husband in accordance to Article 549, Paragraph 4, which is the death sentence in the incidence of torture and cruelty. On the subject, the information officer at Kafa Enough Violence and Exploitation organization, Maya Ammar, pointed out to Al Akhbar newspaper that court decisions and judicial interpretations are  often influenced by the cultural background of the judge himself. Ammar was referring to Judge Iskandar whom she explained had overlooked the legal aspects involved in the case, which is quite appalling, when noting the contribution of the Judge in question to the drafting of the domestic violence related law. (Akhbar, October 21, 2016)
 
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Gold medal award of distinction for Al Mawarid Bank Chief of Operations Nahla Bu Diab

20-10-2016

The Arab Women Council for Social Responsibility presented the gold medal award of distinction for the chief of operations at Al Mawarid Bank in Beirut, Nahla Khadaj Bu Diab in recognition of her distinguishing influence and activity in the domain of social responsibility in the banking sector. The ceremony took place on October 4th during a gala dinner held at Hotel Al Bustan Rotana in Dubai in the presence of concerned senior political, economic, banking and social figures. During her career which span over 32 years, Bu Diab held many leadership and managerial positions between Canada and Lebanon, running the restructuring of a great number of institutions, notably the Central Bank of Canada. Presently, she is the chief of operations at Al Mawarid Group and lectures for the Executive MBA program at the American University of Beirut. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, October 20, 2016)
 

 

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Enforcing the domestic violence law in Lebanon is challenged by religious authorities

20-10-2016

In its edition of today, Al Hayat daily brought to light the law for the Protection of Women and Family Members Against Domestic Violence approved in April 2014 by the Lebanese Parliament. Two years after its promulgation, Al Hayat wrote, the law still faces challenges and its enforcement remains incomplete in terms of guarantying protection to battered women. For more insight into the subject, the newspaper spoke to the head of the Women’s Committee at the Beirut Bar Association, Asmaa Dagher Hamadeh, who criticized the overwhelming powers given to various religious authorities in the country who, inopportunely, still retain the exclusive power in family issues by virtue of the Constitution. This, Hamadeh explained, despite the fact that the said law is stringent in penalizing the crimes specified in the Penal Code which occur between family members, prohibits acts of beating and abuse and endorses protection from the violent husband at the wife’s request. But the patriarchal mindset coupled with outdated social traditions still justify violence and condone it, obstructing the reporting of incidences of domestic violence, she lamented. Hamadeh disclosed to Al Hayat that the concerned authorities have not acted or responded fully to setting up a security apparatus specialized for cases of violence against women. Meanwhile, the judge for matters of special urgency in Mount Lebanon, Elias Risha, pointed out to some legal hindrances in the application of the above law. He mentioned for example, the need to identify or clarify the notions of domestic violence which, legally and judicially, raise a lot of questions. Nevertheless, the head of the Research and Studies Department, colonel Elie Asmar, underlined the significant role his institution plays in protecting women subjected to domestic violence, but which, he said, still lacks a referral system to properly manage the cases of violence. Besides, he added, it is in need of judicial detachment facilities and social support for members of security forces commissioned with the task. (Al Hayat, October 20, 2016)
 

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Lebanon Business and Professional Women’s Club to promote economic role of women

19-10-2016

The first regional conference of the Lebanon Business and Professional Women’s Club was held yesterday in Byblos, under the title ‘Together for economic development’ in the presence of the minister of trade and economy, Alain Hakim. On the occasion, Hakim stressed the role of the Lebanese and Arab women in the world of business for achieving a sustainable development of societies. He pressed the need to draw a strategic economic roadmap for entrepreneurship which covers legal, constitutional and administrative aspects, with the aim to activate and promote the role of women in business and economy. Similarly, the chair of the Council of Arab Businesswomen and ambassador of the Arab Region to International Associations, Dr. Hossa Saad Abdallah Salem al Sabah, advised the introduction of certain measures at the level of governments, local authorities and non-government organizations that would contribute to the empowerment and enhancement of women’s capacities in economic activity, including their participation in planning and development. Some of these measures include 1) improving economic opportunities available for the rural women through removal of all the legal, social, cultural and educational obstacles; 2) supporting the role of women in social upbringing within the family, with special national emphasis on the work of committed housewives; 3) enhancing women’s participation at the public, political and development levels; 4) advocating the work of women as a fundamental right and as a main condition for achieving sustainable development; 5) developing and enacting laws and regulations which guarantee gender equality at the workplace, equality in appointment and recruitment, wages, training and capacity building, and finally, 6) activating and forming women committees inside the professional syndicates and leagues to create better prospects for women’s participation in the labor market. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, October 19, 2016)
 

 

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Chantal Sarkis from Akkar becomes LF secretary general

19-10-2016

The Information Office for the head of the Lebanese Forces LF, Samir Geagea, announced in a statement yesterday the appointment of Dr. Chantal Sarkis as the new secretary general of the Party. A brief overview of her achievements issued by the Office, described Sarkis as the loyal daughter of the Akkar town of Qobayyat, holder of doctorate in political sciences and an international expert in electoral affairs, who chose the ‘Lebanese electoral system’ as a topic of her dissertation. During the past seven years, the statement went on to say, and before her resignation and appointment at the LF on August 2, 2016, Sarkis acted as a political advisor at the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon. Before her work at the UN, Sarkis served as director of programs at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, and was a social activist and founder of a number of associations. She also received the academic award of the former UN Secretary General, Kurt Waldheim, in  2002. Sarkis is married, a mother of three and a professor at NDU university, noting that she was also an LF activist from 1998 and until 2005. (An Nahar, As Safir, October 19, 2016)
 

 

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Mary Turner Lane Award to the best two research on gender and women rights

19-10-2016

The Lebanese American University LAU Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW) distributed the Mary Turner Lane awards to the two best student papers on women and gender. During the ceremony, LAU President, Dr. Joseph Jabra, applauded the late Mary Turner Lane who has committed herself for over 32 years at the University of North Carolina in the service of women’s issues, rights and gender equality. When the award was first launched, Jabra pointed out, it was aimed at generating awareness on the importance of research in the field of gender and women studies. In honor to all her past accomplishments, Jabra said, her daughter decided to allocate the award to IWSAW. For her part, the Institute’s director, Dr. Lina Abi Rafeh, revealed that she has received 24 research papers which she read and was inspired by the ideas and commitment to issues of gender and the reality of women in the Arab world. To close, Abi Rafeh and Jabra handed the awards to Kaitlyn Smith for her paper on the emigration of women from South East Asia and Mariya Zmiter for her paper ‘Why do they hate us’. (Al Mustaqbal, October 19, 2016)
 

 

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Arab Union for Specialized Women convenes in Tripoli, commends women’s role in all sectors

19-10-2016

The 22-state Arab Union for Specialized Women convened for the first time yesterday in Tripoli, Lebanon, with the participation of its branches in the different Arab countries and under the patronage of German Countess Wald Burg. The conference which emanates from the Arab Economic Unity Council working within the framework of the Arab League took place between October 6 and 10. Burg gave a presentation on ‘the role of women in business from the German perspective’, followed by a talk delivered by the president of the Union’s branch in Lebanon, Nariman Jamal Ghanem, who lauded the role of Arb women in the post-modern political and scientific renaissance. Jamal said the northern capital is honored to host the conference which came to complement the historic glamour of the city. (Al Mustaqbal, October 19, 2016)
 

 

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‘Akkar Day’ in Horsh Beirut to promote rural products

17-10-2016

Mada association organized yesterday an exhibition in Horsh Beirut to promote the local production of Akkar in the North under the theme ‘Akkar Day’. The expo, which showcased goods by small producers and artisans from the region, comes as part of the ‘Improved Livelihood for Small-Scale Farmers in Akkar’ project funded by the European Union through its European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The purpose of the exhibition is to introduce people to the area, while highlighting its landmarks, resources and production. Some local 25 participants displayed their fruits, veggies, processed foods and handiworks, with special focus on apple producers. Furthermore, local women served village food they especially prepared for the occasion. On the event, Delphine Compain from Mada association revealed to L’Orient Le Jour newspaper that it is one of a kind activity will be repeated for it represents a concrete outcome of the project and since it benefits farmers and therefore, contribute to the development of rural neighborhoods, Compain said. The project, she stressed, incorporates environmental principles, particularly those related to irrigation, which constitute a fundamental problem to Akkar. Finally, Compain disclosed that a similar day will be held in Halba this upcoming November 6. (L’Orient Le Jour, October 14, 2016)
 

 

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