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23% of newspaper employees are women but zero women representation in Press Syndicate

16-12-2015

As part of its ‘change the image of women in mass media and advertising’ program, Fe-Male association in collaboration with Action Aid announced yesterday the results of a study prepared by Lebanese University- School of Information professor and researcher, Dr Nahwand Kadri Issa and entitled: ‘towards a balanced image of the Lebanese women in the media’. Kadri revealed that ratios of women working in prominent newspapers, magazines, TV and Radio stations were respectively as follows: 23%, 34.2% 29.36% and 47.2%. As for the rate of contribution of women to radio ownership, Kadri noted that it stood at 3.4% of total stakeholders, adding that in many cases women figures were used by male owners to counter the law, pointing out to the fact that only two women own a political publication out of a total of circa 111. Kadri also indicated that the Press Syndicate currently has no single women representation having lost during the last elections the only woman member out of 18 members (representing 5.5%). On the other hand, the number of women members at the Editors Syndicate was one out of 12 (representing 8.33%), a figure that increased to three women during the recent 2015 elections.
The meeting also hosted Leo Burnett director Rana Khury who presented the company’s new media campaign entitled: “A girl and I can” and introduced the new video entitled: “Behind the scenes”. Both the campaign and the video focus on women’s aspirations and on ways to realize these aspirations amidst a male dominated society that acts to suppress women’s talents and potentials 
(An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, December 16, 2015)
 

 

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Your Right is the Guarantee for your Family Campaign meets women of political parties to promote gender equality in social security

15-12-2015

 As part of its awareness activities, ‘Your Right is the Guarantee for Your Family’ Campaign is targeting the Parliament in order to bring about the amendment of discriminatory provisions in the Social Security Law. To this effect, Campaign activists met with women committees within the Lebanese political parties in order to achieve its goal. During the meeting, lawyer and head of the Lebanese Forces’ women team, Maya Zighrini, stressed the need for modification of such laws because “women are only asking for what is their fundamental right”, adding that she will submit the proposed amendments to the party’s central council and to its president in order enlist their support. Fatmeh Itani from the Jamaa Islamiyeh maintained that “as everything is related to politics, we cannot bring about the desired change should we stand alone.” For her part, Al Marada coordinator of women’s committees, Mirna Zakharia, voiced her reservations on Article 47 related to family and educational benefits and sough further clarifications from representatives of the Campaign. However, she underscored the vital role of political parties in achieving the desired objectives. Nawal Mdalali, from Future Movement’s Women’s Sector, noted that Lebanon is a sectarian state and therefore change, particularly in the Social Security law, has to emerge from political parties, noting that her party supports any just cause particularly that related to women.
(An-Nahar, December 15, 2015)
 

 

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Regional women meeting in Beirut to address the situation of women in war

15-12-2015

Kafa (Enough Violence and Exploitation) organization held last Saturday a regional women meeting in Beirut entitled ‘Civil Society and Challenges of Failure to Protect Women’. The event was organized in collaboration with the Iraqi Amal Association, the Syrian Women League, Al Asfari Center for Civil Society and Citizenship and the Arab Institute for Human Rights and with the support of ‘Kvinna till Kvinna. The meeting which was attended by women and men representatives of women and human rights organizations from some 13 Arab countries discussed obstacles facing the protection of women, especially in the context of wars and armed conflicts. Participants discussed strategies to protect human rights and the rights of women, as well as the local and global difficulties impeding the implementation of the Convention of Human Rights and related mechanisms in the Arab World. They agreed to develop networking efforts and to joint action between feminist and women organizations at the national, regional and international levels, in order to develop a regional strategy that combat violence and discrimination against women. The proposed strategy is expected to aim at the following: 1) bridge the gaps in legislations and constitutions in accordance with international conventions and agreements; 2) work towards transitional justice which will take into account gender issues, especially the victims of sexual abuse during and after an armed conflict, and 3) guarantee the freedom of action of civil society organizations in addition to the protection of women rights activists amidst the mounting extremism and terrorism engulfing the region. (An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, December 14 and 15, 2015)
 

 

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Burj al Barajneh catering project seeks to empower Palestinian women economically

15-12-2015

In its issue of December 12, the Daily Star daily highlighted the work of the catering service project that is run by some 13 women from the Burj Al Barajneh refugee camp, and which received the support of Al Fanar Association-Lebanon and Women Programs. The project was launched by both organisations upon the request of several Palestinian women, who according to an assessment conducted two years ago by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) desired to make use of their cooking skills in a profitable enterprise that will generate additional family income. Samar, one of many enthusiastic members of the women group and interviewed by the newspaper, said the new business has helped her and her colleagues to become more independent and not rely on their husbands, but did not negatively affect their household responsibilities. Similarly, Mariam Al Shaar from the Women Programs said that the project has enabled women to build a network of contacts through the social media. The project also provided them with the opportunity to promote and market their food delicacies and products through the participation in various exhibitions that were held outside the Palestinian camp, namely in Hamra, Beirut central district and Ashrafieh. (Daily Star, December 12, 2015)
 

 

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NCLW outlines international recommendations to Lebanon on CEDAW

14-12-2015

The National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) organized last Thursday a meeting to follow- up the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women Agreement, (CEDAW), with the participation of some 150 representatives of concerned ministries, public institutions, the diplomatic corps and civil society organizations. Former Minister Wafa Diqa Hamzeh clarified that the meeting comes following Lebanon’s submission of the official report summing up the fourth and fifth reports on the implementation of CEDAW and after conclusion of the discussions on the report at the UN CEDAW Committee in Geneva early last November. The purpose of the meeting, Hamzeh added, was to inform the public and NCLW partners on the outcomes and key recommendations of above debate. For more on the subject, CEDAW head at NCLW, Leila Azoori Jamhoori, focused on two general recommendations namely that the Lebanese Government comprehensively reviews all relevant legislation and laws to ensure compliance with the terms of the agreement, and that it amends or repeals all discriminatory materials contained in the penal, personal status, labor, social security and municipal elections laws, and that it also takes the necessary measures to raise the level of awareness among media and advertising establishments in order to eliminate gender biased stereotypes. (Al Mustaqbal, December 14, 2015)
 
 

 

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Future Women Sector trains 30 women on IT in Beqaa

14-12-2015

As part of an initiative by the Committee for Planning and Empowerment at the Central Sector of the Future movement, the Women’s Sector for the Central Beqaa organized last Saturday an IT training course for some 30 women facilitated by coordinator Rabiaa Hayek, Nauf Baydoun, committee coordinator, Nawal Mdallali, organizational affairs assistant, and Feryal Al Khosh, secretary. (Al Mustaqbal, December 13, 2015)
 
 

 

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Azzi now is blaming MWDWs countries for human trafficking!

10-12-2015

Following the US State Department’s report that classified Lebanon among the worst countries with an alarming number of victims of human trafficking, and after denying any such exploitation (refer to: http://bit.ly/1mcoOnY.) the Labor Minister Sajaan Azzi blamed foreign governments whose nationals work in domestic service in Lebanon for the growing human black market, stating that some of these countries never replied to his suggestions on ways to resolving the problem. Azzi appealed to countries banning the travel of their nationals to lift the ban and sign the relevant protocols regulating the work of their MWDWs. Azzi who was speaking in a press conference after meeting with consuls of the concerned countries, namely Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, the Philippine, Bangladesh, Madagascar, Indonesia and Vietnam solemnly declared: “Our struggle for human rights and our fight against human trafficking is a common cause. It is the struggle of the state, the nation, the media and everyone and it is a protest over the outdated labor law, as much as it is a dispute between the embassies and their governments who sometimes allow and sometimes ban the work of their nationals in Lebanon, he said, adding that this makes these workers potential victims of the violation of their rights.” The result of such reluctance by some governments encourages the creation of a black market between cross-border mafias active in the country of origin and in Lebanon, Azzi explained. He refuted accusations against the Lebanese Government, the Ministry of Labor and Lebanese household employers of violations of human rights. “We as a ministry have taken all precautionary measures and have issued some16 directives to safeguard the rights and dignity of women workers in the domestic service,” Azzi noted. He disclosed that since the beginning of 2016, some 24,774 Ethiopian nationals and 4069 from the Philippines have entered the country illegally. (Al Diyar, An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, December 10, 2015)
 

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Outstanding achievements of Lebanese women abroad

10-12-2015

The lecturer at Balamand University, Dr. Mirvat Huz, won the prize of excellence for scientific research among laureates from 60 countries who submitted some 250 studies at the Fifth International Conference on Solid Waste last November in Bangalore, India. Dr. Huz won the first prize for her research entitled: ‘A feasibility study on a potential site for the management of unwanted solid waste’, that she submitted with the contribution of Dr. Amal I’ali, noting that this is the second time both researchers win such prize in three consecutive years!.
In a related development, another Lebanese national Nadine Kamal Omeysh scored yet another success for completing her Doctorate in dental surgery and implant from the University of Garanciere 7 in Paris, thus topping the list of honor students with a similar record. Omeysh received full honors from the dean and faculty of the school of dentistry as well as a grant from the presidency of the university in the form of full medical equipment and supplies for the clinic she plans to open in Beirut. (Al Mustaqbal, December 10, 2015)
 

 

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MWDW messages to the authorities for alleviating their plight

9-12-2015

For the third consecutive year, the US State Department Trafficking in Persons report classified Lebanon among the worst countries with an alarming number of victims of human trafficking, while noting that Lebanon is a signatory since 2011 of the Act on the Punishment of Human Trafficking Crimes, a subject discussed last Friday, during the Second Regional Dialogue entitled "Moving Forward in Innovating Ways to Combat Human Trafficking and he Exploitation of Migrant Workers in the Middle East and North Africa," that was organized jointly by the Ministry of Justice and the International Organization for Migration. It also should be noted that the US report classifies countries based on the extent of their compliance with minimum standards of elimination of human trafficking.
In a related development, and following on the Ain Najem crime and disappointing negative reaction to it by the Labor Minister (http://bit.ly/1M2sm0I), a number of migrant women domestic workers and concerned activists, in collaboration with Kafa, forwarded three messages to selected public institutions demanding the adoption of a number of modest measures in order to improve the living situation of MWDWs in the country. A fourth message will be dispatched later to Minister Azzi carrying a special request to recognize the newly formed MWDW trade union. The first message of the three messages was sent to the General Director of the General Security asking for a grace period upon the termination of their contracts and the right for domestic workers to change their employers. The second one was addressed to Reymond Bashur, head of the National Notary Council demanding the provision of a unified work contract in the language of the domestic worker, noting that generally the contract signed by the worker in her country of origin is different from the one she signs in Lebanon. The third and last message was addressed to the Director General of the Security Forces, requesting serious investigation into workers’ death (and suicide) cases. (Al-Akhbar 9 Dec, L’Orient le Jour 5 Dec, 2015)
 

 

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Training workshop for women entrepreneurs on ‘how to prepare a plan of action’

8-12-2015

As part of its monthly ‘Join & Grow’ event, the Lebanese Businesswomen Association announced start of registration for women members wishing to participate in the Vital Voices Grow Fellowship program for 2016-2017, aimed at enhancing the capacities of women entrepreneurs in various fields. The program includes the organisation of a training workshop for developing leadership capacities, the provision of technical assistance and prospects for communication and knowledge exchange. It should be noted, that the training session entitled ‘how to prepare your plan of action’ will be implemented in collaboration with BLC Bank. The course will begin on the 9th of January, 2016 at the Bank’s Educational Center located in Ashrafieh. (An Nahar, December 8, 2015)
 

 

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