News updates

A group of five AUB women students won the fourth prize of the “next generation” category of the 4th International Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction in the MENA region.  The competition was held in Lebanon for the first time since its inception and seeks to showcase architectural projects which address technological, environmental, economic and cultural needs in contemporary buildings.  The group competed with 300 other candidates and included the following AUB women architecture students: Marlene Antaki, Christina Atiyeh, Mira Boumatar, Romi al-Sayyah7, and Yara Rah7meh.  The Lebanese group won USD 7,500 for their project which consisted of transforming leftovers into energy on a site located in Bushriyyeh area of Beirut.
Source: Al-Nahar 18 October 2014

The national UNESCO committee inaugurated last week in collaboration with the Mar Elias School Alumni and the environmental protection committee “the museum of maritime crafts – the Jamil Dunia centre for sustainable development” in the town of Mina in Tripoli.  The event was held under the auspices of the Minister of Culture, Raymond Araijeh.  The general secretary of the national UNESCO committee, Zahida Darweesh, noted that the creation of this museum seeks to preserve memory and develop maritime crafts.  She added that the museum will be a space for organizing workshops and awareness raising events targeting artisans, youth and students.  The president of the environmental protection committee, Amer Haddad, noted for his part that the museum will help the development of the local community as well as preserve heritage and will also strengthen the link between the town’s history and its sea.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 20 October 2014

The CEO of Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL), Nabil Itani, noted that food exports constituted 13.7% of total industrial exports in 2013 and increased annually by more than 12% between 2008 and 2013.  Itani confirmed that these data provide a strong indicator for the importance of food industry in the Lebanese economy to which it contributed 3% of total GDP.  He added that this sector benefits from significant untapped opportunities and is ready to grow further.  Itani was speaking during the opening of the Lebanese pavilion at the international food fair, SIAL, organized in France between 13 and 29 October, where 18 Lebanese food industries are participating and is showcasing jams, spices, coffee, grains, pickles and canned food.  The president of the Syndicate of Food Industrialists, Munir Bsat, noted for his part that the participation of Lebanon in the upcoming Gulf Food exhibition, which will be held in Dubai in 2015, will be one of the largest in the history of the country as the Lebanese pavilion will cover some 640 square meters and will host more than 45 exhibitors from the Lebanese food industry.
Source: Al-Diyar, Al-Nahar, Al-Mustaqbal 22 October 2014

In his interview with the “Sohha wal Insann” magazine (issued by the Syndicate of Hospitals in Lebanon), Minister of Labor Sejaan Azzi expected the endorsement of a new labor law soon.  He added that the current labor law was assessed and compared with labor laws around the world whilst giving due consideration to human rights namely the right to rest, work and equality as per the provisions of the ILO.  Azzi added that all such considerations were adequately mainstreamed in the new draft text that was completed on August 4th, and which should be referred to Cabinet soon and then for discussion within the House before being endorsed as a new law.  Azzi also confirmed that the new NSSF regarding post-retirement health insurance coverage will soon see the light, revealing that there is an on-going political struggle within Parliament with regards to all similar social laws as each political bloc wishes to impose its project.
Source: Al-Diyar 21 October 2014

Following the last week declaration of the president of the Federation of Trade Unions of Tobacco farmers in Lebanon, Hassan Faqih, about the initiation of the process of purchasing last year’s tobacco by the Regie, the National Federation of Trade Unions of Workers – South Lebanon branch (NFTW), issued yesterday a statement addressed to tobacco farmers highlighting the continuous exploitation and manipulation by the Regie. The statement noted that the Regie tends to slash the value of the harvest in terms of overall weight during the weighing operation, through discarding one kilogram per bale. These accrued kilograms are then removed from the list during the price assessment stage under the guise of being damaged thus cutting the payment made to farmers which is already based on a low price set at LBP 12,000 per kilo.  The NFTW statement reiterated its demands to grant tenure of license ownership to tobacco growers and to include them in the NSSF, and ensure that their harvest is bought in full. Furthermore, the statement reiterated its previous demand for raising the price of the kilogram of tobacco to LBP 15,000, subsidizing the process of medicines and fertilizers and finally compensating tobacco farmers for losses in 2006 caused by Israeli war.

For access to the stamen, go to the following weblink: NFTW statement
Source: Al-Safir 22 October 2014

A delegation of women from the Chamber of Tripoli and North Lebanon administration met yesterday with the General Secretary of the Federation of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry in the UAE, Hamid Mohammed ben Salem to discuss relations between the private sectors in both countries especially regarding bi-lateral collaboration between the two entities.  The administration of the UAE Federation expressed its disposition to collaborate especially in supporting programmes which seek to develop small and micro enterprises notably at the level of supporting women empowerment projects.  The delegation insisted on the importance to support women working in trade and investment since they participate effectively in the economy and especially in a sector that is traditionally male dominated.
The Lebanese delegation had already held similar discussions with the Council of Business Women in Dubai and reviewed the benefits gained from becoming a member in the Council notably in building personal skills and capacities, accessing new opportunities to set up businesses, finding partners for investment, and exchanging information and experiences with a select group of business women enjoying high skills and expertise in different sectors.
Source: Al-Diyar 22 October 2014

Following on similar previous posts on the WEEPortal, on the state of agricultural production and problems facing the agriculture sector in Lebanon, local newspapers carried several news bout this matter during the past few days notably in relation to apple and potato exports, the drop in olives production and the buying of tobacco harvest.  According to the Ministry of Agriculture, 9 trucks representing 20% of total exports failed the technical requirements of the Egyptian authorities as they mentioned that the date of production is 2013 and not 2014.  Traders were given a deadline by Egyptian authorities to correct their data and were subsequently cleared for export. In a related vein, As Safir newspaper noted in its issue of last Saturday that Lebanese traders were surprised, at the Masnaa3 checkpoint at the borders with Syria, by a Lebanese decision endorsed by the veterinary bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture prohibiting the export of potatoes on the ground that the Lebanese authorities have not received the approval for entry from Syrian authorities.
With regards to this year’s olives harvest, both An Nahar and As Safir noted that olive growers in Bint Jbeil and Tyre have suffered from important losses because of diseases as well as climate change.  The newspapers pointed out that olive production has not exceeded 10% of last year’s production level, noting that this will lead to a sharp rise in the cost of olives, olive oil and olive soap as well as in the cost of the material extracted from olive stones and used for heating.  Olive presses and their workers will also be negatively affected.  As for the delivery of tobacco, the vice president of the CGTL and the President of the Trade Union of Agriculture and Tobacco, Hasan Faqih, announced last week the start of the process of buying last year’s tobacco harvest.  The process will kick off in the South on October 21st and will start in 10 centres identified by the Regie.  Faqih noted that the timetable for the remaining areas will be announced at a later stage, expecting the operation to start in the North in early November and in the Bekaa during the second week of December.
Source: Al-Safir, Al-Nahar, Al-Mustaqbal 18 October, Al-Safir and Al-Nahar, 18 October, Al-Safir 20 October, Al-Diyar 19 October 2014

The women sector, Mount Lebanon coordination, at the Future Movement organized last week in Ketrmaya the first exhibition of homemade traditional products in Iqlim al Kharroub.  The local responsible of the women sector, Anissa Youness, spoke about the role of women in social work, highlighting that the exhibition aims at improving home production and showcase the diversity of products.  Local MP Mohammed Hajjar noted that currently, women’s role is no longer limited to care for family and children but also to care for the community, stressing that the Future Movement is convinced of the importance of that role because women make half of society.  He also noted that such activities seek to strengthen and visibilise women’s role through providing opportunities that will secure “psychological and economic wellbeing for women and their communities”.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal 18 October 2014

The Women’s Affairs Office at the Amal party celebrated last week in the village of Ramia in Bint Jbeil, the International Rural Women’s Day which falls on October 15th of every year. The event included an exhibition of traditional products. Ms. Randa Berri spoke during the event noting that the exhibition was organized in order to highlight the central role that women play in rural areas especially in agricultural development and food security.  Berry reminded Lebanon, as a member of the UN, of its duties vis-à-vis rural women especially in terms of facilitating their access to production resources, land, financing, technology, training and markets.  She stressed the importance of government commitments to ensure women’s equal participation in national development.  Short of this, according to Berri, CSOs, local council and political powers should also be responsible vis-à-vis rural women.

Source: Al-Diyar 19 October 2014

The Rassemblement Democratique des Femmes Libanaise (RDFL) launched last week its national study entitled "Organizational Needs to Promote Women’s Participation in Political Parties and Trade Unions in Lebanon", conducted by Ghassan Sleibi and Saada Allaw.  This study represented one of the outputs of the regional project entitled "Promotion of the Role of Political Parties and Trade Unions in Enhancing Women's Political Participation" which is implemented in five countries and is financed by the European Union and managed by Oxfam Novib.
The study was divided into two parts, where the first addressed the level of participation of women in political parties based on a closer look at six parties namely Syrian Social Nationalist Party, the Phalange Party (Kata2eb), the Progressive Socialist Party, Hezbollah, the Lebanese Communist Party and the Future Movement.  The study noted that none of these parties adopted a women quota, while 33% refused it and 16.6% only presented women for elections. This part of the study noted also the negative impact of the confessional system on women’s political participation. The second part of the study focused on trade unions through studying those sectoral trade unions with high women participation namely MEA, The Tobacco and Tombac directorate, the NSSF, Bank employees in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, private school teachers, OGERO, bank employees in North Lebanon, and the Beirut and Mount Lebanon water authority.  This part of the study showed that women’s enrolment compared to men, in 6 of the 8 selected trade unions, reached 40% and 75%, while it did not exceed 11% in the water authority, but reached 20% for OGERO. Commenting on the above data, the study concluded that enrolment of women in trade unions reflects the level of economic participation in the whole sector.
Finally, the study made several recommendations for political parties to support the participation of women while highlighting the need of women partisans to support women’s issues in political parties.  The study also proposed the creation of women committees within trade unions to strengthen their participation and called for the adoption of a gender policy and women quota for elections in the trade unions steering committees.

Source: Al-Akhbar 17 October 2014