News updates

The “Cinema Club” in Egypt will host at 8 pm next Thursday a webinar via zoom with the renowned feminist screenwriter, Mariam Naoum to talk to director Marwan Amara about her career in screenwriting. Recalling, that the “Cinema Club” organizes every month a series of discussions with cinematologists to enrich the cinematic scene and facilitate the exchange of knowledge in the industry with filmmakers and developers of movie productions. These debates are later screened on the Club’s YouTube channel. (Al Akhbar, December 15, 2020)
 

In collaboration with the Institute of Women’s Studies at Birzeit University in Ramallah, the Arab Council for Social Sciences- Palestine, yesterday organized a zoom meeting on “Feminist Studies under Colonialism”. The event aimed to discuss feminism and colonialism as a field of knowledge in view of Palestine’s unique condition: as a nation that lives under two states of colonialism: the Israeli Occupation and the Palestinian National Authority, (interim self-government body) which, in turn, is subject to political and economic dependence. The meeting also debated the situation of women and the discourse on gender and gender-based discrimination practiced against them by the Palestinian patriarchal society and the ruling regime under colonialism. (Al Akhbar, December 14, 2020)
 

In a special feature issued last Friday, Al Akhbar shed light on the handicraft sector which was drastically affected by the soaring exchange rate of the US dollar,thus leading to an increase in the cost of imported raw material and threatening the livelihoods of many craftspersons. Recalling, that this traditional industry which was at risk of extinction has recently become popular, with a growing demand from the younger generation to turn it from a hobby into a source of income which is often home-based. On the subject, Al Akhbar spoke to Faten Ghasham, 55, who grieved that the industry is declining and the situation is extremely miserable. The price of one wool yarn, she said, is currently sold at LL 15,000 not like the old days when she used to buy it for L.L 5000. And the price of an embroidery kit has reached  LL 17,000 when I used to get it at LL 3000, Ghasham noted, lamenting that customers are discouraged to buy when they discover the price. Likewise, for Iman Harfoush, 54, who knits for a living since 10 years, the US dollar has annihilated many households, including mine, she said. Before the dollar’s crisis, the proceeds were satisfactory, she had regular customers and she participated in several crafts expos. But today, no work no money, she said. On the other hand, the head of the Syndicate of Craftspeople in Lebanon, Zaher Radwan, pointed out that there is a golden opportunity to boost the craft sector through the development of a strategy that starts with bringing it under the umbrella of the ministry of tourism instead of the ministry of social affairs, and specifically under the authority of the Department for Rural Development and Youth, responsible for rural tourism. What is needed is not financial aid, but a conducive environment in laws and facilities, including the reservation of booths for artisans inside government-sponsored exhibitions, and the creation of craft markets in Lebanon and abroad. Noting, that the Lebanese handiworks are currently competitive in view of the declining cost of labor that has not been dollarized parallel to the exchange market price, while the price of raw materials has soared. (Al Akhbar, December 11, 2020)
 

On the occasion of the International Migrants Day which falls on December 8, Kafa Enough Violence and Exploitation will screen at 3 pm next Monday, the film “Meheret”, by Fadi Haddad at Fox Cinemas, City Center, Beirut. Depicting the plight of domestic workers in Lebanon, the film addresses the suffering and inhumane living conditions of migrant domestic workers in the country as a result of the various forms of injustices practiced by their employers and the abusive kafala (sponsorship) system. The event, to note, take place within the framework of the economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic, combined with the devastating August 4 Beirut Port blast. For more info on the launch of the film, contact Kafa at the following number: 01-392220. (Al Akhbar, December 10, 2020)
 

On International Human Rights Day, ambassadors of Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark. Canada, Switzerland and the UK urged the Lebanese government to take serious steps in promoting women’s rights, ban and prevent torture, safeguard the rights of LGBTIQ and protect refugees and the displaced. On the women’s rights front, the diplomats' appeal stated that Lebanon has made insignificant efforts since the recent Universal Periodic Review (UPR), calling on the government to acknowledge the following recommendations, notably, the amendment of the sectarian based personal status code and the nationality law allowing Lebanese women married to non-Lebanese to pass nationality to their children, as well as the adoption of a law that prohibits the marriage of anyone under the age of 18 without any exception. Lebanon’s approval of above recommendations, the diplomats maintained, allows it to embark towards eliminating some of the most significant forms of discrimination and abuse against women and children. Regarding rights of LGBT, the ambassadors voiced concern over Lebanon’s decision to not sign a recent pledge to respect the freedom of expression in the media because it contains a plain text which observes the rights of LGBTs. On refugees and displaced persons, the ambassadors urged Lebanon to implement the international and local legal procedures related to deportation, and to ensure full respect for the principle of non-refoulement, in addition to make sincere efforts to abolish the kafala system which regulates the situation of migrant women domestic workers (MWDW).  (An Nahar, December 10, 2020)