Subscribe to newsletter

Custom Search 1

You are here

Home

News updates

Canadian basketball team launches athletic hijab

17-9-2019

The Toronto Raptors announced the launch of a new line of team-branded hijabs (headscarves) in collaboration with Nike multinational sportswear and accessories company. Noting, that the latter has kicked off last February a ‘Pro Hijab’ brand for female Muslim hijab-wearing athletes which gained large success in the markets despite the controversial step by the US sports giant. The Canadian team (plays with NBA) released a promotional tape on social media last Friday unveiling the athletic hijab which was reportedly inspired by a group of Muslim women and girls in Toronto known as Hijabi Ballers. Hence, the Toronto Raptors became the first NBA team to cater athletic hijabs for Muslim women. On the subject, Amreen Qadwa, founder of Hijabi Ballers, said the Raptors’ supporting move helps women basketball players to play with greater confidence. (Al Akhbar, September 16, 2019)

Share on

Yara Hamdan Abdullah, the new director of the Arab Open University

17-9-2019

The Arab Open University (AOU) announced the appointment of Dr. Yara Hamdan Abdallah as Director of the University in Lebanon at the start of the new academic year, succeeding Dr. Fayruz Farah Sarkis. Recalling, that Abdullah joined AOU in 2004 and held several senior administrative posts, the latest was assistant director for academic affairs which she assumed since 2013. Abdullah holds a PhD in business administration, an MA in economics and a Bachelor of Science in law. The AOU statement said the new director will work to promote the role of the university in higher education in Lebanon consistent with its vision and its academic and development values. This is attained through provision of education opportunities of international standards and in line with modern British curricula for young people, and in partnership with the British Open University, the statement added. (Al Akhbar, September 17, 2019)

Share on

“Women in Business" for promoting entrepreneurship

16-9-2019

BLC Bank concluded on September 12 the first training round of its new ‘Women in Business’ program during a ceremony held in the Aley town of Kahaleh. The program which is implemented in collaboration with the Italian NGO, Vides, aims to promote women entrepreneurship in Lebanon. It targets women who have the business idea but want to turn it into a working business or those who wish to expand or develop their already established projects in all the Lebanese regions. It helps mainly in the management areas like: intellectual property, marketing, audit and the execution of development strategies. For those interested in viewing the conditions for participation, kindly refer to the link below: https://we-initiative.com. (L’Orient Le Jour, September 16, 2019)

Share on

MP Dima Jamali commends the appointment of three women in senior judicial posts

16-9-2019

Following the ratification by the Cabinet on September 12 of a series of appointments in the Judiciary, including the naming of three women for senior posts, MP Dima Jamali tweeted: “The government’s appointment concurrently of 3 women in senior Judicial positions, is a new step towards activating the role of women in the country and endorsing their capacities to get successful in all responsibilities assigned to them.” The newly-appointed women are: Rula Jadayel (director general for the ministry of justice; Joelle Fawaz (head of the legislative and consultative committee) and Rita Ghantous (head of the higher disciplinary authority). https://lkdg.org/ar/node/18831. (Al Mustaqbal, September 14, 2019)

Share on

Women's organizations condemn case of child marriage in Shuf

16-9-2019

After the ISF General Directorate circulated the news of Yana Shamseddine, who went missing on September 7, it was found that the girl, 15, eloped with a young man, 18, (family name Yahya) and wed a few days later in the Shuf area, L’Orient Le Jour reported on September 14. What happened, the newspaper wrote, was only a cover up, as the father of the girl who did not approve the marriage sent his brother to sign the contract. Noting that the underage bride’s signature was not recognized by the Druze personal status doctrines which set the minimum age for marriage at 15 for girls and 16 for boys. The above incident set off wide dissent on social media platforms led by the PSP Women Union in coordination with the Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering. The age of the girl, they challenged, does not entitle her to make a life decision like marriage. They asked the spiritual institutions to change their regulations and set a minimum age at 18 for both males and females, pending the establishment of the sought-for civil state. On the subject, the spiritual judge, Sheikh Yussef Makarem, stressed the need to amend the personal status laws in the Druze community to this effect, pointing out that some of these laws are unfair to women, especially those related to children’s custody and inheritance. (L’Orient Le Jour, September 14, 2019)

Share on

Regression of human trafficking in Emirates

16-9-2019

Trafficking in persons has considerably declined in the United Arab Emirates in the past few years. These activities have dropped from 58 cases documented in 2010 to only 16 reported in 2017, according to the National Commission for Combating Trafficking in Humans. The number of victims and dealers dropped as well to 28 victims and 48 dealers in 2017 down from 125 victims and 169 dealers in 2010. Relevant statistics gathered during the past 10 years (between 2008 and 2017) put the total number of human trafficking incidents at 306 incidents documented by government agencies. The majority of these and which fall under the category of sexual abuse, have been taken care of legally, while noting that the number of victims during the same period was 490 persons against 901 dealers. Recalling, that the UAE has kicked off its national anti-human trafficking campaign back in 2006, to be the first country in the region to draft a law to this effect. (Al Diyar, September 16, 2019)

Share on

Kingdom news: First female military parade, French sentence to sister of Crown Prince for humiliating a worker

13-9-2019

Preparations are ongoing in Saudi Arabia for the first female military parade in the history of the Kingdom in the framework of the projected Saudi National Day, Al Diyar reported today citing Saudi newspapers. Sabaq newspaper pointed out that the procession will take place at local women’s exhibition centers, schools and within official national celebrations. The men’s military parade will be held in concert halls for families and men. On the subject, the information officer of the female team, Mawada Ahmad Mohamadi, said, “watching the military parade is highly desirable, by both men and women. And as it is familiar among men, we decided to disseminate it among the female community to display the appearance of the soldier at the national women’s festivities.” In another development, a French court convicted yesterday the sister of Saudi Crown Prince, Princess Hassa Bint Salman, with complicity in beating and humiliating a worker, sentencing her to 10 years in prison with suspension and a fine of 10,000 euros. Her bodyguard was handed an 8-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay 5,000 euros. The case goes back to September 26, 2016, when the Princess reportedly ordered her personal guard to taunt and beat a local craftsperson who was renovating her Paris apartment after she accused him of snatching photos of her. The worker stressed the photos he had taken were for the repair works. (Al Diyar, September 13, 2019)

Share on

Women quota in IT

13-9-2019

The Minister of State for Investment and Technology Affairs, Adel Afyouni, discussed in a meeting on September 11 with head of NCLW, Claudine Aoun Rukoz, women's participation in the IT field. Both sides pressed for intensive training sessions to this effect, and for urging institutions to increase their female workforce through diverse initiatives launched by the ministry. These include requiring companies that benefit from the services and facilities of the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon, IDAL, to commit to a set quota for women in recruitment. (NNA, September 11, 2019)

Share on

Adoption of the National Plan of Action on Women, Peace and Security

13-9-2019

The Lebanese Cabinet yesterday approved the National Action Plan for the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, drafted by NCLW. The said plan provides for the participation of women in decision making at all levels, including conflict resolution, relief and recovery, protection of women from gender-based violence and the amendment of prejudicial laws. Recalling, NCLW has led the development of the action plan supported by UN Women, ESCWA, OHCHR, UNDP and UNFPA with funding from the governments of Japan and Finland. Commenting on the above development, NCLW president, Claudine Aoun Rukuz, said this reflects a serious political will to strengthen the participation of women in decision making and adjust the discriminatory bills, as well as protect women from violence. The decision is binding for public departments requiring their coordination with women’s rights organizations to the end of enhancing the status of Lebanese women in society and abolish all forms of discrimination against them, Rukuz maintained. By adopting the action plan, Lebanon commits to engaging women in political dialogue, peace buildings efforts, increasing their representation in security apparatus and encouraging their participation in local and national governance structures, Rukuz added. For his part, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jan Kubis, said the Lebanese government made a good stride in the area of women and their rights, pointing out that above comprehensive strategy which extends over several years, reflects the aspirations of all the Lebanese to achieve gender equality. (NNA, September 12, 2019)

Share on

Saudi woman calls on women to go out without abaya

12-9-2019

In a post on Instagram, Saudi feminist activist and university student, Manahel Oteibi, said she is her own guardian. She posted a picture of her in a busy street in the capital without a body shrouding abaya or headscarf. “From behind the scenes, hold your horses, I will emerge in a photoshoot for international channels from downtown Riyadh, specifically from Al Tahliya Street,” Oteibi tweeted. A few weeks ago, she posted a video in which she appeared strolling through a street with sportswear. She was not harassed and the reactions of passersby and patrols were respectful, she boasted. She regularly posts pictures of her inside the gym, as she stated, and encourages her female peers to go out with a abaya. (Al Diyar, September 7, 2019)

Share on

Pages


Subscribe to RSS - News updates