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Trans-Lebanese women subjected to beatings, rape and arbitrary detention

5-9-2019

In collaboration with Helem and MOSAIC associations, Human Rights Watch (HRW) launched on Tuesday a video and report entitled, ‘Don’t punish me for who I am: systemic discrimination against transgender women in Lebanon’ (https://bit.ly/2lUU67W). The report documents abuses suffered by transgender women, including access to basic services like, employment, healthcare and housing, in addition to the violent treatment by security forces and ordinary citizens. The report contained interviews with 50 trans women, including 24 Lebanese, 25 refugees and asylum seekers from Arab countries and one stateless women, as well as human rights activists, lawyers, academics and representatives of concerned international agencies. According to the above report, discrimination against trans women begins at home. Some 38 respondents said they have been subjected to violence from a male relative, including being locked in a room or denied food and water, in addition to battering and sexual and physical assault. Transgender women, the report indicated, are more likely to be arbitrarily detained and placed in men’s cells and made to give coerced confessions. They are mostly denied access to a lawyer. Among the main recommendations released by the report, was an appeal to the Lebanese Legislature to enact laws that ban discrimination on the grounds of gender identity and sexual orientation; allow trans people to change their names and gender markers and abolish Article 534 of the Penal Code which criminalizes any sexual intercourse against nature. On the other hand, and coinciding with the World Sexual Health Day which falls on September 4 of each year, the AUBMC Women’s Health Center launched yesterday the Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) program aimed to reduce sexual illiteracy. This is achieved by promoting curricula of sexual health through educational and psychological guidance and medical treatments for sexual problems. The head of the program, Dr. Faisal Qaq, said the program is designed for women who suffer sexual disorders as a result of sexual abuse incidents and early marriage, noting that the program secures a safe space to help a person determine his sexual orientation away from the prevailing stereotypes. (Al –Akhbar 5 September 2019)

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Kataeb supports equal right of women to nationality

4-9-2019

A delegation from My Nationality is a Right for Me and My Family Campaign met yesterday the Kataeb Party MP, Samy Gemayel regarding the latest development concerning the amendment of the bill on the right of Lebanese women to confer nationality to their family members. In a statement after the meeting, the Campaign discussed with Gemayel the current legal situation and presented the main proposals raised recently, notably those submitted separately by MPs Hadi Abul Hosn, Rula Tabsh and Inaya Izzedine, as well as the NCLW draft. After deliberating the distinctive provisos of each proposal, the Campaign urged Gemayel to adopt the fairer laws which better correspond to its proposition, namely those submitted by MPs Abul Hosn and Tabsh. The Campaign also called for stepping up the process in the legislature to be presented for ratification. It asked the Kataeb parliamentary bloc to vote in favor of the rights of women without discrimination. For his part, MP Gemayel stressed his total backing of laws which seek to achieve full and effective citizenship for all citizens, men and women on the principle of equality, noting that any conditions set for obtaining citizenship should apply to women and men alike. He pledged to coordinate with My Nationality Campaign to ensure fair voting in favor of an all-inclusive and just law which observes the principles of justice and equality among citizens. (NNA, September 3, 2019)

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Legal accusation in the killing of Syrian woman in Donniyeh

4-9-2019

The first investigative judge in the North, Samar Nassar, pronounced yesterday her accusatory decision in the killing last March of the Syrian woman, A.H inside her house in Bqa’safrine, Donniyeh by her son in law, M.S (also Syrian) married to her daughter F.K. and who is an accomplice in the murder (: https://bit.ly/2EmMyRX). Nassar pointed out that the assailants killed the woman with the motive of stealing some 20 ounces of gold before fleeing to an unknown destination. The judge also issued an arrest warrant in absentia against the two defendants for the premeditated murder of the victim, noting that the crime applies to Article 549 of the Penal Code which stipulates the death sentence. Concurrently, the ISF General Directorate- Public Relations division, said in a statement that the Anti-Cybercrime and Intellectual Property Rights Bureau at the Judicial Police Unit, received a complaint from a woman against an anonymous person involving sexual extortion. Upon investigation and surveillance, the ISF statement said, the culprit, Lebanese, born in 1991, was located and arrested in Dohat Aramun area and admitted what he did during interrogation, and later referred to the competent judiciary. (Al Mustaqbal, September 3, 2019)

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Two women to face Hezbollah in Tyre by-elections

3-9-2019

The ministry of interior announced on August 31 the closing of registers for the by-elections projected for Sunday, 15/9/2019 in the Tyre constituency to elect a successor for resigning MP Nawaf Mousawi. The nominees are: Hassan Izzedine, Bushra Khalil and Dina Halawi. To recall, that MP Mousawi had resigned following his attempt to protect his daughter’s right when the Sharia courts failed (https://bit.ly/2lWW7Rb).Meanwhile, concerning the second appeal submitted on May 13 by Yahya Mawloud to cancel MP Dima Jamali’s election and which included 11 explanatory reasons to this effect (https://bit.ly/2krB8W3), An Nahar reported on August 27 that the Constitutional Council has set today, Tuesday September 4, as a date for pronouncing the decision. The newspaper revealed that Judge Salah Mkhaiber, has completed his report on August 8 and handed it to former president Issam Sleiman who distributed it among members. According to informed sources, An Nahar said Mkhaiber has advised to dismiss the appeal for reasons he explained and which repealed the explanatory reasons included in Mawloud’s text of appeal. (An Nahar, Al Akhbar, August 27, 31, 2019)
 

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Iranian authorities allow women temporary access to stadiums

3-9-2019

Following the first and one time decision last October which allowed Iranian women to watch a football match from inside the stadium (https://bit.ly/2kfr9mY), Iranian authorities last week allowed women to enter the stadiums to watch the national league team within the FIFA 2022 Qatar World Cup Qualifiers this upcoming October. The decision came after the Iranian Football Federation received a letter from FIFA president criticizing the government led by Hassan Rouhani for failing to keep its promises to women after the end of the deadline, July 16, given by FIFA to the Asian country. On the subject, Al Akhbar daily reported today that the minister of sports and youth, Masoud Sultani Far, confirmed that the decision is only temporary allowing women to watch the national match and does not apply to local matches by the league. The newspaper also pointed out that Iranian women will not sit next to men on the stadiums, but will be assigned a private entrance and seats to avoid mixing with male cheerers.  (Al Akhbar, September 3, 2019)
 

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YouTube a fierce competitor of the beauty sector

3-9-2019

In its issue of today, Al Akhbar newspaper drew attention to the makeup artist profession, citing many professionals in the sector who voice concern, not over the dire economic situation in the country but over the rise of women influencers on social media. This has tempted many specialists in the field to close their shops or cut their prices in order to survive. The champs or manipulators of this status quo, besides women who acquired new skills, are activists who run their own Utube beauty channels and make millions of dollars annually. Quoting statistics on the subject, Al Akhbar said the number of viewers have exceeded 700 million a month, while the videos posted through these platforms beat 50 billion. Only 3% of the total viewers watch the posts published by cosmetic multinationals, as compared to nearly 97% who opt to watch the tutorials posted by influencers. The latter, the newspaper wrote, better known as vloggers, will actually take control of the future of beauty and makeup brands and products and the whole sector from behind their smart phone screen! Their influence, Al Akhbar added, has forced a number of global companies to conclude sponsorship contracts with them to market their products. (Al Akhbar, September 3, 2019)
 

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Lebanon on top in denying women their full-right to citizenship

30-8-2019

The Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights yesterday held a press conference in Beirut yesterday jointly with My Nationality is A Right for Me and My Children on the sidelines of the regional meeting of the Civil Society in the MENA Region. The manager of the global Campaign, Catherine Harrington, said the gender discriminatory nationality laws have detrimental effects on children and deprive women of their rights in equal citizenship, as well as slow down the process of sustainable development. The solution to the problem is very simple, Harrington explained. It requires commitment on part of the governments to the principle of gender equality and the enactment of relevant reforms to this effect. Similarly, the executive director of the Women’s Learning Partnership, Lina Abu Habib, said, those who lived in Lebanon prior to the war know very well that the country today is not the same as it was then in terms of suppressing freedoms, infringing on human rights and slackening the deprivation of women of their basic rights. Worse still, Abu Habib went on to say, is that “President Michel Aoun recently sent back to the Legislature for consideration a law passed earlier that exempts children of Lebanese mothers married to non-Lebanese from having to apply for work permits”. “This is not a healthy indicator” as to achieving women’s rights to grant nationality to their family members. For her part, My Nationality Campaign coordinator, Karima Chebo, called to stop addressing women as subordinates. “We have to recognize their rights as independent citizens with full citizenship.” In a related development, Al Akhbar daily cited the report “Stateless in childhood” released this week by the Campaign in cooperation with UNICEF and UNHCR. The report places Lebanon among the 25 countries which retain laws that deny women the right to pass nationality to their children, including as well, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, Somalia, Swaziland and Brunei. (Al Akhbar, August 30, 2019)

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Empowering women cooperatives in Kura

30-8-2019

In collaboration with FAO in Lebanon, the ministry of agriculture through its office in Kura, and within the ‘Rural Pioneers’ initiative, organized a seminar entitled: “The Empowerment of agricultural women cooperatives and producer associations in the agri-food sector of Lebanon”. The head of the agricultural department in the North, Mohamad Ziadeh, said the event aims at creating an enabling economic and agricultural environment needed to empower women and spread awareness among them to learn about their rights, build their capacities and enhance the production of coops. For her part, the FAO project assistant, Rania Chaya, said the 3-year project covers the different Lebanese regions. The initiative promotes the domestic economy and social stability through the empowerment of women, delivery of evaluation studies on gender equality and provision of support and sustainability for women’s work. It also sustains the agriculture ministry’s services through training facilitators who will supervise the work of concerned cooperatives. (NNA, August 29, 2019)

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Training for Lebanese farmers, Syrian refugees in Baalbaq

29-8-2019

In coordination with the Union of Baalbaq Municipalities, the Institute for University Cooperation (ICU), concluded yesterday a training course for a number of Lebanese and Syrian refugees. To note, the two-week workshop entitled, ‘Empowering the livelihoods of vulnerable groups in agriculture’, is funded by the UN World Food Program (FAO). On the occasion, the head of the Municipalities Union, Hamad Hassan, reiterated support for similar projects in the villages within the Union where agriculture constitutes a key source of living for the people. He called on the local and international organizations to back related initiatives aimed to empower the targeted groups. This includes training workers in the agricultural sector and the financing of undertakings that contribute to revitalizing the agriculture infrastructure in direct collaboration with local municipalities or through associations involved in supporting Syrian refugees and the host Lebanese communities. For her part, engineer Majida Mishayk, from the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, emphasized the importance of the project in creating jobs in the sector. At the end of the course, the beneficiaries were handed certificates and work tools. (NNA, August 28, 2019)

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Husband shoots wife in Donniyeh, girl blackmailed in southern suburbs

29-8-2019

A man opened fire on his wife in the Donniyeh town of Bakhun injuring her in the leg before fleeing to an unknown destination, the National News Agency reported yesterday. The injured wife was transferred to Zgharta Family Medical Center for treatment while a security squad started an investigation and a manhunt for the assailant. On the other hand, and on August 16, the Cyber Crime Bureau received a complaint that was filed by a woman to the Public Prosecution in the South against an unknown for threat, extortion and slander, according to Al Mustaqbal newspaper. The woman said she met the suspect 8 months ago and started seeing him regularly at his office in the capital’s Southern Suburbs. After their last meeting, she went on to say, he told her that one of the workers filmed them and traveled to Syria where he threatened to post her pictures if she did not pay him USD 5,000. But in a swift chase of the blackmailer, the man, Lebanese, was arrested and admitted what he did. (Al Mustaqbal, NNA, August 28, 29, 2019)

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