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Graduation of 60 students in hairstyling

25-6-2019

In coordination with SOS Children’s Village and Kayani Foundation, L’Oreal Levant organized two graduation ceremony for 60 participants in a professional training course in hairdressing. The latter comes as part of L’Oreal’s ‘Beauty for a better life’ program which targets the less fortunate through extending free training in beauty professions to promote self-confidence and integration in society. The first event was held on June 10 at the SOS premises and the second on June 14 at UNWFPA School for Girls in Bar Elias. To note, that Lebanon was among the first countries in the world to launch this social education program back in 2014 in partnership with SOS Lebanon. The aim of the said program is to support SOS youth and others who have experienced difficulties socially and within their families to enable them to reintegrate socially and professionally. (Al Akhbar, June 25, 2019)

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‘Cinema al Fouad’ festival to promote LGBT community

24-6-2019

The French Institute of Beirut today launched the unique ‘Cinema al Fouad’ film festival in support of the struggles of MEEM LGBT community in Lebanon and to highlight the individual day-to-day sufferings of homosexuals and transgender persons. The event is organized in cooperation with human rights associations, including Human Rights Watch, Legal Agenda, the Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality and Mosaic Lebanon. The program of the festival showcases 9 long feature films and documentaries, and 5 short Lebanese films to be screened starting today, June 29 concurrently in Lebanon, Tunisia, Algeria, Iran, Colombia, Greece, Brazil, France and Spain. Noting, that during the opening session, the organizing party will launch a campaign to confront the ‘myths’ and misconceptions about sexual orientation and identities, as well as the gender expressions in the Arabic-speaking region. On the naming of the festival, Al Akhbar newspaper reported that ‘Cinema al Fouad’ film by director Mohamad Souaid, launched back in 1993, was the first queer film to bring a taboo topic to the forefront through the Lebanese cinema. The film depicts Khaled, a Syrian laborer, in his journey to explore his real sexual identity, Al Akhbar wrote, saying that after more than a quarter of a century, the LGBT cause has knocked down many walls in Lebanon. It has succeeded today in the launch of a complete festival that was named after Souaid’s film. More on the event on the following link:(https://www.facebook.com/cinemalfouad). (Al Akhbar, June 24, 2019)

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Women represent 47.8% of banks employees

24-6-2019

Banque du Liban figures indicated that the total number of employees in the financial sector in Lebanon stood at 27,267 persons by the end of 2018, including 12,47,00 women representing (47.8%) of the sector’s workforce. To be noted that staff of commercial banks represented (nearly 91.9%) of the total, followed by staff in financial institutions (4.9%) and in the long and medium term banks (3.2%). Meanwhile, the results of a study published in the Byblos Bank Group weekly bulletin showed that the number of employees in commercial banks reached 25,71,00 persons by the end of 2018, including 12,150 women representing nearly (48.5%) of the total number of employees. Noting, that the number of employees in financial institutions stood at 1,326 persons, including 556 women representing (42%) of the total. Finally, the number of employees in the long and medium term banks stood at 870 persons, including 341 women, representing (39.2%) of the total number of employees. (An Nahar, June 21, 2019)

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Conference to raise awareness against child marriage

24-6-2019

Under the patronage of the minister of state for administration reform, May Shidiac, Zonta Club of Beirut organized on Saturday its 36th conference for Greece, Cyprus and Lebanon under the title, ‘No reason, no excuse, child marriage is child abuse’. The event is aimed at raising awareness against child marriage which deprives girls of their right in education, causing them depression and endorsing their stereotypical role in the household and the upbringing of children in line with patriarchal standards. On the occasion, Shidiac pointed out that the phenomenon of early marriage should be banned, as it directly relates to personal status laws that regrettably support the outright authority of males over the woman, wife in household matters and legitimize some unwanted doctrinal norms. Shidiac cited a UNICEF study which has shown that around 12 million girls under 18 are wed every year around the globe, noting that by 2030, the number will rise to 150 million. She explained that according to Girls not Brides campaign, some 28 girl minors get married every minute, at a rate of one girl every two seconds. The Arab world, Shidiac said, is not far from this, given the prevalent bigoted and unfair laws, concluding that the situation in Lebanon is no better, as there is no determined or set age for marriage governed by a unified civil code. (Al Mustaqbal, June 22, 2019)

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High hopes on Minister Hassan for registering civil marriage

21-6-2019

In its issue of today, An Nahar addressed civil marriage in Lebanon pointing to a civil marriage contract registered in the country by two Lebanese lawyers living abroad. Abdallah Salam and Marie Joe Abi Nassif who live in NYC and teach law at prestigious US universities, have decided, by the virtue of love and the Constitution, to hold their civil marriage on Lebanese territory. An Nahar wrote, that erasing the sect from personal status documents facilitated legalizing the registration of civil contracts at the ministry of interior. The newspaper reminded its readers that back in 2013, and after Nidal Darwish and Kholud Sukarieh held their civil marriage in Lebanon, the Supreme Committee for Consultations at the Justice Ministry decided to consider legal all civil marriages conducted in the country by people who do not have any religious affiliation, and the right to choose the civil law they want to govern their marital and family life. The newspaper went on to say, that the registration of civil marriage contracts between couples who rubbed out the sect from their personal registers, has been suspended during the term of Nuhad Mashnouq as interior minister for political and sectarian considerations. Today, it all depends on the present minister Raya Hassan, given not only her progressive stand in support of optional and civil marriage which she admitted earlier, but also her insistence on the application of the Constitution. (An Nahar, June 21, 2019)

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My Nationality Campaign categorically rejects discriminatory laws proposals

21-6-2019

My Nationality is a Right for Me and My Family Campaign held a press conference yesterday at the Press Syndicate in which it announced its rejection of the racist and discriminatory proposals on the nationality law. It pointed to the drafts stacked in the Legislature to lay bare the practices that undermined the right of Lebanese women married to non-Lebanese to confer citizenship to their children. The press conference was attended by representatives of local and international civil society groups, syndicate members, academics, activists and women and families concerned with the demands of the Campaign. During the conference, the Press Syndicate vice president, Dr. Faoud Harakeh, repeated the Syndicate’s support of the Campaign’s demands, appealing to the prime minister and House Speaker to give the issue due attention. For her part, the executive director of Women’s Learning Partnership, Lina Abu Habib, voiced her surprise over the proposals submitted, namely the NCLW draft which she termed as bigoted. She pointed out that the Campaign kicked off from Lebanon in 2000 to reach most of the Arab countries, noting that many have amended their laws accordingly in terms of recognition of the rights of women, while Lebanon dragged behind. The Lebanese State did not acknowledge the rights of women, but not that only, it also stigmatized the issue by employing political and sectarian sways. Similarly, the head of the Lebanese Council of Women, Iqbal Doughan, said that while a number of proposals are currently submitted to the Parliament, and some of them promote equal rights and are relatively fair to women, yet this diversity can be in point of fact an intrigue to continue with denying those rights. The coordinator of My Nationality Campaign, Karima Chebbo, reiterated her support for the proposals filed by MPs Hadi Abul Hissen and Roula Tabsh and which noticeably endorse the Campaigns demands, but turned down the blinkered draft proposed by NCLW. Chebbo revealed official procrastination in stepping up a debate of the above two proposals by concerned parliamentary committees under unwanted pretexts. She finally warned that the Campaign’s upcoming move will take to the steps of the Legislature to push the draft bills from the Parliament Secretariat to the committees. (My Nationality Campaign statement can be found on the link below: (https://bit.ly/31PebNp)
 

Previous related news:
Personal status and nationality laws deprive women of their right
Lebanon promotes nationality for descendants while women’s right withheld
Nationality Campaign: Bassil’s “Guide” ignores Lebanese women’s fundamental rights
My Nationality Campaign denounces NCLW proposed discriminatory draft bill
My Nationality is a Right for Me and My Family cooperation with Democratic Gathering
 

 

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Dismantling stereotypes of women in education and culture

21-6-2019

Under the patronage of NCLW president, Claudine Aoun Rukuz, the Arab Women Organization (AWO) organized a workshop in Beirut yesterday under the theme, ‘Dismantling stereotypes in education and culture in Arab societies’. The two-day event, held with the participation of 10 countries, including Jordan, Tunisia, Iraq, Oman, Palestine, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritania, Yemen and Lebanon, aims to challenge discrimination and establish equality in education and culture through targeting decision makers in the two fields. The event also seeks to change the stereotypical societal culture of the roles and capacities of women and girls and replacing them with content that respects gender equality. The workshop includes an applied training session which involves dividing participants to work groups on child targeted cultural productions to come out with recommendations on child targeted cultural, educational and psychological content. On the occasion, Rukuz pointed out that the catch through which we address women’s issues in terms of the impact of culture and education, stresses the responsibility of all players in society in lifting discrimination which women still endure. She noted that the responsibility lies on families, educators and caretakers. (Al Diyar, June 21, 2019)

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Hariri reiterates commitment to women’s political participation

20-6-2019

The National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) held a round table discussion at the Serail yesterday to present “The National Plan for the Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security’, to national and international stakeholders. On the occasion, Prime Minister Saad Hariri underlined his commitment to the involvement of women in political decisions at all levels and the provision of mechanisms to prevent conflicts, stressing the need to recruit the largest number of women within the ranks of the security apparatus. He reiterated his personal determination and that of his government to enforce the plan, hoping it will be approved by the Cabinet in the near future. For her part, NCLW President, Claudine Aoun Rukuz, said, “We all dream of stability in a society that observes equality between men and women.” The above 4-year action plan, she stated, will pave the way to sustainable peace and gender equality. Similarly, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon pointed out that the said plan will give room for the political participation and economic empowerment for women, in addition to protection and promotion of their rights. It is expected to provide a new set of operative tools and resources needed to bolster chances for peace, development and work to achieve gender equality. (Al Mustaqbal, June 20, 2019)

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Personal status and nationality laws deprive women of their right

20-6-2019

The executive director of Women’s Learning Partnership for Rights, Development and Peace (WLP), Lina Abu Habib, said that in a patriarchal system like Lebanon, which is immune to reforms, excuses will always be found to deprive women of their rights. Abu Habib who was speaking to L’Orient Le Jour after her participation in Women Deliver conference in Canada, said inequality is the main hitch. In personal status matters for example, the Lebanese State treats men as complete while totally disregarding the other half of its population, women, Abu Habib explained. She attributed this to the prevalent patriarchal system, on the one hand, and the reckless attitude of the State towards its citizens, on the other. Abu Habib, who is also a co-founder of My Nationality is A Right for Me and My Family Campaign, run by CRTDA, criticized the current nationality law of 1925. On the pretext of preventing permanent settlement, she said, Lebanese women are stripped of their right to confer citizenship to their family members, noting that the majority of mixed marriages involve Lebanese men and Syrian or Palestinian women, insinuating as well to the Presidential Naturalization Decree which is based on unclear grounds. The Women’s Learning Partnership, Abu Habib maintained, is currently conducting a survey in 11 countries, including Lebanon, on reforms in personal status legislations, with the aim to mobilize an international campaign with a clear task to push for gender equality. Inequality starts from the family, she explained, especially that the sectarian personal status laws in the country control marriage, divorce, inheritance and children custody matters, contrary to democracy and law. On the other hand, Abu Habib tried to not appear totally pessimistic, referring to the nationality amendment proposals submitted recently to the Legislature, but critiqued the NCLW chief’s draft in this regard. Abu Habib, who will be holding a press conference today on the nationality law, stressed that challenges are big, but she will not relinquish efforts to change reality. (L’Orient Le Jour, June 20, 2019)

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BLC committed to women’s economic empowerment

20-6-2019

Chairperson of BLC Bank, Nadim Kassar, reiterated the bank’s commitment to supporting initiatives aimed to empower women economically and providing all facilities needed to secure equal opportunities in the labor market and in leadership. Kassar was speaking during the Financial Alliance for Women Summit held in Paris from June 17 to 19. We have implemented policies and reforms, participated in the UN Principles for the Empowerment of Women and encouraged qualified women to seize managerial positions, which resulted in a diverse and inclusive management, Kassar maintained. He said, Lebanon today faces big economic challenges which necessitates growth and the expansion of the GDP to be twice its size today, explaining that closing the gender gap will increase the GDP by 9%. Kassar stressed that the private and public sectors should join forces to develop and upgrade laws to the end of eliminating discrimination and giving women their basic rights to ensure gender equality. Kassar pointed to a number of incentives and measures by the bank aimed to inspire women and ease their access to the labor market. Recalling, that during the summit, Kassar received the trophy for Women’s Market Champion Outstanding Engagement Award. (Al Diyar, June 20, 2019)

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