Subscribe to newsletter

Custom Search 1

You are here

Home

News updates

Beirut Designer’s Week from May 1-4

30-4-2019

Under the patronage and support of the minister of environment Fadi Jreisati, the seventh edition of Designer’s Week will kick off tomorrow at Zaytouna Bay on Beirut’s Waterfront and will last till May 4. The event will spotlight emerging Lebanese designers who are looking for a specialized platform to launch their novel brands. Over 100 professional and promising artists in many areas, including fashion, jewelry, furniture, home accessories, bags, shoes, clothing and beach accessories, will showcase their creations. The exhibition is expected to attract more than 50,000 visitors, noting that it is an environmental initiative backed the ministry. The organizing company encouraged participants to design environment friendly products that have reduced negative impact on the environment in Lebanon. It will reportedly contribute to raising environmental awareness through the employment of eco-shopping trends and providing recycled bags for eventgoers. (Al Akhbar, April 30, 2019)

Share on

Empowering young women in ICT

30-4-2019

On the occasion of the International Girls in ICT Day, which falls on April 25 of each year, the secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Yousef Athemeyn, on Wednesday urged member states and relevant institutions to join in the international efforts to empower young women and girls to study and work in the sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics and ICT sectors (STEM). Athemeyn pointed out that the Seventh Ministerial Conference on Women in Burkina Faso issued a resolution adopted by the foreign ministers conference held last month in Abu Dhabi advising member states to take legislative and executive measures for the provision of science programs for women in order to bridge the gap between their education and the labor market requirements. The ICT sector, Athemeyn noted, is in need of talents, offering a broad opportunity for young women who are highly qualified in technology. He called on the international community to work harder to provide similar programs in conflict areas. (Al Hayat, April 24, 2019)

Share on

Body of an Ethiopian woman found in Metn

25-4-2019

One week after the body of a migrant domestic worker who fell from a residential building in Tyre was transferred to Jabal Amel Hospital (c.f: https://bit.ly/2GwleAQ), a Civil Defense squad carried the body of an Ethiopian migrant worker from a house in Byaqut-Metn area to Abu Jawdeh Hospital in Jal Deeb. Security forces earlier arrived at the scene for investigation. Subsequently, the number of MWDWs subjected to violence in Lebanon since the beginning of the present year has reached 5 workers, according to our portal. These included three dead MWDWs in the localities of Metn, Tripoli and Antelias, one injured from a fall in Tyre, the South and one promoted for sale in an online ad. It is to be noted that Amnesty International asked on 23 April the Lebanese authorities to help end the abusive kafala (sponsorship) system that governs the lives of thousands of migrant domestic workers, and called on the Lebanese parliament to amend the labor law to include protection of MDWDs, as well as reform the visa system and consider the confiscation of the worker’s passport an administrative crime (c.f: https://bit.ly/2UWahCO). (Al Mustaqbal,, April 25, 20195)

Share on

Modesty Design Show in Beirut, May 3 to 4

25-4-2019

In partnership with Dubai Fashion Week, Maryam Attar and Aya Hamud will be organizing the Modest Show in Lebanon between May 3 and 4 at the Lancaster Eden Bay Hotel from 10 am to 10 pm. The idea of the event started from Istanbul and moved to London then Dubai and Jakarta. According to Al Mustaqbal electronic portal, Attar and Hamud wanted it to be a forum that stimulates social, human and creative communication through hosting big names in the world of fashion, attracting the best of modest fashion brands, designers and influencers in some 26 countries. “We have noticed an interest in the country for the modest attire, which prompted us to kick off the second season from Lebanon, hoping this will open the door for similar future activities,” Hamud said. The show will also allocate an area inspired by the month Ramadan, bringing together fashion mongers, shoppers, renowned bloggers and boutiques all in one place. Hamud said there is a general trend or belief that women resort to modest wear to conceal overweight or figure disproportions, while in reality it reflects a unique preference that needs to be publicly acknowledged in all its aesthetic aspects. (Al Mustaqbal, April 25, 2019)

Share on

Women’s traditional roles in terrorist organizations

24-4-2019

The BBC website published an article on April 17 depicting the role of women in terrorist organizations, pointing to their active participation in supporting extremism, contrary to the image usually portrayed by the media as victims. Based on the results of a survey by the Royal United Services Institute, the article revealed that nearly 17% of the Jihadist recruits in Africa’s Al Shabab Islamist group are women. Another separate study has shown that 13% of foreign recruits in the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria are women, noting that rigorous figures may be higher. According to the Royal Institute’s study, women’s stereotypic roles differed with the different groups. While women in Al Shabab’s extremist organization carry out what is normally considered female traditional roles, as wives of fighters and domestic workers, or help in luring new members, ISIS women tend to take on the recruitment jobs, especially online, actively promoting the beliefs of the group. Besides, they serve as doctors and health care workers within certain restrictions, the report indicated, noting that ISIS boasts a complete female team in the moral police squads. The study also mentioned certain factors that drive women to recruit in such groups, like for example being thrilled by strong ideologies, financial profits and by a comeback of their traditional feminine role. In this respect, the above study showed that those responsible for recruiting in Al Shabab Movement play on the Muslim female’s insecurity concerning chances of marriage should they decide of following up their higher education. One female university student from Nairobi said in this regard: “If I find a man who will marry and protect me, why should I bother about education and learning.”. (Al Diyar, April 21, 2019)

Share on

MWDW: Amnesty International urges Lebanon to scrap kafala

24-4-2019

Amnesty International yesterday asked Lebanese authorities to help end the abusive kafala (sponsorship) system that governs the lives of thousands of migrant domestic workers. In a report entitled ‘Their house is my prison, exploitation of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon’, Amnesty called on the Lebanese parliament to amend the labor law to include protection of MDWDs, as well as reform the visa system and consider the confiscation of the worker’s passport an administrative crime. In light of interviews with some 32 MWDWs, as well as diplomats, employers, recruitment offices and involved NGOs, the international organization found alarming patterns of abuse. These included, working for long hours without rest or a day off, and revoking MWDWs’ monthly salaries or decreasing them, confiscating their passports, depriving them of adequate food, decent housing conditions and privacy, in addition to verbal, physical and sexual exploitation. The Amnesty report also revealed that of the 32 surveyed workers, only 4 had private rooms, while the rest slept in the living room, the storage room, the kitchen, or on the balcony. (Al Akhbar, Al Mustaqbal, April 24, 2019)

Share on

Attack on a woman with special needs in Tyre and threats to another in Hasbaya

23-4-2019

The ISF General Directorate- Public Relations Department, announced in a statement on April 20, that on 18/4/2019, a woman with special needs, (born in 1972) reported to the Abbasiyeh regional gendarmerie unit that, on April 16, that she was sexually assaulted by two Syrian nationals at her home in South Lebanon. Upon surveillance, the Information Department managed to identify and arrest the suspects, S.M (born in 1984, Syrian) and E. A (born in 1993, Syrian), and hand them over to the competent judiciary, the statement said. On the same day, the ISF Information Office in Marjey3oon-Hasbaya detained M.S (Syrian), on charges of threating to kill with a pistol a woman (H.Kh) from Hasbaya. Also, the ISF directorate referred in a statement on April 22, to a number of armed robberies within the Mount Lebanon governorate. The latest involved a citizen and his wife who were robbed by a van driver in the locality of Jiyyeh south of the capital, Beirut. Upon investigation, the Judiciary Police unit, on April 17, successfully arrested the suspects in the town of Shweifat, and they are: F.S (born in 1974, Lebanese) and his wife H.J (born in 2000, also Lebanese). Both suspects admitted to a number of lootings in different areas, in addition to drug abuse and facilitation of sex work. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, April 20, 23, 2019)
 

Share on

Return of Lebanese wives of ISIS fighters 

23-4-2019

The GS head, Maj. General Abbas Ibrahim, revealed in a television interview on April 18, that he, personally, along with the GS and information squads, were negotiationg with the Kurdish factions in the East Euphrates region for the return of Lebanese women married to ISIS fighters detained in Syria with their children. “We will bring back whoever we can of these women,” Ibrahim said. On the subject, informed sources told LBC that the GS deal with the Kurds was restricted to returning Lebanese wives of ISIS militants and their children, and not captured ISIS members. The reported number of Lebanese women in North Syria is 10 and could reach 25 with their children, LBC said. To recall, the Lebanese Army Intelligence has earlier received from the British Intelligence two Lebanese-British women married to ISIS fighters. (: https://bit.ly/2PqrDlc ). (Al Diyar, April 19, 2019)
 

Share on

Exhibition of southern crafts in Shama’

23-4-2019

On the occasion of Easter, UNIFIL Italian battalion, in cooperation with MP Inaya Ezzedeen, organized an exhibition at the UNIFIL headquarters in the southern town of Shama’, with the participation of over 70 local women. Ezzedeen stressed the importance of strengthening the role of southern women and supporting them in all arenas, noting the need for collaboration of the ministries of tourism, industry, economy and agriculture in marketing the foodstuff and handicrafts, and hoping for increased interaction between UNIFIL units and locals. For his part, the Italian commander thanked the participating associations, pointing to the remarkable contribution of UNIFIL soldiers in buying local handmade goods. (Al Mustaqbal, April 19, 2019)
 

Share on

MoU between Franchises and hospitality syndicate

18-4-2019

The head of the Lebanese Franchise Association (LFA), Yehya Kasaa, warned yesterday that figures and indicators are not reassuring amidst the anticipation, stalemate and the shrinking size of the economic cycle. Kasaa called for a quick solution to mitigate the repercussions that transcended the stage of protesting against corruption and grumbling about persistent problems. Kasaa was speaking during his signing of a memo of understanding with the chief of the Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Toni Rami, to regulate joint events, forums and workshops, exchange expertise and info, and provide consultancy franchise services to enterprises wishing to adopt a franchise system to expand their activities. Kasaa stressed that the economic impasse is complex and structural, noting that the franchise companies are the most affected in this respect. The crisis is critical, he said, and it is inflicting huge losses which prompts concerted efforts between government, cross sectoral and social entities to halt the decline and reboot the system required to maintain stability of the national economy and its main pillars. Likewise, Rami listed a number of priorities for the syndicate, notably: strengthen its role as a key player at the economic and tourism levels; follow up legislative work aimed to modernize relevant laws, decrees and regulations to the end of boosting the tourism industry, and the restaurant sector in particular, in addition to building solid relations with the partners, namely LFA. (Al Diyar, An Nahar, April 18, 2019)

Share on

Pages


Subscribe to RSS - News updates