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Women's Pastoral Committee in Beirut activated

25-10-2018

The Archbishop of Beirut, Father Boulous Matar, kicked off yesterday the work of the Women’s Pastoral Committee and four sub-committees in the Maronite Diocese of Beirut, Baabda, Mansourieh and Ain Remaneh. The committee chose a motto for its new work plan as follows: ‘wake up young woman’. The launching came during the mass led by Matar at the Church of Our Lady, Hadat, in the presence of mayors, makhatir, pastoral committees and social associations. Matar hailed the role of women in the life of the Church and in society. The work of the pastoral women’s society in the Diocese of Beirut, he said, is blessed, as it is ordained by the Church, reminding that women make half of the global population. Matar reminisced the words of Pope Francis in his latest speech when he said that civilization is measured by nations in terms of the respect and veneration of women. Women have bestowed the church a unique quality for sanctity, through their mercy, tenderness, sacrifice, kindness and the virtue of helping others, he maintained. (Al Diyar, October 25, 2018)

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First Lady distributes certificates to female prisoners

25-10-2018

Dar Al Amal Association distributed yesterday certificates among 30 female inmates of Central Women’s Prison-Baabda who completed training courses on handicrafts, makeup, computer and foreign language. The aim of the courses, according to Dar al Amal, is to turn the prison into a livable place for rehabilitation rather than for mistreatment and punishment. During the ceremony, the First Lady, Nadia Chami Aoun, who handed the certificates to the beneficiaries, stressed the importance of the continued support to female prisoners, in particular, through social integration and rehabilitation programs in line with international human rights conventions, and proportionate to their benefits to the community. This, Aoun said, contributes to the reduction of the rate of crime and upgrading the jail to become a reformatory. Aoun toured the prison halls, including the rooms of inmates who shared with her their experiences and stories. For her part, Dar al Amal director, Huda Qura, pointed out that the prison, which consists of five rooms, houses 110 female inmates, including 18 sentenced and the rest are under arrest. Qura underlined the importance of the workshops which empower prisoners in many areas. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, October 25, 2018)

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UN criticizes French ban of niqab

24-10-2018

The UN Human Rights Committee disclosed on Tuesday that France’s ban on face veil (niqab) is in violation of human rights and therefore should be reviewed. The Committee clarified in a statement that France did not succeed in justifying the ban and gave it 180 days to report on its implementation of the UN ruling. To recall, the results reached by the UN Committee followed complaints filed by two French women who were indicted in 2012 according to the Law No. 2010 which states that “no one may, in a public space, wear any article of clothing intended to conceal the face”. The UN committee statement said it was not satisfied or persuaded by France’s allegation that the ban on the niqab was necessary or proportionate from a security perspective or for realizing the goal of coexistence in society. It said the ban disproportionately harmed the right of the two Muslim women in expressing their religious beliefs, which could force them to stay home and hence to marginalizing them, and asked the French authorities to pay restitution. The decisions of the UN Human Rights Committee, which include a group of experts monitoring the commitment of states to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, are not legally binding, but France is obliged to comply with it in good faith by virtue of an optional protocol to the Covenant. (Al Mustaqbal, October 24, 2018)

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Randa Bdeir senior manager at Credit Libanais

24-10-2018

Credit Libanais Bank announced the assignment of the former head of Electronic Payment Solutions & Card Services at Audi Bank, Randa Bdeir, as the general manager of electronic payment and MasterCard section at the bank. As a holder of Master’s degree in banking and finance from AUB, with an extensive 25 years of experience in the banking sector, especially in ePayment and card technology, Bdeir has contributed significantly to the development of the electronic payment industry in Lebanon and the region. She also made similar strategic initiatives in introducing innovative payment solutions in the Lebanese market, including ecommerce, as well as, the development of contactless payment systems. Bdeir has received several awards in recognition for her achievements regionally and globally to become the first Arab female member in the board of directors of MasterCard for South Asia, the Middle East and Africa since 2000. She was also selected among the top 70 Arab women and elected as the MasterCard Champion for her contributions in the growth of MasterCard products. Additionally, Bdeir was nominated during the UAB Arab Banking Conference as the Best Arab Woman contributor to the development of credit card payment systems in the Arab world. (An Nahar, October 24, 2018)

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Mitigated sentence for wife killer soldier

23-10-2018

In the latest of incidents of violence against women, the Military Court yesterday issued a mitigated verdict in the case of the soldier who killed his wife and her lover inside the marital house in Hadat, sentencing him to a temporary period in military detention, Al Mustaqbal reported. Recalling, the murder dates back to September, 20017, when the assailant and his brother were detained for 18 months and released. In his defense of the soldier, the attorney argued that the various reports in the case point to and confirm adultery on part of the wife victim. “Who can accept the cheating of his wife, particularly when the husband is a soldier in the Army,” the attorney claimed. He, furthermore, considered it as a non-criminal homicide committed in self-defense and in defense of honor, allowing the husband and his brother to benefit from mitigated factors. (Al Mustaqbal, October 23, 2018)

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Role of women in inter-Mediterranean dialogue

23-10-2018

The European Parliament in Brussels hosted on October 17 the AFACOM forum, in cooperation with the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO). The forum tackled the role of women in the dialogue between the two shores of the Mediterranean as a cultural intermediary that would contribute in promoting the culture of dialogue, the values of coexistence and tolerance and the challenges they face. The forum also discussed the role of women as factors for change and ambassadors for peace through education, politics, economy, culture and interfaith dialogue, in addition to the role of NGOs and media outlets in accentuating common values and human rights and the struggle of Palestinian women for their national rights. The Future Movement Political Bureau member, Nawal Mdalalli, who participated in the above forum, spotlighted the female figures who have caused social and political change, as well as, Arab women who made success stories in Europe and the world and left their mark in the public and political life there. Mdalalli pointed out that the political participation of women in Lebanon is still weak for several reasons, including the non-commitment of the new elections law to the inclusion of women’s representation quota which, if approved, would have increased the rate of female presence in the Parliament. Currently, they did not yet exceed 4% despite the successes in many leadership areas, Mdalalli said. (Al Mustaqbal, October 23, 2018)

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Honoring of Ann Marie Afeish, Director General of Museums

23-10-2018

The Italian Ambassador to Lebanon, Massimo Marotti, awarded the director general and president of the National Council of Museums in Lebanon, Anne Marie Affeish, with the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity in recognition for her work and efforts in preserving the Lebanese cultural legacy. During the ceremony held on Sunday at his villa in Naccache, Marotti praised Affeish as an expert in archeology and museum science and her valuable contribution to combating the smuggling of antiques. She is the example of a dedicated state employee who works with high ethics, Marotti said. In turn, Affeish thanked the ambassador for the honoring, expressing her appreciation for his government’s valuable contributions to the National Museum which had a special impression, especially in the restoration of the Tyre cemetery and the Museum basement. She stressed the importance of cooperation between Italy and the Lebanese Directorate of Archeology. (Al Mustaqbal, October 23, 2018)

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My Nationality is A Right for Me and My Family Campaign meeting in Shuf

22-10-2018

In partnership with My Nationality is A Right for Me and My Family Campaign, the PSP party affiliated Progressive Women Union- Shuf Office, organized a talk entitled, ‘The right of the Lebanese woman in conferring nationality to her family’ at the National Public Library of Baaqline. The Democratic Gathering MP, Hadi Abulhosson, who participated in the talk, said Lebanon will see a fair nationality law if all the political factions broke free of the outdated confessional and sectarian restrictions. Today, he said, the PSP has boldly, confidently and determinedly decided to take the challenge and submit the draft bill that observes women’s rights. Abulhosson enumerated the explanatory statements of the proposal referred to parliament on August 6 (c.f: http://lkdg.org/ar/node/17714), hoping it comes out with a modern legislation that plays fair to the rightful persons and addresses the many social and moral damages suffered by them. Similarly, My Nationality Campaign coordinator, Karima Chebbo, said, “Time and time again we have faced the same ridiculous contentions, like demographic distribution and naturalization,” asking why Lebanese men married to non-Lebanon have the right to pass nationality to their family and women cannot. Rights are indivisible, Chebbo maintained, and the law should apply to men and women equally. (NNA, October 19, 2018)

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Algeria bans veil at work

22-10-2018

The General Directorate of Public Service announced on Thursday the official and permanent ban of niqab (full-face veil) or any clothing that hides the identity of the individual at the workplace. The statement called on ministers, governors and government officials to strictly apply the instructions which oblige state workers to respect the rules and requirements of security and communication at the level of their interests that requires recognition of their identity automatically and permanently, especially at the workplace. It mandated public employees to strictly abide by the new terms prohibiting any indecent act or conduct regardless of the nature of their duty and compliance with the public service regulations, notably “neutrality, continuity and transparency.” The Directorate also emphasized adherence to the above prohibiting any dress that impairs the exercise of public administration functions, particularly the full face veil. To recall, that in October last year, the ministry of education officially began enforcing the ban of niqab in schools, for female students, teachers and staff. (Al Diyar, October 20, 2018)

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Palestinian women excluded from breast cancer campaign

18-10-2018

Deputy prime minister, minister of public health in the caretaker government, Gassan Hasbani, launched on Friday the National Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign 2018 organized by his ministry, but which excluded non Lebanese women. In this respect, a number of Palestinian women complained that they have been notified by the government run hospitals that the campaign does not cover them, and is restricted to Lebanese women. On the subject, the Palestinian Democratic Women’s Organization (Nada), announced that, along with all Palestinian women in Lebanon, it was shocked with this vetoing of Palestinian refugees, denouncing what it described as a racist, discriminatory measure, and stressing that it comes in the framework of a similar prejudiced policy adopted by the Lebanese State. For its part, Al Akhbar newspaper wrote today, that after excluding non-Lebanese women from the above campaign, individual initiatives emerged as a temporary and alternative solution to the predicament. To this end, Dr. Jamal Qura, disclosed that it is offering Palestinian women refugees free medical examination and cancer screening. She said that she started her direct contacts with Palestinian women without any intermediary, explaining that any woman refugee can visit her clinic and will be referred from there to one of the mammography centers. (Al Akhbar, October 18, 2018)
 

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