Other news

YWCA organized last week and for the second consecutive year in its premises in Ain el Mreisseh a celebration for the graduates of its health care training courses which extended over three months and which included a practicum period at the Khoury Hospital, at the AUB-MC and the Moadieh Evangelical Center.  The training in health care will allow successful graduates to work in hospitals and dispensaries as well as provide care to elderly and infants.  During the celebration, the president of the training committee Edma Farah highlighted the objectives of the YWCA notably the empowerment of women and girls through developing their economic and sustainability skills.  She also thanked that national federation of YWCA in Beirut and the Beirut municipality for their financial support towards that training programme.
(Source: Annahar July 1, 2014)
 

The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, honored Lebanese barrister Elizabeth Sioufi, the director of the Human Rights Institute at the Beirut Bar Association, in recognition of her effective role in challenging human trafficking during 2014 and for her role in raising awareness on this issue.  The event took place at the US State Department on Friday June 20th.  According to l’Orient le Jour, Sioufi was instrumental in calling for the adoption of the first law on trafficking in human I n 2012 in Lebanon and played an important role in developing a national strategy to counter this trend in Lebanon. Siufi expressed her proud with this recognition which will further encourage continuing her journey and hoping that human rights of every citizen will prevail across the world.
(Source: L’Orient le Jour 30 June 2014)

 

Within the framework of the project entitled Strengthening the role of parties and unions to enhance women’s political participation which is coordinated by the Rassemblement Democratique de la Femme Libanaise (RDFL), women members of various Lebanese political parties participate alongside other women participants from Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Palestine in an advanced regional training workshop organized over 5 days in Casablanca and which was entitled “Strengthening the role of parties to enhance women political participation”.
Parallel to the training, a special session was organized to present the findings of national studies conducted in the 5 countries on the realities of women’s political participation.  The coordinator of the project, lawyer Manar Zeaiter, noted that it is now high time to strengthen the participation of women in political parties and trade unions so that they become part of decision making through challenging stereotypes about women and fostering partnership between women and men as well as creating regional networks to support women and challenge violations of their rights.

Source: Al-Akhbar, Al-Nahar 27 June 2014
For further information about the project, please refer the previous news published on the WEEPortal on 13/6/2014, An EU-funded new empowerment project to strengthen Arab women's political participation and challenge exclusion from decision making
 

My Nationality is a Right for me and my Family Campaign organized a symbolic sit-in yesterday at the Ryad Solh Plaza with the participation of some 300 Lebanese women married to non-nationals and their families who came from all parts of Lebanon to protest the last minuite action of former President Michel Suleyman who granted Lebanese nationality to some 700 nationals right before his end of his mandate.  Women considered that this irresponsible action was dictated by confessional considerations.  Slogans cited during the sit in included: “Our rights are not to be purchased or sold”.  Other slogans asked for the nationality without clientelism and favoritism.
During the protest, the coordinator of the Campaign, Lina Abou Habib, highlighted that after a quick review of the names which received this gift, it was obvious that confessional and other narrow considerations were given primacy and that the President ignored the various excuses that the state was putting forward for not reforming the nationality law particularly the issue of right to return for Palestinian people.  The statement of the Campaign wondered which consideration took primacy over the politicians’ eternal arguments against reforming the nationality law.  The Campaign also wondered the reason for this hasty and secretive move.  The Campaign also confirmed that this sit in will be followed by many others and that the Campaign’s aspiration is for a new President who respects women and citizenship rights.
Miriam Ghazal, one of the Campaign activists lambasted politicians and questions their motives and spoke of the hardship and humiliation of Lebanese women married to non nationals.  She also challenged politicians who want to reinstate Lebanese nationality to thirds and fourth degree generations of immigrants who have little connections to Lebanon and are least likely to return.  She confirmed that women’s right to nationality is neither for purchase or sale. Lawyer Iqbal Dughan reminded politicians that women are not alien to their countries and that the constitution safeguards equality.

Source: Al-Akhbar, Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Nahar, Al-Diyar, L’Orient Le Jour, The Daily Star 26 Jun 2014

The British and Lebanese Ministries of Foreign affairs issued a statement in both Arabic and English which said the following: “Speaking from the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, both ministers agreed to tackle human rights violations as part of their governments’ responses to the Syrian refugee crisis, and reaffirmed that rape and sexual violence destroy whole communities and ruin the lives of women and men, boys and girls. The ministers agreed that it was time to act to deliver practical change on the ground”.
This statement came as the outcome of a meeting between Lebanese and British Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Gebran Bassil and William Haig, which was held within the framework of the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict and which was held in London (include official name and link).  Bassil insisted on Lebanon’s commitment to maintain its pioneering role in the Levant as a warrior against sexual violence during conflict as well as peaceful times.  He also noted that Lebanon has defied terrorism and is a major human rights defender.

Source: Al-Nahar 26 June 2014

For more information on the Global summit or the joint statement, please refer to the following link: Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict

The Lebanese Women Council issued a statement yesterday expressing its pride with the step to issue stamps commemorating three of its pioneers, namely Anissah Najjar, Mounira Solh and Laure Moghayzel.
The statement noted that “these exceptional women are landmark in feminist and national and humanitarian work in Lebanon and their contribution remains relevant in supporting the rights of women and supporting women’s social and economic causes.  The Council thanked the minister of communication, Butros Harb, for this initiative and hoped that Lebanon will continue to honour and recognize pioneer women for their important work.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 26 June 2014

The Daily Star newspaper published a report about two recent research papers shedding light on different facets of domestic abuse in Lebanon and the complex interplay of factors that must be addressed to deal with the phenomenon beyond legislation.  The results of the first research paper carried out by Christelle Khadra, a doctoral student at the University of Montreal, and supervised by Antonine University faculty, showed that 97 percent of the 87 women participating in the research and who had suffered from physical abuse suffer from symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The results of the research also indicated that women who were in abusive relationships for over seven years showed fewer PTSD symptoms than those who were in a similar relationship for less than a year. The paper referred these results to the possibility that the formers developing better coping mechanisms over the longer years of abuse.
While, Khadra advises that health-care professionals should become more involved in identifying women at risk and referring them to counseling and shelters, the second paper revealed that doctors were often reluctant to involve themselves in issues of domestic violence due to cultural and religious beliefs that condone the practice and out of fear of losing patients and of personal safety. This second research paper, which is the outcome of interviews with 92 physicians, was published in the British Journal of General Practice and was undertaken by Jinan Usta, associate professor of clinical medicine at the American University of Beirut. The results of this paper also pointed out the fact that most physicians in Lebanon tend to blame victims of domestic violence for the abuse and to justify the practice of violence.
Source: The Daily Star 24 June 2014

Liban Post honoured last week Ms. Anissa Najjar, a pioneer women’s right defender celebrating her 101st anniversary.  The event was held at the Liban Post head offices in Riad al Solh under the auspices of the Minister of Communication, Boutros Harb.  Liban Post announced that it has issued a special stamp to honour Ms. Najjar in recognition of her contributions including her global concern with world peace, security, freedom and humanity and the fact that she went beyond the boundaries of her Lebanese and Arab environment.  Harb also spoke of Ms. Najjar’s exceptional journey and her emancipation from the past century’s conservative environment and the ways in which she challenged patriarchy and contributed to a process of renaissance.
For his part, Liban Post’s CEO and ED Khalil Daoud said that Najjar challenged social norms and called for women’s emancipation through education especially in rural areas.  He added that Najjar was a pioneer in her call for women’s freedom and is a role model for generations to come.

Source: Al-Nahar 24 June 2014

The NGOs gathering in Sabra-Chatila organized last Friday an awareness event which targeted 100 mother and 400 children on the occasion of the international day to combat child labor.  The event was organized within the framework of the programme to combat trafficking in children and which is implemented by Dar al Amal in partnership with Diakonia and SIDA.  The event included film viewing for mothers on the different forms of trafficking in children and its implications on children followed by the testimony of a mother whose children suffered from child labor.  The event then moved to a discussion between women and the organizers.  The event also included another documentary on trafficking in children, self protect as well as a testimonial from a child who left his school to work.  Palestinian Aid for Relief and Development (PARD) then presented a Muppet show followed by a number of activities.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Diyar 24 June 2014

Future movement in Joomeh organised last week a new event in Akkar on women and family violence. The event was held at the Halba municipality and included a lecture by the responsible of organisational matters of the Future Movement Nawal Medallali and was attended by representatives of CSOs as well as women in the region.  
Medallali outlined the various stages of the domestic violence protection bill since its inception in 2007 to date. The lecture also focused on the mobilisations during that period all the way up until the referral of the law to the Cabinet after its revisions by the Parliamentary Commissions and the subsequent change in its name to the "law to protect women and family members from family violence".  Medallali also spoke of the campaign entitled "if you are threatened, do not hesitate" which was recently launched by Kafa and detailed the various memoranda issued by the general directorate of the ISF and the Public Prosecution with regards to the procedure for dealing with women victims of violence and their complaints.   
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 23 June 2014