Other news

A new case of violence against women has recently come to the attention of the media recently namely young Tamara (21) who escaped death after being severely beaten and tortured by her husband. Tamara went to the Ouzai police station where she was examined by the legal doctor who issued a report detailing bruises all over her body after which she went to Al Zahra hospital where she was admitted to intensive care for 48 hours.  Tamara suffered bleeding, a broken nose and severe contusions.  The Attorney General in Mount Lebanon, Judge Ghada Bou Alwan, issued an arrest warrant for the husband whilst Judge of urgent matters, Hasan Hamdan, issued a protection order for Tamara based on the new law 393 which was recently endorsed in Parliament. In a related vein, the Attorney General of Appeals, Samer Leisha3, charged Krystel’s husband with a crime of “causing suicide” according to article 535 of the penal code.  To be noted that Krystel’s husband was released two months ago and his file referred to the investigation judge in Mount Lebanon, Joseph Sfeir.

Furthermore, Al Akhbar newspaper reported the case of a woman who called the paper to talk about her predicament as she has been subjected to her husband’s violence and threats for more than three years.  The victim noted that she contacted Kafa who replied that it cannot help since it does not have the mandate to intervene and protect.  Kafa confirmed the matter when called by the newspaper.  Lawyer Nizar Saghieh stressed for his part that immediate intervention is needed and possible in this case and can be triggered by an organization or individual through notifying the relevant authorities.

Source: Al-Safir, Al-Safir, Al-Akhbar, Al-Akhbar, Al-Akhbar, 8, 9 and 10 June 2014

L’Orient le Jour published yesterday a report in which it shared the result of a study carried out in the Baabda women prisons and which highlights the conditions of women prisoners and their suffering.
According to the Dar Al Amal statistics for 2013, the total number of women incarcerated in the four women prisons in Lebanon (Zahleh, Tripoli, Baabda and Beirut) is around 627 women and that is excluding the number of migrant women workers who are incarcerated for months awaiting deportation.
According to the report, living conditions in all four prisons are not in accordance with international standards.  In Baabda for instance, a 20 square meter cells houses 20 prisoners.  Such room only has one window and poor lighting.  According to the report, there are no specific administrative policies that regulate the situation of women in prisons.  Rather, women prisoners with the longest tenure set the rules.
The report highlights special cases such as pregnant women who deliver in prisons and the fate of their children, those forced to live in insalubrious conditions, the incarceration of minors and adults together as well as “sorting” of inmates according to race rather than according to the type of their offense.
The newspaper spoke with a 42 year old inmate who said that sometimes, the room hosts 22 women and this situation has not changed despite the intervention of many organizations who tried to help.  She added that women are subjected to insults and humiliation all day long and are forced to work hard in sewing, cleaning, cooking, etc… in return for basic hygienic products which explains the poor sanitation conditions within the prison.   Finally, the report also highlights the social isolation of women prisoners as they are abandoned by their families.  According to the newspaper, this also may be partly due to the remote location of prisons which are not well distributed in the country.
Source: L’Orient Le Jour 10 June 2014

Smart Centre for media and advocacy launched last week the second phase of its “She Leads” programme which targets women from various parts of Lebanon and seeks to train them to become decision makers as well as more effective at the political, social and economic levels. The workshop series started in the North with the participation of 70 women drawn amongst civil society activists, housewives as well as representatives of Smart partners.
The Smart Centre director, Randa Yassir, spoke in her intervention about the stereotypical image of women leaders in the media.  She noted that the purpose of the programme is to encourage women to reflect images as leaders as well as empower them with communication and negotiation skills in addition to develop their political, economic and social skills.
The director of training and research at Smart centre, Dr. Mamoun Torbey shared the results of a study conducted by Smart centre which indicates that the media does not reflect the true image of pioneer and political Lebanese women.  This was followed by interventions from partner organizations praising the importance of the programme and hoping for a continuous collaboration with Smart in the framework of future projects.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 9 June 2014

As Safir published a report on the Nationality Campaign documentary, All for the Nation, directed by Carole Mansur, which shows the stories of Lebanon women married to non-nationals and their plights and that of their families.  The film was shown on Wednesday at that As Sabeel public library in Monot which is affiliated to the Beirut municipality.  The event was attended by a large number of women who are part of the Nationality Campaign and who came from different parts of Lebanon.

The newspaper reporter, Sa3ada Allaw, spoke of the suffering of children who lived all their lives in Lebanon but who are considered as foreigners and who were subjected to all forms of discrimination such as not being allowed to go to public school, or benefit from health care or obtain an entrance visa at the airport whilst many are deprived from inheriting their mothers.  The non-national spouses of Lebanese women are subjected to additional suffering as the implementation of the “complimentary residency” still faces many hurdles whilst some face deportation without any proper justification.

Allaw presented the cases shown in the film notably that of Dibeh from Baalbek who married her Egyptian sweetheart and had four children with him.  After her husband died, Dibeh could not register her children at the Egyptian embassy as her husband’s family wanted to take them away.  Dibeh registered her children as stateless.  Miriam married a British man and wanted to settle in Lebanon with her three children who are not allowed to be Lebanese.  Aline married an Egyptian lawyer and suffered from state violence as her family was mistreated and her husband was threatened with deportation when the film was been made.  Aline asks for her part “why do Lebanese men enjoy the right to transmit citizenship to their foreign wives and we as women are deprived from this right although we fulfill all our duties vis-à-vis our countries?  Each woman ended her talk by chanting the Lebanese national anthem along with her family.  Indeed, we are “All for the Nation but the Nation is for men only”.
After the film was shown, the participants had an open discussion with the film director, Carole Mansur, and with the Campaign coordinator, Lina Abou-Habib, who pledged to continue the struggle until all Lebanese women are able to transmit their nationality to their families.
Source: Al-Safir 6 June 2014

The media hectically covered yesterday the murder of 17 year old Wala2 from Bebnine who was shot dead by her father.  According to As Safir newspaper and the testimonials of the victim’s neighbors, Wala2’s father found out that his daughter was getting ready to elope with her fiancé.  Also according to the paper, the father disappeared right after the shooting whilst his victim was rushed to Youssef Hospital Center in Halba before being returned home whilst her family observed silence.  The newspaper quotes the forensic physicians, Moussa Haddad and Hussein Adawiyeh, who checked the victim first at home as the family refused to take her to the public hospital in Halba. The doctors noted that they were not able to do a full check of the victim but can say that she received four gun shots in her chest, stomach, head and right hand which led to her death. They also added that the victim did not have an autopsy as this cannot be performed except in a morgue.

Source: Assafir June 5, 2014

 

MP Bahiyya al Hariri headed the graduation of students from the Leadership and Moderation Academy.  The event was organized by the Hariri Foundation for Sustainable Human Development in partnership with the Lebanese American University with the participation of 300 students from the Hariri college and the LAU.
In her address during the event, Hariri noted that education is the main challenge facing communities and nations and hence the needs to continuously develop skills and capacities.  She added that that there are three objectives to building a leadership personality namely: a) strengthening autonomy and the ability to take on responsibility both in private and public life as well at the national level; b) moderation and the focus on humanity and interaction amongst humans as individuals cannot  grow unless their interact with others; and c) justice which is the system that determines rights and responsibilities in one’s relation with others and with their environment without have one party take over the other.
This was followed by a speech by the LAU president, Dr. Joseph Jabra, the project director, Elie Samya and addresses by graduating students on their impressions of what they learned especially in terms of exchanging experiences.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 2 June 2014

Citizens, Attorney General of Appeals, and police forces from the Gemmayzeh police station pooled their efforts yesterday to save a woman subjected to domestic violence perpetrated by her husband for more than a year and a half and since the first year of her marriage.  The Attorney General of Appeals issued an order to arrest the abusive husband for 48 hours and force him to pay alimony for his wife and child and allow them to return home after giving them back their identity papers which he had previously withheld. The decision came in compliance with clause 11 of the new law to protect women from domestic violence recently approved by Parliament.

According to the news reports, neighbors of the woman subjected to violence called 112 after witnessing the excessive violence perpetrated against the victim by her husband.  A patrol was sent to the pace and the husband was taken to the police station where an interrogation was held with the presence of Kafa according to the order of the judge.  After that, a protection order was lodged with the Judge of urgent matters according to which the judge issued a restraining order against the abuser preventing him for entering in contact with the victims, or from inciting violence against them.  The abuser was ordered to be removed from the family household for a week after his release from detention and he was also ordered to pay for the costs of living for his family as well as attend rehabilitation sessions for 2 weeks at Kafa.  The period is renewable based on the recommendations of the expert.  The abuser was also ordered to return the ID cards of his family members and was prevented from taking her cellular phone.  He was also ordered to allow her to leave her house at will.  The judge also asked Kafa to nominate a social worker to undertake regular visits to the family to ensure tat te judge orders are being duly implemented.

Kafa welcomed the decision.  According to Lawyer Leila Awada, what happened is of extreme importance and reiterates Kafa's demand for ensuring that the Attorney General of Appeals has the mandate to protect women.  Awada also welcomed the speed at which judge of urgent matters acted.

Source: Al-Akhbar, Al-Safir 2 June 2014

The Lebanese Organisation for Studies and Development (LOST) launched a project entitled “Step by Step towards municipal elections” during a public event organized yesterday in Baalbek with the participation of the Dutch Ambassador, Hester Somsen.  The project aims at training 300 women from 14 villages in Baalbek on municipal work to allow them to participate effectively in the next municipal elections of 2016.
Rami Laqis, the president of LOST, noted that the project is a component of a series of projects which address 4 subjects, namely a) strengthening the culture of participation in society; b) income generation; c) building civil peace; and d) strengthening basic humanitarian services and legal support/  Dutch Ambassador Somsen noted that the project will help promote the role of women in political participation and in changing their poor representation in politics as it will strengthen the role of 300 women in Baalbak-Hermel on the local political scene.  She also noted the poor representation of women in local and national politics which does not exceed 2%.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 29 May 2014

The Lebanese Association for Permanent Civil Peace (LAPCP) continued, in collaboration with Diakonia, the implementation of the second part of its programme on women’s participation in decision making at the local level namely through the organization of a seminar yesterday at the Tyre cultural forum with the participation of some 40 women. The coordinator of the project, Rabih Qays, presented the objectives and stages of the project and insisted on the importance to reach practical achievements which would change people’s behavior in their daily life and highlight the culture of peace.  For his part, Antoine Messara gave a lecture on ways for strengthening Lebanese heritage through advocating for women as human.  He attempted to answer three key questions: why empowerment? Why women? And why Tyre?
The event concluded by a series of recommendations put forward by women and revolving on protection of women’s rights and on the role of women in strengthening the culture of rights and civil peace.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 29 May 2014

Social Najat association organized in Iqlim al Kharroub a discussion seminar entitled “I am a woman and I have rights”.  The event was organized yesterday at the Shim cultural club with the attendance of Muna Farshookh (spouse of MP Mohammad Hajjar), the President of the association, Samar Shubeir Othman, and representatives of local clubs and NGOs, in addition to women from Shim and Iqlim al Kharroun.  The general secretary of the Lebanese Coalition for Protection of Families, Dr. Fatmeh Shaaban, noted in her interventions that any form of violence is not acceptable and can be stopped with prevention, namely sound education and successful family relations or through imposing penalties.  The head of the coalition, Maha Fatha, noted that there is less violence is our countries than in Westerne countries (?) adding that the local mode of education which reposes on haram and shame is the basis to decrease violence.  She insisted that the aim of her group is to protect women without affecting the unity of the family.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 29 May 2014