Other news

The Rassmeblement Democratique des Femmes Libanaises, organised in collaboration with Dar el Amal, a sit-in in solidarity with the rights of women prisoners in Lebanon.  The slogan of the sit in was “they have the right to live in dignity” and was organised to coincide with the international 16 day campaign to combat violence against women and within the framework of the joint project entitled “Reinforcing the role of media to endorse the policies and the practices of human rights in women prisons in Lebanon”.
The women activists delivered a Memorandum of demands to the Minister of Justice requesting him to take into consideration the special needs of women prisoners, namely conducting a general medical exam as soon as they are detailed or incarcerated in addition to upholding their rights to be rehabilitated and reintegrated in society, upholding their right to communicate with their families, and to access legal and psychological support.  The Memorandum also calls for operationalising the existing legal aid support within the Ministry of Justice and for reducing detention and incarceration time.  The Memorandum further requests that the administration of prisons be improved, and prison wardens, physicians, nurses and doctors be trained in gender and in rights based approaches.
In a related vein, Al Akhbar newspaper published a report on the situation of women prisons highlighting that they are architecturally ill equipped to serve as prisons except in the case of the women prison in Tripoli.  This matter has negative consequences on the situation within prisons which fluctuates between bad and inhumane according to the study carried out by NGOs with regards to the condition of incarceration centres for women.  The report also noted that services provided by NGOs are partial, with religious NGOs leading in the provision of services in the midst of a quasi absence of educational, entertainment and cultural services.  A previous study carried out three years ago noted that of 10000 NGOs registered at the Ministry of Interior; only 20 associations are active within women prisons of which 10 groups do occasional one-time activities.  The study further highlighted the absence of coordination amongst these NGOs.
Source: Al-Akhbar, Al-Safir, Al-Nahar, The Daily star 11 December 2013

Nabeh presented yesterday the results of a study on women’s rights violations in times of conflict which was carried out within the framework of its new project entitled “helping women in conflict situation”.  The project is funded by the Foundation for the Future and implemented by Nabeh in collaboration with Solidarity association. The study which focused on displaced women showed that 25% of them suffer from physical and verbal abuse by their husbands.  Of these, 39% resort to their families whilst the rest chose to keep silent.  The study further noted that 46% of women interviewed considered that failing to report violence is due to embarrassment especially if the violation has implication of “reputation: and “honor”.
A number of other papers were also presented by the Center of Social Solidarity and which highlighted the economic conditions of displaced women in Lebanon amidst the discrimination to which Palestinian working women are subjected especially since the labor laws limit Palestinian women’s right to work.  Nashet (Active) Social and Cultural Association also presented a paper highlighted violations during emergencies and especially targeting women, and the Follow-up Committee of displaced Palestinians from Syria another paper focusing in violation targeting displaced women before and after their displacement.  Finally, the paper presented by Center of Social Development stressed on the social and psychological pressures on Palestinian women and especially those displaced from Syria.
Source: Al-Safir 11 December 2013

Insan kicked off yesterday a two day workshop on the sponsorship (Kafala) system.  The event was held in Hazmieh with the attendance of representatives of organisations working on legal issues related to migrant women workers.  The event was also attended by former Minister of Labor Charbel Nahhas, the Sri Lankan Ambassador in Lebanon Ranjith Gunarathna and a representative of the Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon.
The seminar included a review of the clauses of the ILO Convention 189 on the rights of migrant domestic workers. Participants also discussed steps needed so that Lebanon ratifies this Convention.  Nahhas noted for his part that migrant domestic workers need to be included in the provisions of the Labor Law.  He reiterated the fundamental right of all to be protected from any form of discrimination in work arguing that the sponsorship system has no legal or cultural basis in Lebanon.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 10 December 2013

The Human Rights Club at the Lebanese University organised yesterday at Faculty of Law in Saida a seminar on strengthening women’s capacity to advocate for the law to protect women from family violence.  The Club coordinator, Halima Kaakour, presented the reports of the Vienna Human Rights Conference as well as the CEDAW commission on violence against women.  According to Kaakour, violence against women is considered to be the most widespread form of violation of human rights worldwide.  She added that the Lebanese state needs to take real measures to enhance women’s right to education especially in view of the intimate link, according to her, between illiteracy and violence.  She also called for enacting laws which condemn domestic violence and which protect women from this violence especially within the family, and ensure legal, political and economic gender equality.
Source: Al-Akhbar 10 December 2013

The Lebanese Association for Permanent Peace concluded, in collaboration with Diakonia, the first phase of its project in women’s participation in political life at the local level.  The end of this phase was celebrated last week during an event organised at the Press Club.  A key synthesis from the project was the reiteration of the importance of the role played by Parliament in promoting women’s political participation especially given the important role of women in peace building and because women are an integral part of society and of human rights.
MP Ghassan Mukhaiber noted during the celebration that promoting women’s political participation is the responsibility of the Parliament and, as such, the electoral law for the upcoming municipal elections should include provisions for women’s quota.  MP Chant Janejian discussed for his part the situation of women in Lebanon.  He noted that even though women have made some achievements, however, they have yet to become equal partners in public life and that is in view of the prevailing discriminatory family laws which clearly violate women’s rights and which have to be changed such as the penal code, NSSF laws, the pension system, the nationality law, personal status and electoral laws; the latter must make tangible provision for women’s representation.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 9 December 2013

The Lebanese Forces party co-organised last week in Beirut and in collaboration with Justice without Frontiers a seminar on combating violence against women.  The event was held at the Alexandre Hotel on the occasion of the International Day to Combat Violence Against Women.  The president of Justice without Frontiers, Brigitte Chalabian, gave a presentation on all forms of violence affecting women namely physical, psychological, sexual, economic and legal violence.  She highlighted that Lebanon has not yet ratified the CEDAW optional protocol and has not worked towards harmonizing its internal laws with the provision of international women’s rights conventions.
MP Elie Keyrouz addressed the legal aspect of violence against highlighting the current injustice in the laws notably in the penal code which allows for honor crimes, penalizing adultery amongst women only, allowing the rapist to marry his victim, and not protecting women from marital rape.  He referred to the proposed amendment put forward by himself and MP Setrida Geaga and aiming to abolish clause 562 from the penal code and which was approved by the House.  He also pointed out to the law petition to review clauses 487, 488 and 489 of the penal code with regards to “adultery” and which constitute a straightforward discrimination against women.  Finally, he also spoke about the law proposal to protect women from domestic violence which included specific proposals put forward by the Lebanese Forces, stating that the proposal was approved by the Parliamentary Commission, and currently awaits the endorsement of the House soon.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Mustaqbal 9 December 2013

SMART centre for media and advocacy organised last week three round tables with students from the LAU, AUST, and MUBS.  The events were part of a series of round tables organised within the framework of the "One Voice Makes a Change" project.  Participants discussed the importance of youth and women participation in public and political life through the electoral process.

According to SMART’s director, Randa el Yassir, the importance of these round tables stem from the importance of including youth in discussions about social economic and political problems as well as preparing them to contribute to find solutions through their participation in decision making processes.

Source: Al-Nahar 6 December 2013

As indicated on a previous news brief, Lebanon rates 16th out of 22 Arab countries mapped by the Thomson-Reuters Foundation in terms of respect to Human Rights. Avenir Liban presented this result during a seminar  it organised last Wednesday on the situation of women in Lebanon during a seminar entitled “CEDAW: Woman and Tomorrow in Lebanon”.  The event was organised at the Bar Association under the auspices of Minister of Justice, Shakeeb Kortbawi.  The seminar included several interventions on the realities of women inLebanon.  Nahlah Haidar, member of the UN CEDAW committee highlighted the importance of girls education whilst the Secretary General of the NCLW, lawyer Fady Karam, outlined the legal reforms achieved to date.  The president of the NGO Post Beijing Committee, Fahmieh Sharafeddeen, called for granting women the right to transmit their nationality to their children, as well as for abolishing clause 252 which protect perpetrators of so-called “honor crimes” and the imposition of a minimum age for marriage. For his part, the Minister of Justice, disclosed that his Ministry is currently preparing a civil marriage law that will allow couples to have a recognized civil marriage according to a Lebanese law which will rule over marriage, divorce and child custody but not over inheritance.

Source: Al-Safir, Al-Nahar 6 December 2013

Al Mayadeen TV honored during a public ceremony organised the day before yesterday at the UNESCO Palace the renowned Algerian heroin, Jamilah Bu7hred, amidst a large crowd including MPs and Ministers, political and cultural public figures in addition to writers and artists from various Arab countries who offered poems and speeches in recognition of Bu7hered’s well recognised contribution to Algerian struggle.
Bu7hred is one of the key women figures who contributed to Algeria’s liberation from the French colonizer. She joined the National Liberation Front in the early fifties and participated in a number of heroic acts making her on the top wanted list of the French colonizer.  She was captured in 1957 after being hit by gunshots and was sentenced to death.  However, her death sentence was commuted and she was subsequently sent to France in 1960 in view of the international solidarity support she received.  She was finally released in 1962 after the declaration of Algeria’s independence and became the president of the Algerian Women’s Union.  Hezbollah’s Women Committees also honored Bu7hered in Mllita during her visit to the Mllita resistance museum yesterday.
Source: Al-Safir, Al-Nahar 5 December 2013

The Human Rights Centre are the Beirut Arab University organised yesterday a seminar on opportunities and challenges for gender equality in Lebanon, in collaboration with the EU delegation in Lebanon, and with the participation of the EU ambassador, Angelina Eichhorst, and 250 students from different faculties.  The President of the BAU, Amr Jalal Al-Adaoui, highlighted in his keynote address the role that BAU is playing in supporting human rights and women’s rights especially via the University’s human rights centre, the establishment of a women’s studies diploma and the legal unit where students provide support to vulnerable groups in defending their rights.
The director of the BAU human rights centre, Omar Houry, spoke of women’s rights to grant their nationality according to the Lebanese Constitution.  He noted that there are some 18,000 Lebanese women married to non-nationals but there are no exact statistics about the number of their children.  He also pointed out to the injustice facing these families especially in relation to their right to education, health, employment and other aspects of life.  The seminar also included speeches by the Austrian ambassador to Lebanon, Ms. Ursula Fahringer and Lawyer Leila Awada representing Kafa association.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 5 December 2013