Other news

Al Akhbar newspaper published a report on the case of young child Eva G. reminding the public of her plight and of the fact that the perpetrators have yet to pay for their crime.  The reported coincided with Eva’s hearing today in the presence of the Ministry of Justice Juvenile Department representative whereby she was asked to narrate her experience of living with her family after spending time with her abductors.  The case will then be heard by the juvenile judge.
The report reiterates that the perpetrators have not been investigated yet for the charges of abduction and rape as, according to the newspaper, the judiciary needs handholding to perform its duty.  In addition, the law enforcement which was empowered with special prerogatives to arrest the perpetrators did not take any action to that effect.  Law enforcement indicates that they have failed to arrest the perpetrators because they are “absent”.  Eva’s family contests this and advises law enforcement to ask the neighbors of the perpetrators for their whereabouts.  
Lawyer Manar Zeaiter told Al Akhbar that several legal issues make the judiciary directly responsible for that matter.  These include the age of marriage since Lebanon is a signatory to the child rights charter which stipulates children’s age range up till 18 years as well as the special clause regarding marriage of children.  The other issue according to Zeaiter is the fact that the marriage was not contracted by the religious court and, last but not least, the fact that the child was raped during 12 days of captivities.
Source: Al-Akhbar 5 December 2013

Najdeh Association launched its new campaign on sexual harassment yesterday and shared, for the occasion, its documentary on the subject as well as the results of a study undertaken by Dr. Aziza Khalidi, member if the Najdeh Board, on sexual harassment in Borj el Barajneh. The study covered a sample of 116 families residing in Borj el Barajneh and showed that most women and girls are subjected to sexual harassment by family members which further intimidate them from speaking out.  The study also showed that 12% of victims of sexual harassment are children and have experienced sexual harassment in small alleys in the camp.  Witnesses also confirm that 14.2% of incidence of sexual harassment was seen in small alleys and note that the architectural structure of the camp actually compounds and facilitates occurrence of sexual harassment.  In a related vein, one of the researchers interviewed in the documentary draws a correlation between increased poverty, poor social, economic and security conditions and high population density which facilitate and encourage sexual harassment.
Source: Al-Akhbar 4 December 2013

Women in Front launched its new initiative entitled strengthening women’s role in municipalities and which seeks to build the capacities of Lebanese women candidates for municipal elections and prepare them for the upcoming electoral round through building their skills and capacities in undertaking assessments of needs of their localities and identifying possible solutions.  The launch of this new project which is implemented with funding from the MEPI initiative, took place during a press conference that was organised yesterday in Beirut under the auspices of the Minister of Interior and Municipalities.
The coordinator of the project, Joelle Abu Farhat Rizkallah, reiterated in her key note address the fact that women’s participation at municipal level does not exceed 4.8% and thus indicates the need for encouraging women to participate in political life.  The MEPI coordinator in Lebanon, Erik Ryan noted that this project is a model of women candidates that Lebanon needs as they will have the chance to be exposed to mechanisms and ways of working in local elections and will become familiarized with the role of the municipal council as well as government.  He added that strengthening women’s role in politics, through this project, is likely to bring in a new dimension to politics in Lebanon.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Diyar 3 December 2013

Abaad and its partners launched yesterday their contribution to the 16-day world campaign to combat violence against women and girls.  The campaign is entitled “Saying God help her will not help her” and seeks to mobilize people to take action against violence.  According to the director of Abaad, Ghida Anani, violence against women is a multi layered issues which requires personal initiatives to challenge and prevent violence against women.
The campaign includes three TV spots, showing women and men witnessing domestic violence in their immediate environment but feeling helpless and simply saying “God help her”, whilst they continue their life as usual.  The campaign also includes a radio advert, advertising on billboards all over the country, in addition to small text messages and various training and awareness activities, all to be concluded on December 18th.
Source: Al-Nahar 29 November 2013

Beyond association started a series of training workshops targeting Lebanese and Syrian women to empower and protect them from all forms of domestic violence.  The workshops will be held at the organisation’s centres in Nabatyeh and Ansar in South Lebanon, and are implemented in collaboration with Heartland Association, with funding from UNICEF, and include training in hairdressing, beautician, English language and awareness raising on dealing with violence.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 29 November 2013

On the occasion of the International Day to Combat Violence Against Women, The Lebanese Council to Resist Violence against Woman (LECORVAW) launched earlier this week, its contribution to the 16-day World Campaign entitled “From Peace at Home to Peace in the World”.  The Campaign addresses equality amongst women and men, gender based violence, discrimination and early marriage and includes activities to be implemented essentially in Beirut and Tripoli beginning with the holding of a seminar at the Balamand University.  Activities include films viewing as well as interactive theater performances and shows for more than 300 children.  The cycle also includes activities targeting LECORVAW’s own work team on gender based violence in addition to round tables and seminars with women’s groups, clergy and various other associations.
In a related vein, the Lebanese Centre for Civic Education concluded yesterday its project entitled “Let us Work Together to Build Bridges” with an interactive play on violence against women held at the Chyah municipality.  The play highlighted the case of a husband who is against women’s right to work, and underscored the problems arising from patriarchal education which make men stubborn without reasonable cause.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Nahar 28 November 2013

In its report published yesterday, Human Rights Watch highlighted the different forms of sexual abuse, harassment and exploitation subjected to Syrian displaced women by employers, landlords as well as by humanitarian aid workers even in faith based organizations and more generally by members of the local community.
The report was based on individual interviews with 12 Syrian displaced women conducted between the months of August and September 2013.  All interviewees are registered with the UNHCR but none has reported the abuse due essentially to their lack of confidence that the proper authorities will take any action to protect them and because of fear from retaliation by the abusers especially for those who do not have any official paper.
The report urges the Lebanese authorities and the United Nations to improve mechanisms for reporting sexual and all forms of abuses, and to ensure that perpetrators are duly punished.  The report notes that the Ministry of Social Affairs has actually addressed only one case of sexual exploitation and a number of cases of sexual harassment allegedly by one humanitarian aid worker in a faith-based organisation.  The Ministry referred that case to the local Mufti and that person was subsequently sacked from his job.  However, the alleged criminal was not referred to the judicial system and no official investigation was carried out.
The report concludes by highlighting the importance that government and UNHCR structures inform Syrian displaced women of their right to file complaints, and on how to do so.  According to the report, the Ministries of Social Affairs and of Interior should put in place referral mechanisms amongst service providers and law enforcers.
Source: Al-Safir, Al-Akhbar, Al-Nahar, Al-Mustaqbal 28 November 2013

A women group representing the Protection of Lebanese Women Gathering visited Allama Sayyed Ali Fadlallah yesterday to discuss the issue of children’s custody age for the Shiite community and to inform him of the future steps to push forward its cause.  Sheikh Fadlallah called for a thorough social and theological study of the various Sharia interpretations with regards to children’s custody age as well as through the various existing family courts.  He added that there are many such studies which take into consideration the best interest of the child.  He also noted that women are entitled to include their conditions with regards to child custody in their marriage contract.

Source: Al-Safir, Al-Nahar, National News Agency 27 November 2013

The Internal Security Forces organised the day before yesterday, and on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women an event entitled "the role of internal security in addressing domestic violence", which was held at the ISF HQ in Ashrafyeh, and included the launch of the 16 days campaign to combat violence against women, organised by ISF in collaboration with Kafa.
The event is part of a campaign, running under the slogan "we have a mission" and calling on women to use their 112 hotline to seek help if they are subjected to violence.  This campaign was launched the day before yesterday, on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, and will continue until December 10th.  The campaign is part of a wider program entitled "strengthening the role of the ISF in combating violence against women" being implemented by Kafa with funding from UNFPA and the Italian Government and seeking to mainstream protection from gender based violence within the national plan of the ISF.
On a related vein, the United Nation media centre organised along with “Say No to Violence” association a number of activities in the village of Sfarayh in South Lebanon targeting 59 children and 20 educators from SOS Children Village. The activities aimed at raising children's awareness on combating violence against women, and are parts of the UN's concern in protecting children from violence and exploitation and raising awareness on violence at a young age.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Nahar, Al-Akhbar, Al-Safir, Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Diyar 26 November 2013

My Nationality is a Right for me and My Family Campaign renewed its demands for equality in the rights of women to transmit nationality as well as for equality in the laws during a national sit in organised yesterday at the Riad Solh Plaza on the 70th occasion of Lebanon’s independence.  More than 1000 persons took part in this event including concerned women and their families, fellow activists, media representatives, representatives of sister organisations and supporters of the campaign.  This particular event was organised on the occasion of the 70th Independence and in commemoration of 70 years of exclusion and marginalization of women in Lebanon.  The campaign coordinator noted that that it is high time for local politicians to take on their responsibilities towards women and to address key issues such as the right to nationality, to political quota, to protection from violence and to a civil family law.  She added that as long as the system in Lebanon is confessional and gives primacy to confessional rights over citizen’s rights, women will remain hostage in a country where politicians are more interested in dividing resources and power amongst themselves and in spreading confessional hatred.
The Campaign noted that this event is to remind politicians of their responsibilities and to remind public opinion to unite and demand full citizen’s rights to both women and men.  Guest speakers included the president of the Lebanese Women’s Council, Ms. Jamal Ghebril, Mada Erslan, Kafa as well as a representative of the Nationality Campaign General Assembly, Mariam Ghazal.
Media reports of the sit in highlighted the next steps of the Campaign and that is to consider ways and means to take up this issue at the international level and to hold Lebanon accountable for failing to secure women’s citizenship rights.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Nahar, Al-Akhbar, Al-Safir 25 November 2013