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The Lebanese League for Women’s Rights celebrated last Saturday its sixty-sixth anniversary with the participation of former Minister Mona Ofeiche, the President of the press Syndicate, Mohammed Baalbaki, the Head of the Secondary Teachers Union, Hanna Gharib, and various representatives of political parties, trade unions, social, educational, human rights and women organisations from various parts of Lebanon.
The president of the LLWR, Ezza Mrooweh, noted in her speech that the struggle for the rights for women is linked to the national struggle for independence, as well as to social and economic development.  She listed the various discriminatory laws that the LLWR is still working towards changing namely the nationality law, protection of women from violence, the adoption of a civil family law, the amendment of a number of discriminatory clauses in the penal code, in the National Social Security Fund whilst ensuring that mechanisms for their implementation are put in place.
Finally, Mrooweh saluted on behalf of all the sections of the League pioneer Linda Matar who was given with an inscription in recognition of her lifelong achievements.  The event was concluded by the signing of Matar’s biography.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Nahar, Al-Akhbar, Al-Safir 25 November 2013

The YWCA organised earlier this month a training workshop on gender equality targeting young women from four Euro-Mediterranean countries.  The workshop was entitled "Be Brave: Express Yourself" and was implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and with the support of the European Union.  The workshop aimed at addressing issues related to gender equality, and freedom of expression as a fundamental component of human rights, and included a discussion on the concept of democracy drawing on the current realities of each of the participants' countries whilst focusing on challenges and difficulties facing women and how these can be addressed.
The workshop extended from 16 to 21 November and was concluded with a ceremony held under the auspices of the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Faysal Karameh.  The workshop was held at the YWCA premises in Ain Mreisseh and included field visits to the Youth and Cultural centre in Zouk Mikhael and to Samir Kassir Foundation in Beirut. Finally, some 20 participants took part in this workshop representing youth groups from Italy, Hungary, Egypt and Lebanon.  The trainers were experts working for the Youth Euro-Mediterranean program
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Nahar 22 November 2013

The UN Media Centre organized in collaboration with “Say No to Violence” a training workshop on monitoring violations of women’s rights and documenting these on video.  The workshop which was organized at the STEPS learning centre in Saida and was attended by 22 activists, is part of a series of such events which are due to be organized in different parts of Lebanon in commemoration of the international day to combat violence against women and which is celebrated by the United Nations on November 25 of every year.
Theses workshops seek to support the campaign launched in 2008 by the UN Secretary General and entitled “Unite to End Violence Against Women”, whilst aiming to build the capacities and skills of participants in challenging violence against women in Lebanon as well as monitor it and minimize it.  The workshops also will contribute to strengthening the “Sexual Harassment Watch” monitoring site, and which is affiliated to Say No to Violence through providing it with documented cases of sexual harassment and other forms of violence against women.
Source: Al-Nahar 21 November 2013

Lebanon is celebrating this year the 70th anniversary of its Independence amidst a general political, social, and economic crisis and a lack of clarity regarding the future of its citizens who are increasingly bearing the brunt of insecurity as well as abysmal living conditions.
Dominant political forces continue their confessional bickering whilst being totally oblivious of the interests of citizens who should be their prime concern.
For 70 years now, women in Lebanon have been marginalized, denied the right to play a full public role and are excluded from their full right to citizenship and unable to transmit their nationality.
On this occasion, Lebanese women and civil society activists, engaged in My Nationality is a Right for me and my Family Campaign, are coming together from various parts of Lebanon and will gather on the Ryad Solh Square on Sunday November 24th at 12:00 noon, to claim women’s right to nationality and to call on politicians to assume their full responsibilities vis-à-vis women and men citizens.  Concerned women, their families and activists will all reconfirm their commitment to continue the struggle despite all hurdles and challenges and until they achieve their demands.
The continued struggle to achieve women’s right to nationality is only one step towards honoring the spirit and the letter of the Constitution and upholding the principle of equality between all citizens and particularly between women and men as well as adhering to the international conventions ratified by Lebanon, namely the Convention to Eliminate all Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
On this solemn occasion, we gather to say that Lebanon shall enjoy no real Independence so long as the confessional political forces remain in power and consider themselves as the sole rights holders.  Lebanon shall enjoy no Independence until it guarantees full equality to all its citizens and between women and men.

Source: Nationality is a Right for Me and My Family Campaign

As Safir newspaper published a report, yesterday, on the current economic vulnerability of low income families in Lebanon and stating that the average monthly expenditures of families often exceeds LBP 3 million whilst the minimum wage is set at 675000 monthly only.  The report refers to a study done earlier by the newspaper in an attempt to uncover the realities of families throughout Lebanon.  As Safir also shares the results of a small survey covering 10 families and which indicated that most families need a basic minimum of LBP 3 million to cover basic food costs as well as normal bills.  According to the findings of As Safir, a family of four people needs every month an average of 20 packs of bread (LBP 30,000), a bottle of olive oil (LBP 8,000), a variety of grains and additives including beans, lentils, rice, sugar and salt (at least LBP 50,000), some 4 to 5 kilograms of red meat (LBP30,000 per kilo for veal and LBP 15,000 for beef) in addition to fruits and vegetables (at least LBP 100,000), and two kilograms of dairy products (LBP 7 to 8,000 per kilo).  The cost of the preceding necessities gives an average total of LBP 300,000 in addition to electricity bills (LBP75,000), subscription in private generator (LBP150,000), water (LBP45,000), rent (LBP450,000), school tuition fees and supplies (LBP500,000). As Safir also points put to the disastrous price of heating as the price of a plate of diesel reaches up to LBP 27,000, and firewood costs LBP 300,000 per ton which are not included in the previously mentioned total.
As Safir wonders how families with a middle income can survive.  The newspaper shares the story of Walid who has two children and is in charge of his elderly father.  Walid has not been able to pay tuition fees for his children for the past two years and is unable to provide medicines for his father who suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure, and this despite the fact that he holds two jobs (a waiter during the day and a concierge during the night).  Samer, a father to four children, is forced to pay for the cost of wood and fuel as well as other consumables in installments, especially since he has now become unemployed after that his employer resorted to lower paid foreign worker.  Layal, mother of three, who works at a company that sells computers receives the minimum wage of LBP 675000 whilst her husband’s income from his own repair shop exceeds LBP 2 million, says that their combined income can hardly suffice for half of the month although she admits that she is in a much better position than many other households.  She wonders; how can families survive with only one salary?
Source: Al-Safir 19 November 2013

The YWCA held its annual gala last week at the Pierre Abou Khater Theater and which included a performance by Soprano Ghada Ghanem and an ensemble from the Lebanese Conservatoire.  Benefits from the event will go to the YWCA shelter.  Ghanem performed songs from her Lavender Lullabies album dedicated to My Nationality is a Right for Me and My Family Campaign.
The YWCA centre for battered women is the culmination of the organization work on protecting women and their children from violence as well as helping them with vocational training and psychological counseling in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs.
To note that YWCA celebrates its 113th anniversary this year.  The organisation’s headquarters are in Ain el Mreisseh and it operates branches in Marjeyoun, Tyre, Saida, Tripoli, Byblos, Hadath, Chayyah, Ain Al-Remmaneh, Bouchrieh, and Ablah in Bekaa and provides programmes for women and children with the aim of training them and protecting their rights.
Source: Al-Nahar 13 November 2013

The Rassemblement Democratique des Femmes Libanaise (RDFL) called for a candlelight vigil in front of the National Museum two commemorate the fourth year after the passing away of its former president Wadad Chakhtoura which represented over more than 5 decades a symbol of the feminist movement and trade union activism in Lebanon and who dedicated her life for the principles of equality, freedom, justice and democracy.
Participant held a large banner with Chakhtoura’s picture inscribed with “a journey of struggles” and lit candles in remembrance of her life.  The event also included poetry readings and a key note address by the vice president of RDFL, Caroline Slaibi who spoke of the deceased and of her achievements as well as the challenges she faced.  She insisted on the long winding road of women activism in order to challenge discrimination against women in practice and in the letter of the law, whilst highlighting persistent inequalities in the nationality law, in the social security fund, in the penal code and the civil status laws.  She also condemned the mutilation of the law to protect women from violence and the continued and systematic exclusion of women from decision making.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Safir 19 November 2013

The International Training & Conflict Resolution ICTR Center condemned the action of the Naher Ibrahim municipality who withdrew the membership of its elected woman member, Nadine Saliba, because of her marriage to a non-resident of Naher Ibrahim and the subsequent transfer of her civil register, a transfer which is required by law when women marry from men registered in different localities.  The Center asked the Minister of Interior, Marwan Charbel, to reconsider this case noting that clause 25 of the municipality laws stipulates that elected municipal council members be registered as voters on the list presented during the council elections.  As such, candidates should be on the local election register during the municipal elections and this is in no way a condition for completing the elected members’ mandate especially that Saliba married three years after the start of her mandate.  As a direct consequence of this act, the Naher Ibrahim Municipality was disbanded and the Chief of the Byblos Caza entrusted to act as its charge d’affaires. The director of the ICTR Center, Rowaida Mroueh stressed that the withdrawal of Saliba’s membership was an act of discrimination against all woman involved in politics and an illegal and illegitimate act.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Safir 18 November 2013

The Charitable Organisation for Social Awareness submitted ten years ago a proposed revision of the Druze family laws composed of 17 clauses of which three are to be given priority, namely regarding raising children’s custody age, giving mothers’ priority for child custody (in case she is found “fit and eligible” and if she remains unmarried) and safeguarding women’s inheritance rights from their fathers.  The president of the organization, May Wahhab Bou Hamdan explained the reason for prioritizing these clauses namely the persistence of Druze judges in refusing to raise children’s custody age (currently set at 7 years for boys and 12 years for girls) as they argue that when boys are raised by their fathers, they “become men” while the same judges have agreed to raise girls’ custody age to 13 years of age.  Bou Hamdan added that Druze Sheikh Akl Naeem Hassan has recently referred these clauses to the vote and hence the decision of the organization to pursue the dialogue with selected political leaders concerning the proposed amendment that will result in raising child custody age for boys to 12 years as boys need the same care and affection of their mothers as in the case of girls.  Bou Hamdan clarified that their actions are not directed against fathers and that they do not seek to prevent fathers from having custody of their children.
Bou Hamdan recalled that the organization submitted the full proposal for a reform of the Druze family law (dating back to 1948) back in 2002.  The suggested revisions were signed in April 2002 by former Minister of Justice Samir Jisr after he confirmed that it did not jeopardize public order or violate the Constitution or the current legal framework.  The organization had hoped that their petition would be referred to the Parliamentary Commission for Administration and Justice so that it can take its course to the General Assembly.  However, the unstable situation that has prevailed since then has delayed the process until now.
Source: Al-Nahar 13 November 2013

Al Akhbar published a report to follow up on the case of Eva focusing on the legal aspects of the case whilst raising a number of questions on the ways in which law enforcement have responded to queries regarding how the matter is proceeding.  For the past three weeks, and since the matter was unraveled, the response from law enforcement and various mandated stakeholders was to “let justice take its course”.  However, the author of the article, Rajana Hamyeh, wonders how justice will take its course when the alleged kidnappers and rapists are running free with complete disregard to the law.  She also asks whether the matter will now slip into oblivion after a court order has been issued to return Eva to her parents or whether a tribal scenario will now unfold again.
The report condemns the fact that the accused have yet to be apprehended despite the heinous nature of their crime and the fact that their whereabouts are known and they do not shy away from appearing on the media.  Hamyeh notes that mediators appear to have come back on the scene especially those who have “brought back the young girls to her family” with one of them calling the young girl’s father just a few days ago advising him to return the girl to her former and forced spouse to “protect her honor”.  The mediator informed the father that the former forced husband is willing to have a big wedding, to provide his forced child bride with an apartment, and with a bride price of 100 million LBP and a dowry of 50 million LBP.
Hamyeh concludes her article by noting that the case of Eva is not an issue of "protecting" the girl’s honor but the legal pursuit of perpetrators, criminals, instigators and mediators and their bringing them to justice on charges of kidnapping, rape, encouraging and legalizing these crimes.
Source: Al-Akhbar 12 November 2013