Other news

Resonance Lebanon, in collaboration with Safadi Foundation, organised a musical and dance performance entitled “women with broken wings”.  The event was held last weekend at the theater hall of the Safadi Cultural Centre in Tripoli with the participation of international pianist Elizabeth Sombart accompanied by Dr. Mallika Sarabhai, an Indian dancer and a TV producer.  The performance included 12 acts each representing a different form of violence suffered by women in silence from the day they are born to the day they die.  The performance is a contribution by both artists to change reality through art.
The cultural evening also particularly highlighted the realities in women prisons across the world in an attempt to reflect the conditions and struggles of women as mothers, prisoners, victims of violence and rape.
Source: Al-Nahar 12 November 2013

On the occasion of the coming to terms of the 2012-2013 school year, Haya Bina organized, earlier this week, within the framework of its extracurricular activities for teachers and students a cultural tour in the Shoof area to provide the opportunity for students from Sowwaneh and Burj Rahhal (south), Meshmesh, Aydamoun, and Mashta Hammoud (North), Kfar7heem (Shouf), Burj Al-Barajneh and Ain Al-Remmaneh (Beirut) to meet each other.  The day-tour started in Kfar7heem with a visit to the cultural exhibition organised by the Lebanese House Establishment for the Environment (LHEE) followed by a visit to the Shoof cedars natural reserve located in the Barook Mountain where the group planted a symbolic cedar tree in the name of the English for Women Programme.  The group then visited the reserve and engaged in cultural activities animated by trainer Mohammed al Amin.  It is to be reminded that this programme targets some 35 localities across Lebanon and is funded by the American Embassy in Beirut.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Diyar 12 November 2013

Women in Front organized last Saturday, 9th of November 2013, a round table entitled “The cause of women rights: development and obstacles – France, Morocco and Lebanon”, at the “Salon du Livre Francophone de Beyrouth” where three women involved in women’s right, Paola Shrabiyyeh from Lebanon, Wassyla Tamzali from Morocco, and Mary-Terez Sanchez representing the European Union met to discuss challenges that women face across the world.  Shrabiyyeh, an expert in theology, noted that women in Lebanon face way more challenges than what they have been able to achieve. According to Shrabiyyeh, two third of women in Lebanon suffer from domestic violence and rape whilst the perpetrators of these crimes go unpunished.  She also added that women in Lebanon still cannot transmit their nationality to their children whilst women and men are still ruled by religious laws and finally concluded that women’s political participation is an opportunity to change this situation, adding that Lebanon is classified 133 globally in terms of women political participation.
Source: L’Orient Le Jour 11 November 2013

Following the report published by Al Nahar newspaper yesterday about Bernadette Chidiac and her sister who live in a dire condition but have not benefited from the National Programme to Support the Poorest Families in Lebanon, Minister Abou Faoor issued a statement thanking Al Nahar for covering this story while clarifying the ways in which the said programme operates.
The statement first indicated that the programmed follows objective assessment mechanisms which are controlled and monitored.  According to the Minister, this mechanism is totally transparent and does not allow for any kind of interference and is subject to the advice of other Ministries.  If an applicant is refused, he or she is able to have recourse and ask for a reconsideration of his file which will be addressed via another social assessment.
The statement notes as a second point that the National Programme to Support the Poorest Families in Lebanon was a new experience and model in the work of public institutions which was different from the usual ways of working which left negative impressions with citizens.  As such, the Minister noted that the programme and its management are ready to consider any suggestion to improve the performance and transparency of the programme which, in any case, happens on a regular basis.
Thirdly, the statement reminds that the programme assisted some 165000 Lebanese citizens with school tuition fees to more than 10000 students in addition to assistance in purchasing school book.  Students enrolled in the 2012-2013 scholastic year benefited from this assistance all over the country.  Furthermore, 20000 students enrolled in vocational and/or secondary education benefited from this programme in addition to the distribution of 8000 food rations distributed via the MOSA community centers.  The latter also distribute medicines free of charge with more than 36000 families benefiting from MOSA centers across the country.
The statement concludes with the case of Bernadette Chidiac and her sister from the village of Chowayya in the Metn and notes that the programme management sent another assessment team to visit them today and evaluate their social and economic conditions and undertake the necessary steps rapidly so as to reconsider their file.
Source: Al-Nahar 8 November 2013

Following its sit in organised on November 5 2013, the PWL (Protection of Lebanese Women) met yesterday with the vice president of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council Shekh Abdel Amir Kabalan.  The meeting was held within the framework of the national campaign to raise children’s custody age within the Shiite community.
Following the meeting, the group issued a statement noting that Kabalan was not responsive to their demands and was not even ready to discuss the proposals.  The statement adds that Kabalan’s position is similar to that of Judge Abdel Halim Shararah who saw in this campaign a mere “waste of time”.  Kabalan had asked the Campaign to address their request directly to Ayatollah Sistani in Iraq.
In their statement, the PWL specified that they asked Kabalan to refer to some of the Fatwas issued by several Shiite references, such as Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, whose Fatwa raised the child custody age to 7 years of age for boys and 9 years for girls.  However, the statement added that similarly to Sharara, Kabalan refused this suggestion categorically.
The statement concluded by referring to a series of earlier meeting with Shiite clergy who supported the demands of the PWL campaign notable Jaafari Mufti Ahmed Taleb.  The statement also referred to earlier memoranda issued by the office of Sayyed Hussein Fadlallah supporting the Campaign and stressing that it is possible to change the rulings of the Shiite courts.
Source: Al-Safir 8 November 2013

Al Akhbar published a report about the increase in the number of Lebanese marrying Syrian refugee girls especially after the Fatwas issued by Sunni clergy in Akkar allowing this kind of marriages in order to “protect refugee women and prevent them from taking on other means to ensure their livelihoods”.  As such, marrying Syrian women and girls has now become “an act of charity” especially amongst married men who have found in this Fatwa a way to get out of monogamy with as little cost as possible.  This practice has also become popular amongst young men who have found a “halal” way to live their own family lives.

The report also reflects the point of view of Syrian women and girls who see in this marriage a way to cope with their present hardship especially given the continuous crisis in Syria and given the fact that, unlike Lebanese women, Lebanese men can transmit their nationalities to their non-Lebanese spouses.  Local leaders and Moukhtars in Akkar express their discontent (often on a clear racist note) with this trend as, according to them, this is depriving Lebanese girls from marriage since young Lebanese men can have Syrian wives!  Some went as far as to say that a Lebanese man needs USD 50000 to be able to marry whereas Syrian men sell their daughters to marriage for a mere USD 1000.  A Mukhtar added that 25 young men have married Syrian refugees.  The mayor of Miniaryah shared the storey of two young Syrian girls working in the field and boasting about the amount of money for which they were sold.  The mayor further adds that “this is common practice amongst Syrian refugees and is not imposed by the Lebanese”.

According to Al Akhabar, Syrian men are also marrying Lebanese women but to a lesser extent as Syrian men are unable to secure livelihood requirements.  The Moukhtar of Kaytah, Khaled Al Mir, famous for having launched the racist call for a “Akkar free of Syrians” noted that there are 70 marriages to Syrian women every months and way more less for Syrian men marrying Lebanese because, according to him, Lebanese women “have more pride and will not accept to marry homeless men living in tents and paid for by charitable organisations”.
Source: Al-Akhbar 7 November 2013

Al Nahar newspaper published a report about two sisters, Bernadette and Houda Chidiac, who live a life of poverty and have yet to benefit from the social assistance of the Ministry of Social Affairs.  Bernadette, who is now 54 years old, toils seeking to secure the basic livelihood necessities for her and her bedridden sister who suffers from physical disability for a decade now.  The report notes that Bernadette applied for support from the National Programme to Support the Poorest Families in Lebanon.  Her file’s reference is 2300516 dated back to 5/12/2011, and was submitted following a home visit carried out two years ago by a social worker assigned by the Ministry to assess her situation according to the criteria set forth by the Ministry but her file seems to have been completely forgotten.  It is to be noted that Al Nahar followed her case file, a year ago, in an attempt to understand why Bernadette never benefited from the programme.  The field assessor responded that Bernadette is indeed considered poor and that she should benefit from the programme but did not provide any further information.
Source: Al-Nahar 7 November 2013

The Daily Star newspaper published a new report yesterday about the new campaign launched by the local activist group “Say No To Violence”. The activities of this campaign are mostly directed towards women victims of sexual harassment or assault or rape, who are encouraged to raise their voice and stand up against the harasser through documented interviews. The report also indicated that the campaign has recently launched a hotline for reporting any sexual assault on the following number: 03980603.
Mirna Karouny, a feminist activist and the deputy head of the campaign, noted in her interview with “The Daily Star”, the importance of these interviews that documents sexual assaults so that they can be presented to authorities and thus help in deterring the harasser. In addition, this process encourages women to break the wall of public silence and to share their stories to in an attempt to tackle what is a widespread phenomenon.
The report also shares the stories of a couple of women victims of sexual harassment. The migrant worker “Amal” narrates how the agency’s owner schemed with her employer so the latter would rape her, after repeatedly hitting her; the she accompanied her story with pointing out to the bruises on her arms. Then the newspaper report the case of “Umm Ayman” who said that most of the sexual assaults she witnessed were at her work place and in public transportation, adding that she never thought to report any of these assaults since she has no faith in the authorities.
Source: The Daily Star 5 November 2013

As Safir published a new report on the situation of women prisoners in Lebanon which coincided with the holding of the workshop entitled “Reinforcing the role of media to endorse the policies and the practices of human rights in women prisons in Lebanon” and which was organised by Diakonia last week in its offices in Ras el Nabeh.  The event was organised within the framework of the “Reinforcing policies and the practices of human rights in women prisons in Lebanon” project which is implemented by The Rassemblement Democratique des Femmes Libanaise (RDFL), Dar el Amal, Caritas Lebanon – Migrant centre and Diakonia.
The newspaper report focused on the field and legal realities which were discussed at the said workshop while noting the gap in the law which regulates prison (1949) which does not comply with any international standards of human rights in prison.  The report also noted that according to international standards, prisons should play the role of administering punishment, rehabilitation and protection of the rights of women in Lebanon.  According to Diakonia, this is not the case of women prisons in Lebanon where migrant prisoners suffer from gross violations such as additional exclusion, and absence of any separation between women who are detailed and those who are actually convicted.  Furthermore prisons do not differentiate between civil and penal crimes, and women who are detained are not allowed to contact their families, while cases of physical and sexual violence are not recorded.  Women' privacy is not respected and their cases are often discussed publicly. They do not benefit from any training and are not able to learn new skills or do any work for pay.  In addition, there are no libraries and no spaces for training or physical exercises.
The report includes stories of three women prisoners who reveal cases of oppression of women by women.  One narrative says that the prisoner has forgotten about oppression by men on the streets as she has to deal with oppression by fellow women prisons. Another woman talks about working for all the other women who may give her some money or cigarettes in return or may not.  One migrant woman prisoner shares her story of life in prison where other prisoners call her the "black woman" and force her to move the garbage.  She complains about being called back and being forced to do all the work and is denied food or clothes from fellow Ethiopians.
Source: Al-Safir, Al-Safir 5 November 2013

Justice without Frontiers organised last Saturday in collaboration with I live Art an activity entitled "together to have justice for women".  The event included the painting of graffiti on women's right to access justice and how important this is to secure family stability. Justice without Frontier also invited residents of the area to partake in this event which included self expression through painting and writing to discuss their vision on how they visualise women's rights and the importance of women's access to justice.
This activity was part of the project campaign for empowering women to access justice. A project the organisation is implementing in partnership with Oxfam GB and with funding from SIDA (Sweden), and aiming at providing legal literacy for women, and free legal counseling to women victims of violence who face problems with the law.  The project also seeks to develop partnerships with local community and religious leaders, political parties and NGOs in order to develop common strategies that will ensure women's access to justice.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, The Daily Star 4 November 2013