Other news

An Nahar newspaper published a report on a group formed of 12 young women and men who launched the Lylot youth programme to support the rights of women and that is after they participated in a series of workshops within the framework of the “Tomorrow’s Young Leaders in Lebanon” which was initiated by the An Nahar youth page in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.  The report noted that the youth group chose to go ahead with this initiative given the importance of the subject matter and given what women go through in terms of violations that are condoned by society.  One member of the group, Jad Sham, told An Nahar that women’s issues are quite complex especially in the absence of laws that protect women and safeguard their rights.  He added that starting from this fact; they have tried to come up with an initiative that is entirely different from what is currently implemented by other organisations or individual initiatives.  Sham noted that his project has two components.  The first is related to parliamentary elections but is postponed for the moment as the elections were postponed.  The second part deals with the issue of violence against women and how to use technology to protect women from violence.  For this, they devised an application for smart phones that victims can use to locate their position and inform of a situation of abuse in a confidential manner.  He added that coordination is on-going with civil society organisations as well as with law enforcement to complete this project which will cost USD 16,000 and for which the group is trying to raise funds.
Source: Al-Nahar 26 September 2013

The Partnership Center for Development & Democracy (PCDD) organised last week its fourth seminar on women’s participation in public life this time held in Tripoli in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture.  The event is part of a series of seminars that the centre is organizing in various areas of Lebanon within the framework of the “eye on my municipality” project implemented with financial support from MEPI.
The seminar was moderated by the Centre’s director Lina Alameddine, and discussed challenges facing women in political participation.  It highlighted issues such as male authority, traditional mindsets, the electoral system and women’s personality.  Some participants blamed women for being weak in taking initiatives and proving themselves in public life whilst other participants objected to the quota system; however, there was a consensus that women should have the right to transmit their nationality to their children.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 22 September 2013

For more information about PCDD’s previous seminars, please check the news published on the WEEPortal on 10/9/2013, titled: “The Partnership Center for Development & Democracy meeting in Zahleh on women and public participation”

The YWMA honored the vice president of the Walid Bin Talal Foundation former Minister Layla Al Solh in recognition of her considerable humanitarian contributions.  The event was held during a brunch organised by the association at the Phoenicia hotel and was attended by many women civil society figures as well as wives of MPs.
The president of the YWMA Najah al Chaar gave a key note address highlighting the humanitarian contributions of As Solh to the benefit of charitable, social, religious, health and military institutions.  As Solh noted for her part, the important role that women played in building the nation since the march in 1943 against the French mandate and their active participation in the struggle in the Arab world to achieve their social, economic and political rights.
Source: Al-Nahar 23 September 2013

My Nationality is a Right for Me and My Family Campaign noted in a communiqué released, last Friday, that the new naturalisation decree number 10214 signed by the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister was finally made public by the As Safir newspaper following numerous rumors on this matter echoed by the media.

The Campaign noted in its press release: “Rather than dwelling to no avail on the why and how was such a decree issued or on the identity of those who benefited from it as well as the background and interests involved, My Nationality is a Right for Me and My Family Campaign is ethically compelled to underline a number of conclusions on this matter:

1. This decree was in now way surprising given very frequent precedents of arbitrary and non transparent practices by decision makers in Lebanon and to which, alas, citizens, have become accustomed;
2. It is indeed shameful for the state, and notably for its two highest authorities, to grant the Lebanese nationality to foreigners, and ironically to women and men and their families, when it is denying this right to Lebanese women and their families whilst citing poorly convincing excuses;
3. This decree reveals the state’s total disregard vis a vis its women citizens and their rights and highlights the state’s false claims of being keen on upholding the rule of law and ensuring citizen’s rights and equality.
4. What is most incomprehensible is the timing of this decree as the country is going through the most uncertain and dangerous period and when the political elite is unable to provide the minimum level of safety, well being and livelihood to its citizens and is also unable to nominate a new government to take on such responsibilities.

The campaign concluded by saying that the release of this decree further reinforces our conviction with regards to a need for a radical change in the practice of governance in Lebanon and for embracing full and inclusive citizenship as the only entry point towards building a new state that is mindful of Citizen’s rights and social justice and as an alternative to the present confederation of religious groups.
Source: Al-Safir, Al-Nahar, Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Akhbar 21 September 2013

Hayya Bina organised at the Yolip centre in Debbieh (Chuf) a three days training workshop targeting the teachers of the English for Women programme, which implemented by the organisation in more than 35 localities in Lebanon.  The workshop included training session in using latest techniques for teaching English, conceptual and practical training in conflict resolution within.
The English for Women programme which now enters into its fifth year, with funding from the USA Embassy in Lebanon, seeks to combat English illiteracy amongst rural women and targets 800 women beneficiaries.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 20 September 2013

The Lebanese Council to Resist Violence Against Woman (LECORVAW) announced last week the launch of a number of awareness raising sessions targeting women and girls of Lebanon  as well as women displaced from Syria on issues related to women such as gender based violence, early marriage, sexual harassment and the role of women in peace building.  LECORVAW also reminded the public that its centers continue to provide free social, psychological and legal counseling services to women and girls regardless of their nationality.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Akhbar 16 September 2013

Al Akhbar newspaper published a report on segregated secondary schools in the public sector and which total 40 segregated secondary schools compared to 213 co-ed secondary schools (thus representing 20% of the total according to a census of all public secondary schools in the country).  The report indicated that these 40 segregated schools are mostly located in the most populated areas of Beirut, the Southern suburbs and Tripoli but are rarely found in rural areas and villages.  The report noted that the highest concentration of segregated schools is located in Beirut (seven segregated compared to 11 mixed schools) according to the sources of the Ministry of Education. The latter indicated that the reason for that skewed distribution may be the fact that the secondary schools in Beirut are amongst the first established and according to the old system which segregated students by sex.  This system still prevails in these schools until now.
The report also explored the views of girls and boys students who attend sex-segregated schools.  Some of them noted that they have coped with this system whilst others consider it to be outdated and should be changed.  Parents have a different opinion, particularly fathers, as they consider that whilst most school may be capable of teaching, very few are able to “educate” the youth and, as such, they prefer to send their daughters and sons to sex-segregated schools and avoid mixing the sexes.
Al Akhbar also indicated that religious schools, both Muslim and Christian, are keener on maintaining sex segregation in keeping with their religious beliefs.  Some of these schools strongly believe that sex segregation in the classroom actually enhances school performance by helping students to focus on scholastic matters only.  They substantiate their views with the high results obtained by segregated schools in the official exams.  Hence, more schools are now opting to segregate students in order to avoid problems caused by some young men.
For his part, the president of The Lebanese Association for Educational Studies (LAES), Dr. Adnan Al-Amine insists on the benefits of co-ed schooling as, according to him, sex segregated schools pushes students towards developing wrong ideas about the other sex which in turn leads to unhealthy relations in the future.  Al Amine also noted that girls may benefit on the short tem from not being with boys as this allows them to develop their leadership skills especially since co-ed schools often exhibit male leadership and subordination of girls.  Nevertheless, Al Amine still largely remains in favor of co-ed schooling citing a number of researches that have provided evidence to that effect.
Source: Al-Akhbar 13 September 2013

Smart Centre for media and Advocacy in cooperation with Women in Front association concluded yesterday a cycle of 6 round tables organised under the title “Women Support Women” and as part pf the “Media supporting pioneer women” program.  The roundtables were organised in various part of the country and implemented in collaboration with the following organisations: Development Women Office – Kfardebian – Keserouan, the White Hand for Women Association – Aley, Women Solidarity Association – Ras Baalbak, House of Literature, Science, and Development- Tripoli and Haya Bina Association in both Rachaya and Teir Debba – Tyre.
The program of the events included the viewing of the project’s audio-visual adverts entitled “Who is with you… we are all with you” followed by the facilitation of seminars covering various topics focusing on women’s involvement in political life and in elections, the importance of engaging men in supporting women, women’s solidarity in encouraging other pioneer women and in supporting women candidates. Some 200 women attended these activities and completed evaluation forms that pointed out to the usefulness of such activities and to their impact in changing mindsets and encouraging women participation in elections both as candidates and voters.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Nahar 13 September 2013

Al Akhbar published a report about the results of the official tests for 2012-2013 which showed net advances in girls’ performance compared to boys and cited a gender analysis as to the possible causes and indication of such discrepancy presented by sociologist Azza Sharara Baydoun.  The report noted that as per the last ten years, girls supersede boys significantly with the total number of girls being 310 out of 462, whilst the boys’ number being 152, which equals 67% for girls and 33% for boys. Breaking those numbers into the detailed certificates, the report indicated that the total numbers of excel students of the intermediate certificate was 169, from which 116 are girls while 53 are boys, which equals to 68.6% to 31.4%. As for the High school certificates, the economics section had 69 students of which 57 are girls and 12 are boys, 82.6% to 17.4%, literature and humanities had 61 student, of which 54 are girls while 7 are boys, 88.5% to 11.5%, as for the life science section, it had 77 students of which 48 girls and 29 boys, 62.3% to 37.7%. The only section where boys supersede girls is general sciences which had 86 students of which 51 are boys and 35 are girls, 59.3% to 40.7% since not too many girls register in this section in the first place.
In her interview with Al Akhbar, and in an attempt to interpret these results, Baydoon indicated that girls’ higher performance is a worldwide phenomenon and the problem is rather the poor performance of boys.  Baydoun attributed the cause to the system of rote learning where children are taught to learn by heard and to obedient and able to stay in one place, all attributes that are preferred for girls in our societies whereas boys have more freedom and more flexibility to engage in cultural activities.  She also added that poor performance of boys may be due to the fact that teachers are not skilled in their teaching thus causing boys to be bored or rambunctious in order to express their lack of interest which in turn reflects on their performance(!?).  On the other hand, Furthermore, Baydoun noted that girls higher performance is perhaps due to the changing gender roles as parents no longer perceive marriage as a guarantee for a better life for their daughter and are therefore encouraging their daughters to study so that they are able to work for a living and achieve financial independence which is needed in case they do not marry, they divorce or become widows.  Baydoun concluded that the fact that girls are better performers than boys hides other problems at the level of educational system, and education within the home that needs to be addressed.
Source: Al-Akhbar 12 September 2013

The Rassemblement Democratique des Femmes Libanaise jointly organised, with Dar el Amal, Caritas Lebanon – Migrant centre and Diakonia a round table on human rights in women’s prisons and that within the framework of their project entitled “Strengthening human rights policies and practices in prisons for women in Lebanon” and which is implemented with funding from the European Union and SIDA.  The event was attended by representatives of a number of ministries and civil society organizations as well as individuals connected to various initiatives targeting prisons.  The discussion highlighted the key problems facing women’s prisons namely in terms of legal texts or practices and the priorities for advocacy which can lead to improve the situation of prisons with focus on women prisoners.
Lawyer Manar Zeaiter of the RDFL talked about the health conditions of women in prisons who lack gynecology services except the case of the Baabda prison noting that the latter recently introduced this service, whereas only women nurses are available in the other four prisons for women.  Zeaiter also noted that meals offered to women prisoners are not sufficient and pregnant and lactating women are not provided with adequate nutrition, and that women are allowed to bathe only three times a week and are not provided with sanitary pads.  Zeiater added that detained and convicted women are not separated whilst some women are penalized for bad conduct by not allowing them to see their families.

For his part, Diakonia’s representative, Rudolf Jebrayel, noted that the said project includes numerous activities which will be implemented over a 30 months period and namely the following: developing training curricula, building the capacities of prisons staff, providing legal awareness and legal services to women prisoners, developing a law petition and an advocacy plan to improve the situation of women prisons so that they meet international human rights standards.  Furthermore, Jebrayel clarified that the project targets women prisoners, prison guards and prison workers posted in the four women prisons in Lebanon namely in Baabda, Tripoli, Zahleh and Beirut, in addition to Lebanese NGOs, public institutions and UN organisations.  The project seeks to raise the capacities of prison authorities in managing prisons so as to uphold human rights, improve legal and social support provided to prisoners, raise awareness and mobilize civil society on gender equality, present recommendations for prison reforms to the Lebanese parliament in such a way so as to harmonise local laws with international standards for treating prisoners.
The key recommendations of the round table included insuring that women prisoners are treated in a way that is respectful of human rights at all stages, including arrest, detention, conviction, imprisonment and subsequent reintegration of society, while giving particular attention to pregnant and lactating women.  Other recommendations included addressing the impact resulting of arrest and detention of women on their children.  The roundtable also recommended that women’s special needs be addressed notably their right to health care, food, personal hygiene, reintegration and facilitating the communication of women with their families and children, access to free legal aid so as to minimize problems related to arrest and detention, securing legal and psychological aid and protection for foreign women prisoners.
To be noted that the project’s partner organisations launched a website http://www.lebanonprisons.org which carries a number of studies including one reviewing the work of 20 organisations involved with women in prison and carried out by the lawyers Fidaa Abdelfattah and Danya Basyouni, with the social assistant Zainab Chehab.  The website also includes another study focusing on the women penal system in Lebanon in comparison with the international conventions for human rights and prepared by the lawyers Maya Mansour and Rita Ghawi.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Nahar, Al-Akhbar, Al-Safir 11 September 2013