Kick off of EU-funded project “Strengthening human rights policies and practices in prisons for women in Lebanon”

The EU and SIDA funded EU-funded project entitled “Strengthening human rights policies and practices in prisons for women in Lebanon” was recently launched after the approval of the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities and the General Directorate of Internal Security.  The project is implemented by Diakonia in collaboration with Dar al Amal, Caritas Lebanon – Migrants’ Centre and the Rassemblement Democratique des Femmes Libanaises.
Within the framework of this project, a training workshop was launched for 4 women wardens working in the following women prisons of Lebanon: Baabda, Tripoli, Zahleh and Barbar Al-Khazen, and with the participation of social work specialists.  The 4 wardens are expected to receive training kits to help them training thereafter other wardens with the objective of strengthening human rights in these prisons as well as intervene in conflict resolution.
The project includes a number of objectives namely developing training curricula, building the capacities of women working in prisons, offering legal and social awareness sessions for women prisoners, undertaking studies about the situation of prisoners in Lebanon, developing a draft law as well as supporting advocacy campaigns for improving the situations in the Lebanese prisons so as they meet international human rights standards.
Also, and within the framework of this project, a website was initiated in order to shed the light on activities, advocacy initiatives and other efforts aiming towards improving the condition of women prisons in Lebanon and  provide information to all those concerned with this matter. http://www.lebanonprisons.org
Source: Al-Safir 23 August 2013