NCLW opens two new women training centers in Shiyya7h and Sheb3a

The National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) opened, within the framework of its collaboration with the Al Walid Bin Talal humanitarian foundation, two new women training centers located within the municipalities of Shayya7h and Sheba2a.  The launch of the two centers was announced during an event marking the exchange of a memorandum of understanding between the three parties which was organised at the NCLW main training center in Baabda.  This opening constitute in fact the third stage in the process which has involved the setting up of the NCLW main training center in Baabda followed by the set up of training centers in Kaytah – Akkar, Ras Baalbak and Jezzine. The former centers will soon be followed by the opening of a new centre in B3aqleen
The setting up of these centers aims to increase the opportunities for women's training and empowerment, strengthen their capacities especially in rural areas and so as to support the development of local communities.
The vice president of the Al Walid bin Tala Humanitarian Foundation, former Minister Leila Al Solh, highlighted during her opening speech the plight of rural areas particularly given the increasing influx of displaced population from Syria and its negative impact on Lebanese communities in general and on rural communities in particular. She emphasized the lack of serious response from government to this issue and its failure in dealing with its responsibilities whilst throwing it on local municipalities.  Al Solh asked whether it is fair to leave the municipalities with the entire responsibility of taking care of the displaced and addressing their need instead of pooling efforts to follow up on the needs of citizens in these areas.  She noted the contradictions in the government's statements calling for empowerment and building women's capacity at a time when women in these rural areas are being replaced in agricultural and industrial work by foreigners (!?).
The vice president of the NCLW, Ms Randa Berri, noted, for her part, that the purpose of women’s economic, social, political and legal empowerment is not to take rights away from men but to invest in untapped human resources which communities need to improve and to strengthen social and national security and in order to achieve full citizenship.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Nahar 10 October 2013