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Women on the front lines: Seminar by Chidiac Foundation || Newspapers (Arabic)
The May Chidiac Foundation – Media Institute (MCF-MI) organized yesterday a conference entitled "Women on the front lines", under the auspices of the first lady Wafa Suleyman who pointed out in her keynote speech to the important role played by the National Commission for Lebanese Women in launching several initiatives, mainly: amending five discriminatory laws, preparing the national strategy 2011-2021 and national action plan. Suleyman also reiterated her full support to women’s right in passing their nationality to their children, resisting domestic violence, endorsement of women quota in politics and finally the promulgation of a civil marriage law. In the same vein, Chidiac pointed out to the negative effects of patriarchal society that claims valuing women and yet rejects their advancement, emphasizing various political and sectarian factors while undermining women’s rights, justifying violence against them and leave women unprotected.
The seminar followed 4 main axes. The first, was facilitated by Marcel Ghanem, and was dedicated to interventions by former first ladies where Joyce Gemayel, Mona Hraoui and Nayla Moawad shared the challenges they faced during the period of armed conflicts in Lebanon.
The second axis dealt with the role of women in diplomacy, and was facilitated by the British ambassador in Lebanon Tom Fletcher and in which participated the EU ambassador Angelina Eucharist, the Canadian Ambassador, Hillary Childs Adams, Pakistan Ambassador Rana Raheem, and the Lebanese former ambassador to UAE. The third axis focused on women reporters in conflict zones and was facilitated by Tom Harris from Al-Jazeera English Channel, with the participation of Arwa Damon from CNN, Rania Abou Zeid from Time newspaper, Rath Sherlock from the Daily Telegraph and Sonia Dreidy from France 24 Channel.
Finally, the conference included an intervention by Najib Sawiris the president of Orascom Telecom holding, who outlined the obstacles that he personally faced in his career, pointing out to the fundamental role which women played in defining his choices, and stressing the importance of the Lebanese experience of community coexistence as well as explaining how in his view the so-called Arab spring had turned into an Arab fall.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Nahar, Al-Diyar 5 March 2013
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- العربية