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Gender discrimination among agricultural workers in Lebanon

20-9-2017

A new study by the FAO-funded Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) on workers in the agricultural sector in Lebanon has shown that three quarters of workers in the industry are comprised of Syrian refugees who work in menial low-paying jobs, compared to the Lebanese who work in jobs that require skills and qualifications. Based on interviews conducted in 238 farms across Lebanon, the study indicated that around 80% of workers in agriculture did not complete their basic education and hence are forced to take low-skilled jobs. Citing UNHCR figures, the study mentioned the presence of some 474,000 displaced Syrians in working age, pointing out that the sector can further accommodate close to 50 thousand of these laborers. On wages, the study said the salary of one worker stands at roughly USD 429, a little below the minimum wage, while noting that salaries vary with the nationality of the worker. As such, the respective salaries in USD of nationals from Mali, Syria and Lebanon are, 200, 460 and 524. The study also found a large number of women in the agricultural workforce, making up 36% of permanent workers and 52% of seasonal laborers, noting that 32% of them are Syrian women refugees, and pointing to a large wage gap between male and female workers. The working woman receives USD 325 against USD 429 for the male worker, the study indicated. (L’Orient Le Jour, September 18, 2017)

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