Femmes libanaises votre droit a etre candidates dans vos regions d’origine vous a ete rendu!

Je suis tres contente! Hier le Parlement libanais a vote pour le projet de loi prepare par la Commission Nationale des femmes Libanaises (WWW.NCLW.ORG.LB) et presente au parlement par le depute Ghassan Moukhaiber en avril 2016.  Le projet de loi Permet aux femmes libanaises mariees, d’etre candidates aux elections municipales dans leurs localites  d’origine.

Ce droit est tres IMPORTANT. Il permet aux femmes de ne pas perdre tout les accomplissements qu’elles ont construits toute leur vie jusqu’a leur mariage. ce droit permet aux femmes de garder leur propre identite et de choisir ou se presenter aux elections, sans perdre tous les assets qu’elles ont pris du temps, du temps de leur vie a batir dans leur village/region d’origine, avec leur famille. Ce droit permet aux femmes de ne plus etre exclues de leurs familles.

Ce droit permet aux femmes de participer activement au developpement de leurs regions, de ne pas etre simples spectatrices, pire des spectatrices de passage. Leur mariage leur coupait le droit de participer activement au developpement de leur localite d’origine. Les femmes qui etaient elues en tant que celibataires dans le conseil municipal, perdaient leur poste apres le mariage. Mais la nouvelle loi, La loi amendee leur permet de garder un lien fort avec leur region et pouvoir marquer leur region des traces indelebiles de leurs travaux!

Municipales dans quelques annees, vous allez voir le nombre de femmes qui vont 1 se presenter aux elections et 2 gagner et 3 developper leur localite!!!

En toute solidarite

Rita Chemaly

Read Full Post »

La parite n’est pas une option mais une exigence democratique…

Un coup grave pour les femmes libanaises: la loi electorale de 2017 ne comprend pas de quota pour les femmes.

Alors que le Liban a une des pires places concernant la participation politique des  femmes au sein du parlement, un tout tout petit 3% de femmes au sein de notre parlement en 2016.

avec une femme ministre au gouvernement, le Liban detient la pire des notes concernant la participation politique des femmes. la 143eme  place sur les 144 en ce qui concerne la participation politique.

Hier la coalition nationale pour les femmes en politique qui rassemble les ONGs, les activitistes et des entites etatiques qui ont pour mission l’avancee des droits des femmes, a hausse le ton.

les femmes libanaises sont pretes au combat, difficile certe, sans quota ou mesure positive de discrimination, mais pretes a s’allier et a se presenter aux elections .

en France dans le meme temps, une progression nette de 12 points pour les femmes dans l’Assemblee est soulignee par le Haut Conseil a l’Egalite.

une avancee de ” 12 points a été permise par l’effet conjugué des contraintes – loi sur le non cumul des mandats et doublement des pénalités financières pour les partis ne respectant pas la parité des candidatures – et l’objectif affiché de parité de la part du parti de la majorité présidentielle, arrivé largement en tête lors de ce second tour des élections législatives.”

Je ne peux que souhaiter a toutes mes amies partisanes au Liban , un combat difficile certe, de bien etre placee dans les listes des prochaines elections, et dans des circonscriptions ou elles peuvent gagner aussi.

en citant le Haut conseil a l’Egalite, je rappelle que ” la parité n’est plus une option mais une exigence démocratique. “

 

Rita Chemaly

 

 

Read Full Post »

#PeaceDay #GlobalGoals SUBMIT VIDEOS TO THE UNITED NATIONS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE

 The Education Outreach Section of the United Nations Department of Public Information invites young people from around the world between the ages of 15 and 24 to submit 10- to 15-second videos in English on how the Sustainable Development Goals can build peace.

When making your videos, think about why ending poverty, addressing climate change, forging equality and ensuring access to education are important to creating a more peaceful world.

The most engaging videos will be featured on the United Nations International Day of Peace YouTube channel.

Some will even be shown at an official event at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 16 September.

We will be posting selected clips at www.youtube.com/channel/UCpLhcvaNT33Bs8ZvB4j6d8w

from 13 June (the start of the 100 day countdown) through 21 September, the International Day of Peace. When you make your video, please state your name and country at the beginning. [Example: “My name is Jimena, and I’m from Peru.”] And remember that all videos should be appropriate for viewing by younger audiences. We’ll be accepting your submissions from now until 1 September. So start sending your videos to unitednationspeaceday@gmail.com today! Background: The International Day of Peace falls on 21 September. Every year on this day, the United Nations calls on the people of the world to remember their common humanity and join together to build a future free of strife. The theme for 2016, “The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace”, highlights how ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring prosperity for everyone, all contribute to global harmony. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals were unanimously adopted by the 193 Member States of the United Nations at a historic summit in September 2015. More information on the International Day of Peace: http://www.un.org/en/events/peaceday/

More information on the Sustainable Development Goals: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs

Hashtags: #PeaceDay #GlobalGoals

 

http://www.un.org/en/events/peaceday/pdf/Invitation%20to%20Submit%20Videos%20for%20International%20Day%20of%20Peace.pdf 

Read Full Post »

Update : Internal Elections of CPL in Lebanon a great step forward in political behavior

I’m so glad, a political party in Lebanon has organised an internal election today, to ask the voters from the grassroots partisans to choose their candidates for the parliamentarian election.

Good step for CPL. But, but where are the women candidates on those lists?!!! A big party such as CPL needs to have more women leaders in the party! Women who work on political decisions, not brunches or our “terwi2as”. Where are the women on the lists of tayyar???? How many where they?? Can we have all their names?

When we ask for a women quota, these are not just words! Political parties need to name their women as political candidates,  the party need to help women arrive to all leadership positions!!!!

I can’t see the next elections without asking where r the women candidates of CPL??

I’m sure many of the militants and partisans are women, great leaders, they need to be on the lists!!! The 71% of voters why didn’t they vote for the women in the lists??? How many did vote for women? Why? Are partisans not acquainted of voting for women in political parties??

Below is a snapshot taken from alain aoun timeline. Btw brackets mabrouk alain, simon and ibrahim! W …

I need answers from CPL leadership!

Rita Chemaly

below are the official results of the elections of Tayyar as published on Tayyar:

Only 3 women figured on the lists of Tayyar in all Kada2 for July 2016 elections.

• Rindala Jabbour in Bekaa gharbi  ( won by tazkiyi)
• Katia Kiwan in Chouf ( 39 votes)
• Nadine Neemeh in Baabda  ( 65 votes)

http://static.tayyar.org/content/uploads/Article/160731111624469~Final_result1%20-%20Copy.pdf

Read Full Post »

Elections Detailed results are out!

ACHKOUT Results for the Municipal Council 2016 Elections . Source Elections.gov.lb

Youpiii!!! The Ministry of Interior in Lebanon is doing great in Publishing Online the results of the elections of the municipal councils in Lebanon!!

 

I am sooo happy to be able to access such information!

Yippee!! It will be better if for the directorates other than Beirut we can have the results by Kalam and Ghouraf. It is needed to see how voters voted, to whom, was it different if they are women and men, (Gender segregated data and even as we have them communities segregated data!)  and what was the “abstentions”  numbers in each kalam /ghouraf!

Here is a sneak peak from the elections, of my beloved  Home Town Achkout! Yeyyy!!!!

Numbers and stats will mean something soon!!! Access to information is Important in the state of Law!

Rita Chemaly

I’m waiting for the Chouf results !!! hurry hurry in uploading them!

 

 

Read Full Post »

Job Vacancy Researcher and Coordinator Democratic governance unit

Researcher and Coordinator
Duty Station: Beirut, Lebanon
Section/Unit: Democratic Governance
Reports to: Chief Technical Advisor and Head of Research
Project reference: 00085494
Budgeted level: SC-7
Source of Funding: 00085494
Duration of Employment: 8 months (Renewable)
II. Scope/Objective

The Common Space Initiative (CSI) project supports consensus building, sustainable civil peace, constitutional strengthening and stakeholder dialogues in Lebanon. This support will be provided through technical assistance, technical information and shared knowledge resources, collective and action research, common meeting spaces for stakeholders, expertise and other essential resources.

Under the overall supervision of the Chief Technical Advisor and guidance of the Head of Research, the Researcher and Coordinator will be providing support in coordinating all policy dialogues facilitated by CSI as well as providing research support needed in the development of public policies.

III. Functions / Key Results Expected

1. Support and coordinate Dialogue Forums & Expert Committees by liaising with members on needs identified by the group, research, reports, knowledge resource, membership participation, and planned activities.
2. Coordinate, liaise, and follow-up on communication between concerned parties, partners and members of Dialogue Forums and Expert Committees. This will include taking minutes of non-formal dialogue meetings, sharing all information in a timely fashion, support and respond to the needs of participants.
3. Participate and assist in the coordination of activities of Dialogue Forums and Expert Committees in the framework of each group’s terms of reference and the Common Space procedural principles.
4. Work closely with the Head of Research to provide knowledge resources and coordinate the provision of information in public policy dialogues, civil peace and consensus building initiatives of the Common Space.
5. Conduct research on public policies as directed by the Head of Research and support in the drafting of concept notes and TOR for commissioned research/external researchers.
6. Follow up with all external experts on the delivery of outputs in a timely matter and in a way that would meet the criteria set and quality standards
7. Provide support in expanding the network of experts and partners as needed to support all dialogue groups and consolidate knowledge provision and expertise.
8. Support the Head of Research and the Shared Knowledge Coordinator the development of all CSI publications
9. Support the Head of Research in the drafting of all needed reports including: dialogue reports, quarterly reports. Annual reports and other when requested.
10. Support the Head of Research on related tasks when needed
IV. Competencies

• Demonstrated conceptual and analytical ability.
• Excellent inter-personal skills and ability to resolve problems independently.
• Proven team worker’s skills.
• Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values.
• Displays cultural, gender, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

V. Recruitment Qualifications

Education: University Degree (Bachelor or equivalent) or Graduate Degree (Masters or equivalent)  in Political Science, International Relations, Economics, Sociology, or related fields.
Experience: A minimum of 4 years of relevant work experience with a University Degree or 2 years with a Graduate Degree.
Language Requirements: Fluency in written and oral Arabic and English. Knowledge of French is a plus.

To apply : http://www.undp.org.lb/jobs/VacancyApply.cfm

good  luck!!!

Rita chemaly

 

Read Full Post »

Employees and Workers in #Lebanon enjoy education scholarships

As a mother of a young baby boy, looking for a school in #Lebanon,  I was happy to read the last decision taken and published in the official  gazette ( Source: No 23 of the 4/6/2015)  in Lebanon by the Ministry of work ( Circular Nb 2068 ). Now the employees having a work contract can benefit from a scholarship allowance  for the education of their kids at school for the 2014 and 2015 educational year. 🙂 As for the sums allocated, here is a brief about what has been decided:

• 300 000LL for students in public schools;
• 750 000LL for students in private schools or universities;
• 450 000LL for students enrolled in the Lebanese university;

As the Circular says: the children must be between 4 and 25 years old. If the employee benefits from an allowance that is higher than this one, it shouldn’t be changed. this is what is written in the text. For more details attached the picture of the official gazette/ JARIDA RASMIYA Even if the sums are “tight” this IS a GREAT Step for WORKING parents!!!!!! Now Make sure to ask your accountant and boss to IMPLEMENT This Marsoum!!! youhou! Below is a picture of it! Rita Chemaly AND HERE IS THE CLEAR PICTURE OF THE MARSOUM

Read Full Post »

Parliamentary Commissions in Lebanon are studying the electoral law , are they considering a women quota?

As Parliamentary Commissions in Lebanon are studying the electoral law , we have been invited as Women active groups to give our opinion related to the “temporary, measure” the women  quota.

The first question that comes to mind:  are they considering a women quota?

yes they do, but Under which electoral system, no body know 😦 how Lebanon will be divided in régions, the annexe was not distributed for us to review it.

what is a quota for women, here is an extract from Atlas of Electoral Gender Quotas © International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2014.

Direct Link to Full 16-Page Text: http://www.idea.int/publications/atlas-of-electoral-gender-quotas/upload/Atlas-on-Electoral-Gender-Quotas_3.pdf

“Electoral Gender Quotas – A Major Electoral Reform

Gender quotas are numerical targets that stipulate the number or percentage of women that must be included in a candidate list or the number of seats to be allocated to women in a legislature. They aim to reverse discrimination in law and practice and to level the playing field for women and men in politics. Gender quotas, as they mostly regulate political parties’ actions, underscore the notion of political parties as the ‘gatekeepers’ through which citizens pursue opportunities for political leadership (Dahlerup 2006). Therefore quotas play a critical role in providing meaningful and effective opportunities for female party members to access elected public offices. To date, gender quotas have proved to be the single most effective tool for ‘fast-tracking’ women’s representation in elected bodies of government. It is, however, important to note that as an extensive body of research in this field suggests, quotas may have a differential impact in different contexts and in different electoral systems and may take longer than a single electoral cycle to produce the desired impact. Furthermore, electoral gender quotas do not remove all structural, institutional and societal barriers for women in politics, and need to be complemented by other measures designed to level the playing field for women.

There are three key types of gender quotas in politics:

1. Legislated candidate quotas – These quotas regulate the gender composition of the candidate lists and are binding by law for all political parties in the election; they are mandated either through national constitutions or by electoral legislation.

2. Legislated ‘reserved seats’ – These measures regulate by law the gender composition of elected bodies, by reserving a certain number or percentage of seats for women members, implemented through special electoral procedures; they are mandated either through national constitutions or by electoral legislation.

3. Party quotas (also called voluntary party quotas) – These quotas are adopted by individual parties for their own candidate lists, and are usually enshrined in party statutes and rules.

All key types of gender quotas are increasingly used around the world to promote women’s political participation and representation. To date, some 1185 countries and territories— more than half of all—use some type of gender quota for an elected office. Based on the information presented in this Atlas, 60 countries and territories/special areas around the world use legislated candidate quotas (which may be used in conjunction with reserved seats or voluntary party quotas), 36 countries and territories/special areas use the system of reserved seats (few of which also use legislated candidate quotas as well) and in 37 countries and territories at least one political party represented in parliament uses a voluntary party quota (countries with both, legislated candidate quotas for national legislatures and voluntary party quotas are excluded from this number). Please see Annex A for a full list of countries in these three categories. The lists presented there include countries with legislated candidate quotas, reserved seats and voluntary party quotas for the composition of lower or upper houses or both, and/or sub-national elected bodies.”

Rita Chemaly

For a list of all related articles in different languages:

• Femmes en Politique au Liban une honte en 2014  https://ritachemaly.wordpress.com/2014/07/17/femmes-en-politique-au-liban-une-honte-en-2014/
• Cartogtraphie des discriminations qui atteignent les femmes au Liban: https://ritachemaly.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/droits-des-femmes-au-liban-2012-rita-chemaly-auteur-et-chercheure1.jpg
• 8 mars #womensday … et au #Liban les discriminations qui atteignent les femmes sont encore nombreuses! https://ritachemaly.wordpress.com/2013/03/07/8-mars-womensday-et-au-liban-les-discriminations-qui-atteignent-les-femmes-sont-encore-nombreuses/
• Breakthrough for women political participation in Saudi Arabia versus Lebanese women struggling for their basics rights https://ritachemaly.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/breakthrough-for-women-political-participation-in-saudi-arabia-versus-lebanese-women-struggling-for-their-basics-rights/ 
• Les femmes au parlement…. Au Liban 4 femmes sont des representantes du peuple depuis 2009 https://ritachemaly.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/les-femmes-au-parlement-au-liban-4-femmes-sont-des-representantes-du-peuple-depuis-2009/
• Les Libanaises au Pouvoir et leur participation effective aux processus de prises de décisions…les Droits civils et politiques dans l’attente d’un quota ? https://ritachemaly.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/droit-des-femmes-libanaises-rita-chemaly-participation-politique-quota-et-decision.pdf
• The list with the names of the Women Candidates for the 2013 Lebanese parliamentarian  elections 43 … https://ritachemaly.wordpress.com/2013/06/13/women-candidates-for-the-2013-lebanese-elections-43/

Read Full Post »

I am Charlie to the bones

Picture taken by Emile Issa Lebanon https://www.ooshot.com/emile-issa/photo/32552

It was hard and a horrible week: we Watched on TV the murder of people in a country that is for us known as “safe”.

More than that it was horrible to know that people were savagely murdered because of their drawings, “cartoons” in the Country of the Freedom, in the Country where expression of thought was born for me. At School 20 years ago I read Le Cid, Voltaire , the story of the “revolutionnaries”, ….. killing people for their thoughts in the Country of Moliere?! for me it was IMPOSSIBLE, Not CONCEIVABLE.

Today, all the family went to the I am Charlie gathering in Beirut, eventhough I have received sooo many messages of all those who wanted to “Enlight” me about the cartoons Charlie did, especially about christians. They asked me how can I accept such an “insult” to our “faith” they were specifically speaking about the christian faith .

Those lebanese friends who flooded my inbox, my news feed, smsed me,  and whats app me I understand them. I do. They have seen the cartoons and they said : oh “blaspheme”in arabic “istaghfara el lah el 3azim” .

First for me the believer blasphemes, not the non believer.

On a second thought , I would have probably reacted the same way if I didn’t receive the french education I had. no idea, probably. probably I knew that Charlie hebdo was born in France, in the country where the values are different than the values we have here in Lebanon.

Even if I usually dislike the satire “cartoons” of Charlie hebdo, what I have done in the past, is not to read it, and not to buy it, or to write a piece about how foolish and not empowering their cartoons are, and definetly not sharing their cartoons :-). simple as that.

Today, if I decided to be Charlie, it is because I am Charlie to the bones. I refuse to use VIOLENCE against anyone. I refuse to kill, and murder because of a drawing or a text or a saying. The “Je suis Charlie” is for me “a world without fear, without violence wihtout extremism, a world where I can express all what I WANT WITHOUT BEING AFRAID OF BEING SHOT DEAD BY OTHERS, or slammed , or lashed  . (in another part of the world: Raif the Saudi Blogger is being lashed because of his sayings!!) 😦

I am afraid for the freedoms in France  after  the savage murder of  January 7, I’m afraid that journalists will use this “wing cutting thing” that is the self-censorship. In Lebanon bounderies are so common, they do come from the big family, from work, from religious socialisation, from a center or association that has been created to check and approve any creation (artistic, movies, …) and so on, BUT Lebanon is a  country where so many charlies were savagely killed!!!! Samir Kassir is one of those Journalists that were killed , he was not afraid, and we shouldn’t be afraid to live in a world where thinking differently and expressing yourself differently will make You an easy goal for violence. Violence must End!!! in Lebanon and In france!!! Today and Tomorrow and again  I’ll be charlie in my bones for every part of the world!! I want to express my self freely and I want my child to be able to express himself freely without fear of what he might draw, write or sing.

Enough  censorship ,ENOUGH BOXES,  Enough barbarism!!! YES FOR FREE EXPRESSION! FREE THINKING!

Rita

The illustration is the banner I held taken in  a picture by Emile Issa during the protest in support of the je suis Charlie movement in Lebanon . To Watch all the album: https://www.ooshot.com/emile-issa/portfolios/charlie-hebdo-manifestation-beyrouth-11-1-15

title corrected as per the advice of Marhaba Nabil 🙂

Article edited on January 14/1/2015

Read Full Post »

Choquant les listes electorales de 2014 au Liban Confessionnelles en premier lieu

J’ai entoure en rouge les confessions, mais ce decoupage electoral confessionnel est flagrant!!

Vous allez me dire, mais rita c’est normal nous vivons dans un pays confessionnel, ou la politique est histoire de confessions et de partage de pouvoir entre eux,

mais quand je suis entree sur le site du ministere de l’interieur pour checker qui sont les candidats et candidates,

la premiere chose qui saute a l’oeil est la confession:

l’image ci dessous est flagrante!!!

voila le lien pour connaitres les candidats aux elections legislatives libanaises de 2014….

en esperant que les elections aient lieu!!!!

514 candidats dont 35 femmes, bon tout ce que j’espere est que les elections aient lieu nous Avons OBLIGATOIREMENT besoin d’un “peu” d’Alternance.

un peu car beaucoup sont les femmes, fils et cousins et freres des actuels ministres, deputes ou ex-deputes!

Rita Chemaly

Read Full Post »