December 2016 Update
Every year, AiW organizes events and activities and campaigns for the 16 Days of Activism to Eliminate Violence against Women - with the intent to keep this momentum going throughout the year. That’s because 16 days is just not enough to bring about the changes that we want. Our commitment to ending violence against women can be renewed during these 16 days, but our actions and energies need to remain year-round!
As we approached the end of the 16 Days of Activism, partners AiW, ESCWA, and UN Women organized a panel discussion entitled Estimating the Cost of Violence against Women (VAW) in the Arab Region, based on the flagship study that will be released early next year. Estimating costs of violence against women helps us to understand the price women, families, communities, and countries are paying because of this human rights violation. Putting this in monetary terms can be an advocacy tool, galvanizing greater action to address – and ultimately eliminate – this abuse. To illustrate this example, research shows that the annual cost of intimate partner violence in the US is 5.8 billion dollars! Globally, this could amount to 2% of the gross domestic product (GDP) – 1.5 trillion dollars! Isn’t that enough information to make us want to end this?!
This month we celebrated the winner of our online video competition, Kourken Papazian, a first year student in TV/Film at LAU, whose video Covering Up addresses the need to report violence. Kourken says that “by covering their bruises, women are keeping the issue taboo, they are hiding it… reporting violence is the only way to stop it”. Congratulations!
Another success this month is the abolition of the controversial Article 522 of the Penal Code, which allowed rapists to avoid prosecution if they marry their victims – unacceptable, unethical, and a further violation of human rights. This battle has been fought by civil society and feminist organizations for a long while. Repealing Article 522 sends a clear message that rape is a crime and is NEVER acceptable. It also emphasizes perpetrator punishment – and that no woman should ever be forced to marry her rapist. This is a great victory – but one we should take with caution, because the real work is just beginning!
On the 10th of December, to conclude the 16 Days of Activism, , we joined ABAAD and partners to launch their music video “Kermali”, by Mike Masi, followed by a theatre performance entitled “Tarha Bayda”, directed by Lebanese NGOs, Basmeh and Zeitooneh and Women Now for Development. Tarha Bayda, performed by Syrian youth, exposed cultural and social gender barriers by presenting women trapped under a white veil, symbolizing their wedding dress. The ceremony ended with a musical performance by a well-known Egyptian band: Benet Al Masarwa. These Egyptian feminist musicians gained recognition because their experiences resonate with Arab women throughout the region. Through their music, they expose the injustices, marginalization and discrimination Egyptian women experience: sexual abuse, street harassment, virginity issues, and more.
Also this month, our very own Moufeeda Haidar attended a conference entitled “Adolescent and youth wellbeing in the Arab region: Challenges and promises of the second decade of life: A partnership for and with youth”. The conference was held at the American University of Beirut (AUB) to launch the report of the Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing in the Arab region.
This month, we were honored to host Dr. Yakin Erturk, former UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, to launch her book Violence without Borders: Paradigm, policy and praxis concerning violence against women. The book launch was organized by AiW at LAU in collaboration with Women’s Learning Partnership (WLP), and Collective for Research and Training on Development-Action (CRTD-A). In addition to Dr. Erturk, speakers included Dr. Elise Salem, Vice President for Student Development and Enrollment Management at LAU, and our partner from the Dutch Embassy in Lebanon, Ambassador Schaapveld. Dr. Erturk concluded by affirming that the “war on women is not over, it is beginning yet again”. She explained that this war is not like before – we cannot afford to be indifferent because it is now a war in our own backyard, against human rights. This affects all of us!
If you’re interested in building your capacity to address critical gender issues, our Gender in Development and Humanitarian Assistance (GDHA) Diploma is starting in January 2017! This innovative diploma is a joint collaboration by AiW, Human Rights Education Associates (HREA), and the Continuing Education Program (CEP) at LAU. This practical training program taught by seasoned experts in the field is built on technical approaches to applying gender to development and humanitarian programming, and is open to students, practitioners, professionals, and any others interested in working on gender issues in development and humanitarian settings. Courses are evenings, weekends, and through web-conferencing. Accelerated programs are also available for those outside Lebanon, and customized programs are available for groups. Email GDHA@lau.edu.lb for more information and register here!
Happy holidays – and stay tuned for AiW 2.0.17!
Lina
