Gender and Development e -Brief / Issue 42
May, 2006
IN THIS ISSUE
EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
HUMAN RIGHTS
WIDE annual conference: What ‘state’ are we in?
"Cooperating with eastern Europe and Mediterranean countries" international seminar
NEWS
CULTURE
Lebanon assumes position as region's cosmetic-enhancement capital
ECONOMY & TRADE
Abu Dhabi unveils $27 billion island tourism project
Ras al-Khaimah to build $5.44 billion resort
Beirut should call in the IMF
Oil revenues bring welcome rise in Arab development aid
EDUCATION
Alam Simsim - Egypt
Sesame Stories (Sippuray Sumsum/ Hikayat Simsim) - Israel, Palestine & Jordan
The Educational Impact of "Rechov Sumsum/ Shara'a Simsim: A Sesame Street" Television Series to Promote Respect and Understanding among Children Living in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza
UN predicts 18 million new teachers needed to meet millennium goals
DEVELOPMENT AID
Sudan aid efforts near collapse
Qatar pledges $50 million for Palestinian Authority
GENDER
Bahraini women long for fairer laws
Gulf women enraged over Islamic ruling on strings-free marriage
Iran opens stadiums to women
Lebanese women will have their say
Lebanese Ministry makes women prime targets for literacy courses
Pakistani woman describes nightmare of rape, imprisonment
Promoting FGM Abandonment in Egypt: Introduction of Positive Deviance
HURRIYAT
Groups call on UN, EU to help save lives of detainees in Israel
Rights group speaks out on Egyptian judges
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Border village in Lebanon is off the beaten path - way off
Lebanese Council for Development and Reconstruction plan aims to prove doubters wrong
Conference in Lebanon addresses Millennium goals
Mini-marathon in Lebanon marks hope that conflict stays in past
Lebanese NSSF's problems are major headache for all Lebanese
… And Cabinet urges its overhaul
UNDP backs broad survey aimed at cutting poverty in Akkar – Lebanon
YOUTH & CHILDREN
Child labor thrives in Iraq due to lax enforcement
Encouraging young bookworms
REPORTS & BOOKS & ARTICLES
EDUCATION
Investing in Research and Education: GNR-MENA Report on HIV/AIDS in the Middle East and
North Africa
DFID: Keeping our Promises: Delivering Education for All
GENDER
Creating an enabling environment for the advancement of women and girls
Development magazine focuses on women's rights and development
Empowering Women, Developing Society: Female Education in the Middle East & North Africa [MENA]
Education for Girls & Issues of Early Marriage & Motherhood
Gender Caucus in WSIS - Challenges for Gender Equality
Gender Baseline Study for Finnish Development Cooperation
Iraqi Women under Siege
Researching Violence Against Women: a Practical Guide for Researchers and Activists, Ellsberg, M. and Heise, L., 2005
Syria's First Study of Violence Against Women Breaks Taboo
SOCIAL WATCH
No Country in the World Treats Its Women as Well as Its Men
WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence Against Women, WHO, 2005
Women, Islam, and the New Iraq By Isobel Coleman (From Foreign Affairs, January/February 2006).
HEALTH
HERP _ Iraq Health Enterprise Planning: Information Technology for the MOH for the Year 2005 and Beyond
RESOURCES
A new recruitment agency established for NGOs
Business Against Corruption - A Framework for Action
Guide to Equality in the Family in the Maghreb
Guidelines for Gender-Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Settings, IASC Taskforce on Gender in Humanitarian Assistance, 2005
Key List of Bibliographical Resources on Culture and Development
USEFUL WEBSITE: Free Directory of 47,500 Development Organizations
The International Poverty Centre (IPC)
Development e-Brief receives and comprises of material from various sources for its publication. Should you wish to refer to these sources/ sites directly, the list includes publications from: AVIVA, www.aviva.org, AWID: www.awid.org, Democracy Digest: www.freedomhouse.org, Development Gateway: www.developmentgatway.org, Dignity: www.dignity.org, e-Civicus: www.civicus.org, Eldis: www.eldis.org, ESCWA: www.escwa.org.lb, GDB: www.developmentex.com, Global Knowledge Partnership: www.globalknowledge.org, IGTN: www.IGTN.org, ILO: www.ilo.org One World: www.oneworld.net, Siyanda: www.siyanda.org, The Daily Star: www.dailystar.com.lb, The Drum Beat: www.comminit.com, The Soul Beat: www.comminit.com, The World Bank: www.worldbank.org, UNDP: www.undp.org, Wicejilist: www.wicej.addr.com, WLP: www.learningpartnership.org
EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
HUMAN RIGHTS
WIDE annual conference: What ‘state’ are we in?
Network Women in Development Europe - 1-3 June 2006, Warsaw, Poland
This conference aims to initiate a discussion between women from East, North and South on their experience and expectations regarding states and markets. The conference will start with a capacity building day, followed by a two-day international conference. For more information, visit www.karat.org or www.wide-network.org
"Cooperating with eastern Europe and Mediterranean countries" international seminar
The French Leader+ Network Unit organized the "Cooperating with eastern Europe and Mediterranean countries" international seminar that will take place on 15, 16 and 17 May 2006. The seminar will focus on: discovering the challenges and the actors of the rural ...
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/glocalization/rc/ItemDetail.do~1062136?intcmp=700
TOPÙ
NEWS
CULTURE
Lebanon assumes position as region's cosmetic-enhancement capital
Lebanon earns its reputation as the Middle East's playground in the summer months, as countless visitors from across the region flood into the country in search of fun, sun, and lately, cosmetic enhancement. In keeping with the international trend, Lebanon's plastic-surgery market has been steadily growing over the past decade.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=3&article_id=23784
ECONOMY & TRADE
Abu Dhabi unveils $27 billion island tourism project
Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) unveiled a new public joint-stock company charged with developing a $27 billion project on Saadiyat Island, which will transform the 27-square-kilometer natural island just 500 meters offshore the United Arab Emirate's capital city into a strategic international tourism destination.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=23912
Ras al-Khaimah to build $5.44 billion resort
The Ras al-Khaimah Government and the PDSI Development Group have launched a $5.44 billion real-estate project that will include a mountain resort, wildlife sanctuary and marina. The two parties have already signed an agreement for a fifty-fifty joint venture on a freehold basis that is open to foreign investors.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=23910
Beirut should call in the IMF
The Lebanese government should seek the help of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to ensure that the economic reform plan is implemented, the president of the Association of Banks (ABL) in Lebanon said. Francois Bassil also stressed that Lebanese banks were willing to participate in any privatization program.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=3&article_id=23830
Oil revenues bring welcome rise in Arab development aid
Not only have oil revenues been the driving force of the regional economy over the past few years, but they have also fueled an increase in development assistance from multi-lateral Arab financial institutions. In 2001 the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) had disbursed a cumulative $3.1 billion of development finance
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=24011
EDUCATION
Alam Simsim - Egypt
Sesame Workshop collaborates with local producers, Egypt's First Lady, child development experts, educators, and psychologists to develop this educational curriculum in response to local needs. In addition to teaching a range of literacy, numeracy, cognitive and social interaction skills, Alam Simsim encourages children - especially girls - to be proud of who they are, appreciate different ways of life, and respect each other. Alam Simsim is also designed to help children learn about health and hygiene, the environment, and letters and numbers. A key strategy involves creating "a lively and friendly place where all children are always welcome."
http://www.comminit.com/experiences/pds2006/experiences-3553.html
Sesame Stories (Sippuray Sumsum/ Hikayat Simsim) - Israel, Palestine & Jordan
This multimedia project presents messages of respect and understanding to young children in the Middle East. At its core is a TV programme that combines live action segments featuring Muppet characters with animation and mini-documentaries; the purpose is to provide a "window" into local culture, helping to humanize the other and promote pride and hope. Educational materials such as activity books, teachers' guides, home videos, posters, and public service announcements (PSAs) addressing parents were produced. The first Hebrew/Arabic bilingual interactive material was developed for the project and is available online, as are educational CD-Roms.
http://www.comminit.com/experiences/pds2005/experiences-3451.html
The Educational Impact of "Rechov Sumsum/ Shara'a Simsim: A Sesame Street" Television Series to Promote Respect and Understanding among Children Living in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza
Designed to break down cultural stereotypes by familiarizing Israeli and Palestinian children with each other, Rechov Sumsum/Shara'a Simsim integrates educational messages within an entertaining, magazine-type format that includes animation, live-action documentaries, and studio segments. Researchers interviewed 275 preschoolers about their social and cultural judgments before the programme began, and then 4 months later. http://www.comminit.com/evaluations/eval2005/evaluations-141.html
UN predicts 18 million new teachers needed to meet millennium goals
More than 18 million new teachers will be needed over the next nine years to meet a UN goal of providing primary education to all the world's children by 2015, a UN agency said. Developing nations have the greatest needs but are poorly equipped to fulfill them because of lack of money and qualified personnel.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=23988
DEVELOPMENT AID
Sudan aid efforts near collapse
A senior UN official told the international community on Thursday to pressure Sudan to stop intimidating aid workers trying to deliver food to millions in Darfur. Jan Egeland, the UN emergency relief coordinator, told the UN Security Council he feared Darfur was falling further into an abyss while the UN World Food.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10categ_id=2&rticle_id=23885
GENDER
Bahraini women long for fairer laws
Bahraini women are battling a male-dominated society and powerful Islamists in their quest for reforms that would shift jurisdiction over family and women's affairs from Islamic to civil courts. One example is Majida, 32, whose 12-year marriage was annulled: She was deprived of her children and sent back to her family home following a decision by an Islamic court. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=23660
Gulf women enraged over Islamic ruling on strings-free marriage
An Islamic tribunal's ruling that allows Sunni men to marry without having to live with or financially support their wives has enraged Gulf women's rights activists who say Islamic marriage is unfair enough already. The Mecca-based Islamic Jurisprudence Assembly announced on April 12 that so-called Misyar marriage.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=23975
Iran opens stadiums to women
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that Iranian women can finally go to stadiums to watch sporting events, putting an unexpected end to a quarter-century ban. "It should be planned in a way that women are respected and are given the best places to watch national and important games.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=23924
Lebanese women will have their say
"In the first draft I called it [a word sometimes used by Beirut taxi drivers]. That word was cut. Then I named it 'Coco.'" Lina Khoury smiles mischievously. "They told me I couldn't use that name. 'Why not?' I asked. 'Because,' they said, 'you told us it refers to [a word often used by Beirut taxi drivers].
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=4&article_id=23661
Lebanese Ministry makes women prime targets for literacy courses
"I left school when I was only 11," said 38-year-old Ihsan. "My mother became ill, and, being the eldest daughter, I had to take care of the family. That's why I never learned how to read or write properly." Wearing a white and orange head scarf, the young mother of four now takes literacy classes at a community center in Ain al-Rummaneh, a predominantly Christian area of Beirut
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=23990
Pakistani woman describes nightmare of rape, imprisonment
Sixteen-year-old Isma Mahmoud was deported to Pakistan last month after serving six months in shackles and handcuffs in a prison in Saudi Arabia. Her crime: being raped by a Saudi man. "It's difficult for me to talk about what happened to me, from rape to prison and from prison to deportation.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=23956
Promoting FGM Abandonment in Egypt: Introduction of Positive Deviance
CEPDA has been working to end the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Egypt since 1998, primarily through the positive deviance approach. In this context, "positive deviants" refer to those individuals who have decided that the practice of FGM is wrong ...
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/population/rc/ItemDetail.do~1061955?intcmp=700
HURRIYAT
Groups call on UN, EU to help save lives of detainees in Israel
Advocates of detainees in Israeli prisons marked "The Week of the Arab and Palestinian Detainee" by calling for the release of Lebanese nationals imprisoned by the Jewish state. Three advocacy committees met at the Press Federation headquarters to discuss the issue and publicize their cause.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=23787
Rights group speaks out on Egyptian judges
Human Rights Watch urged the Egyptian regime to investigate the fraud that marred last year's parliamentary polls and stop intimidating the judges who reported it, in a statement published Wednesday. The New York-based rights watchdog protested the summons to a disciplinary hearing of two outspoken.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=23986
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Border village in Lebanon is off the beaten path - way off
Among all remote border villages, usually isolated and neglected, the village of Toufeil, lost behind the eastern Anti-Lebanon Range, is the extreme example of desertion and solitude, where a mixed-identity populace of a few hundred leads its own way of life which fellow citizens in either Syria or Lebanon cannot imagine exists.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=23816
Lebanese Council for Development and Reconstruction plan aims to prove doubters wrong
A senior official at the Council for Development and Reconstruction says he expects a breath of fresh air by the end of 2006 that will cause living conditions to improve markedly in several clusters of poverty across Lebanon. In a recent interview with The Daily Star, Ramzi Naaman, manager of social and economic planning at the CDR, said.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=23722
Conference in Lebanon addresses Millennium goals
The United Nations Development Program began a two-day national conference on the follow-up mechanism for the Millennium Development Goals in Lebanon. Held at le Meridian Commodore Hotel, the workshop, featured speeches and presentations from UN officials
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=23680
Mini-marathon in Lebanon marks hope that conflict stays in past