Source : L'Orient-le Jour - Liban 21 Juillet 2022

The Lebanese NGO Dar Al Amal distributed certificates to inmates who followed vocational training sessions and educational sessions in the women prisons of Baabda, Tripoli and Zahle. These training sessions had been organized in the frame of a project of the Promotion of Human Rights through the autonomisation of the detained women, during their incarceration and after their release.

That project had been set up from the partnership between Dar Al Amal and the Sweden Humanitarian NGO, Diakonia.

In the prison of Tripoli, Habib Hatem, President of Dar Al Amal, distributed 49 certificates to inmates who followed sessions of the NGO.  During the graduation ceremony in the women prison of Baabda, Dar Al Amal distributed diplomas to 60 participants. In the same way, at Zahle prison, hundreds of women had been rewarded for their efforts. During these ceremonies, Habib Hatem highlighted the commitment of Dar Al Amal since 1996 for the support of the inmates. He thanks the Interior Ministry, the Interior Forces of Security, as well as the prisons management, for their commitment, in favor of the incarcerated women.

In addition to organizing training sessions, Dar Al Amal and Diakonia offer to the inmate psychosocial and legal support, as well as medications and foodstuffs.

Sameya Bou Hasan, representative of the NGO Diakonia, encouraged for her part the detained women to continue to participate at training sessions, and to acquire skills, that will allow them to regain control of themselves.

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Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is deeply rooted in gender inequality and exacerbated in emergencies.

It is not limited to physical violence, but also includes verbal violence, psychological violence, sexual violence, and socio-economic violence.

Empowering girls and young women in fighting gender based violence by Dar Al Amal in its centers (Sabra - Nabaa) within the She Leads project, aim to create a safe environment for girls and young women to collectively express their aspirations, meet their challenges, and become change makers.

المقاربة التشاركية في عمل المؤسسات التي تقدم الخدمات الصحية والاجتماعية  هي أن تأخذ برأي المستفيدين من خدماتها، وتشركهم في عملية تصميم وتنفيذ وتقييم الخدمات والبرامج.  

بإختصار، فإن طالب الخدمة يعرف تماماً ما يحتاجه، وعلى مقدم الخدمة ان يؤمن بقدرة هذا الاخير على تقدير الاحتياجات واقتراح الحلول المناسبة. 

فإلى اي مدى يتم إشراك الفئات المستهدفة في العملية التنموية؟ وهل تقوم المؤسسات والمنظمات والجمعيات بمد الجسور وخلق الحوار معهم؟ 

مشروع "خلق حوار بين المجتمعات المهمّشة ومقدمي الخدمات لتعزيز التدخلات المراعية للنوع الاجتماعي في المناطق المتضررة من انفجار بيروت" الممول من صندوق المرأة للسلام والعمل الإنساني وبدعم تقني من هيئة الأمم المتحدة للمرأة في لبنان

Former female convicts struggle to reintegrate into society

Source : The Daily Star – Lebanon News 20 May 2017

By : Federica Marsi

BAABDA: Gently spinning in a twirl while letting a piece of red cloth fall over her face, the middle-aged woman uttered a raucous scream. “I have spent a long time here,” she chanted. “My son has seen me, but does not know me.” As the song continued, the woman confessed to having spent 10 years behind a red bolted door of Baabda prison, one of Lebanon’s four female penitentiaries.

The chant voiced by this mother, who wished to remain anonymous, reached the ears of government representatives and members of civil society Friday, thanks to Dar al-Amal, an organization supporting women and children on the path toward social reintegration, both inside and outside prison.

“We seek, together with our partners, to preserve human rights and make the prison not only a place of punishment, but of rehabilitation,” Habib Hatem, Dar al-Amal’s president, said in his opening remarks.

A group of inmates sitting to one side nodded approvingly. They were later invited to collect a certificate verifying their knowledge of the art of embroidery. Their creations – the complexity of which attested to many hours of work – were exhibited and sold at Friday’s event, to generate modest revenues and give a psychological boost to the inmates, as per Dar al-Amal’s vision.

These efforts were followed by social activities, including workshops, professional trainings and classes. “If they are illiterate, we teach them,” Kara said, adding that literacy is essential in order to acquaint the women with “their rights and duties.”

“I would like to stress that anyone can enter prison. We should not judge them,” Kara said. Dar al-Amal works in three of the four female facilities in the country.

According to Kara, the organization provides legal aid, psychological and medical support and a number of other services, including the provision of clothes and detergents.

“NGOs alone cannot cover all these costs,” Kara said. “But if a woman receives this kind of support, you can be sure she won’t go back to jail [a second time].”

Dar al-Amal is supported by Social Affairs Minister Pierre Bou Assi, represented at Friday’s event by Randa Bou Hamdan.

According to Bou Hamdan, the ministry is working to improve assistance to prisons and has started providing needed items, as well as social and medical support.

Hoda Kara, the organization’s director, said the conditions in Baabda had improved since 1996 – when Dar al-Amal first started providing social services inside the prison. “The situation was inhuman,” Kara told The Daily Star. “They [the prisoners] had no place to breathe fresh air or to see the sun.”

Dar al-Amal obtained permission from the Interior Ministry to renovate the facility and build a top floor – a roofless space where inmates can see the sun through an iron grate.

Hot meals used to be prepared in Roumieh’s male prison and then brought to Baabda, but the organization managed to reform this practice too. “We brought one meal to the Interior Ministry and we asked: is this acceptable?” Kara recalled. The organization was granted another renovation permit, this time to build a kitchen where the women could cook for themselves.

“For sure our work in prison is new and we have to do more,” Bou Hamdan explained to The Daily Star. “But we do not have enough money to expand our activities in prison at the moment.”

Head of the Internal Security Forces Prison Department Col. Ghassan Othman said in his remarks that the “Interior Ministry, the municipalities and the Directorate General of the Internal Security Forces will support the development of the prison system with all available means until its fortunes are revived.”

A report published by the Lebanese Center for Human Rights in 2015 found that women are still victims of arbitrary detention as well as other practices that breach international standards ratified by Lebanon, including physical and psychological torture.

Women arrested in Lebanon also face procedural violations and unfair trials, as well as being at increased risk of sexual abuses and violations by investigators and prison guards who are mainly men, the report found.

As part of its services, Dar al-Amal provides psychological assistance and covers the cost of legal services for those who require this kind of support. Another inmate who spoke at the event, identifying herself as Joelle, said that the organization had helped her deal with her paperwork. After spending a year and a half in Baabda, Joelle is set to be released in two months.

“[When I go out] I want to be a proper human being and lead a normal life,” Joelle told The Daily Star. Despite being on her second conviction, she claimed that her reintegration into society will be different this time because of the support she received from Dar al-Amal.

“They helped me a lot,” she said. “The certificate we received today will not be very useful ... You know how difficult it is for us to find a job out there? But it is a nice gesture. It encouraged us to do something good.”

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on May 20, 2017, on page 3.

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Source : The Daily Star – Lebanon News 22 December 2016

By : Federica Marsi

BEIRUT: Stigma prevents many convicts in Lebanon from fully reintegrating into society upon their release, but for women finding a job and re-establishing social and familial ties can be even more arduous. Asma – not her real name – was convicted of fraud and spent six weeks in the Baabda Central Women’s Prison. Despite the brevity of her sentence, the experience changed her life significantly. “I obtained a taxi license before being convicted, but now I risk having both my license and my car taken away if I drive while having a criminal record,” Asma told The Daily Star.

Ex-convicts like Asma who have served time for a minor offense have to wait three years before their criminal record is cleared, while those convicted of more serious crimes have to wait seven years. In the meantime, finding an actual job is almost impossible.

However, the greatest blow Asma received upon her release came at the hands of her ex-husband.

“When I got out of prison I found out he had taken our five children to an orphanage. Now I cannot have them back because I have a criminal record and not enough money to provide for them,” Asma said.

According to her, the fraud she was condemned for was conducted by her employer without her knowledge, but she could not afford proper legal assistance.

It has now been a year and five months since her release and Asma holds a newborn in her arms while she talks of her struggle to regain custody of her other five children. When her baby is older, she hopes to find work through the NGO Dar al-Amal, which paid the bail to get her out of prison and has provided her with support ever since.

Hoda Kara, director of Dar al-Amal, assists women like Asma in the painstaking task of reintegrating into society. “Lebanon is a wealthy country with a high demand for prostitution and drugs,” Kara told The Daily Star. “This is easy money and a woman must be brave to decide to quit [and earn less].”

Dar al-Amal works in detention facilities in Baabda, Tripoli and Zahle where they offer vocational training and psychological support to women to help prepare them for social reintegration. These three locations hosted over 600 women in 2016, according to statistics released by the NGO.

“There is a common belief that a woman who has been in jail needs to demonstrate her good conduct before the criminal record is cleared. But how can they find an alternative to crime if they are not entitled to a normal job?” Kara said.

One of Dar al-Amal’s services is organizing vocational training for female ex-convicts and putting them in touch with prospective employers. However, finding businesses willing to employ women with a criminal record is an obstacle that the NGO is still trying to overcome. So far, three seminars aimed at encouraging businesses to hire ex-convicts have been held, with the support of the Chamber of Commerce.

“We prepare them for social reintegration while they are in prison and we do not ask employers to hire anyone we are unsure of,” Kara explained, adding that the NGO is often required to act as a guarantor. Sawsan Jabri, a member of the board of the Chamber of Commerce and co-owner of a diet center in Beirut, is among those who believe a clear criminal record should not be a condition for employment. “I would employ these women in my business if only I could do so,” Jabri said. “They face discrimination in the job market and the government should abolish the requirement of the criminal record altogether.”

Through Dar al-Amal, a number of private initiatives are offering current and former convicts a second chance. One of them is Sarah’s Bag, a fashion house and social enterprise that employs convicts and women in vulnerable situations. “I didn’t want to create what all charities do: a product which customers buy only because it is charitable to do so,” founder Sarah Beydoun told The Daily Star. “I wanted to create a product that people would want and that benefits women at the same time.”

Thanks to professional training, women inside and outside prison became skilled in hand beading, embroidery, sequinning, crocheting and fabric manipulation. The outcome is a collection of sophisticated accessories that reinterpret traditional crafts that are currently sold around the world, including in Europe, Asia, Canada and across the Middle East.

As Beydoun explained, a jail sentence is often the result of a lack of resources and education. Offering ex-convicts an alternative helps eliminate the circumstances that led the women to commit a crime.

Khawla – not her real name – spent five years in Baabda prison for drug dealing. During her time in jail, she helped her son financially by working for Sarah’s Bag and other companies. As well as allowing her to contribute to the expenses for her niece’s surgery, working was also a healthy pastime. “In prison you don’t have your family, children and relatives, you are alone with your mind,” Khawla said.

Despite the efforts she made to help her family, Khawla feels responsible for her daughter-in-law’s choice to leave the house when her son agreed to take her in after her release. “She did not want to have anything to do with me because I had been in prison,” Khawla said, sitting in the living room of Dar al-Amal’s shelter in Sin al-Fil. “Sometimes I think life in prison was better. There, at least, no one judges you.”

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on December 22, 2016, on page 3.

https://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2016/Dec-22/386327-former-female-convicts-struggle-to-reintegrate-into-society.ashx

المصدر : جريدة المستقبل الجمعة 18 تشرين الثاني 2016 - العدد 5903 - صفحة 5

بقلم : لارا السيد
«سوا نحنا سوا عم نحلم بمدينة سحرية، نحنا صغار العالم بإلفة وبحرية، سوا عم نحلم.. بهالمدينة ما في عتمة ومش معقول الناس تجوع.. إلنا حق نقول الكلمة وإلنا حق ننسى الدموع.. حقي وحقك نبقى نلعب نعلي الضحكة، يا شعوب العالم كلها تبقوا اذكروا الحقيقة شو بتسوى هالدني كلها لولا ضحكة بريئة»، أمنيات في أغنية أنشدها اطفال «دار الأمل» في مطار «رفيق الحريري الدولي» علّ رسالتهم في اليوم العالمي للحد من الإساءة للأطفال تصل بهم إلى بر الأمان في الحصول على حقوقهم وحمايتهم من جميع أشكال العنف.

وجه الأطفال في هذا اليوم رسالتهم إلى الوافدين إلى لبنان والمتواجدين والعاملين في المطار بأنهم «أتوا من مناطق لبنانية عدة ومن جنسيات مختلفة ليجددوا رفضهم لأن يكون هناك أطفال عاملين أو مجندين أو متسولين أو معنفين جسدياً ومعنوياً لأنه من حق الطفل أن يتمتع بحقوقه من دون أي تمييز».

رفع الأطفال صوتهم عالياً واختصروا حلمهم بالقول: «باسم كل الأولاد ما بدنا حرب، بدنا الأمان والسلام، بدنا نتعلّم وبدنا نكون محميين وبدنا نعيش طفولتنا»، وتوجهوا إلى المواطنين ليذكروهم بمسؤولياتهم تجاه كل طفل من خلال ملصق كُتب عليه «حقي تحميني»، خصوصاً وأن أشكال العنف ضد الأطفال تتنوّع إذ يتعرض 16 في المئة منهم في لبنان والعالم إلى الإهمال والإساءة إن على شكل عنف جسدي أو جنسي أو معنوي وكذلك الاتجار بهم.

استعان الأطفال في حملتهم بعبارات رفعوها للفت الانتباه إلى حقوقهم إليها يكفلها لهم القانون والتي يتوجب على كل المواطنين تنفيذها لأن «حقوقنا واجب عليكم»، ولأنه من «حقي إتعلّم ما إتألّم»، لذلك «علّمني ما تضربني»، و»احميني من العنف والاستغلال».

ركّز الأطفال أيضاً على ضرورة تنفيذ اللاءات الأربعة وهي: «لا للعنف، لا للتمييز، لا للاستغلال، لا للانتهاكات كافة، ولهذه الغاية وزعوا «بروشورات» توعوية على المتواجدين في المطار تتضمن ملخصاً عن أشكال العنف وتداعياته ودور الأهل في الوقاية والحماية.

يندرج هذا النشاط في إطار النشاطات التوعوية التي تقوم به جمعية «دار الأمل» وشركائها «Ecpat France» و«Diakonia» بغية نشر التوعية وتعزيز حماية الأطفال على المستويات كافة.

وأكدت مسؤولة مركز الوقاية المتخصصة التابع للجمعية جيرمين فرام أن الهدف هو توعية الأطفال ليكونوا على دراية بحقوقهم وقادرين على الدفاع عن أنفسهم وإيصال رسالتهم إلى المجتمع بأن حمايتهم واجب على كل فرد والإساءة إليهم مرفوضة وأن من حقهم الحصول على حياة آمنة بعيدة عن الاستغلال والتمييز وبأن لهم الحق في الحصول على الرعاية العائلية والتعليم والترفيه والتسلية والحماية في العمل وفي أوقات النزاعات والحروب».

استهل النشاط، الذي حمل شعار «حقنا تحمونا من الإساءة والاستغلال، بالنشيد الوطني الذي قدمه الأطفال الذين ألقوا كلمة وأنشدوا أغنية دعوا فيها إلى ضرورة حمايتهم من الإساءة، وتوزعوا بعدها في أرجاء قاعة الوصول في المطار حيث قدموا ملصق «حقي تحميني» ومنشورات توعية إلى كل المتواجدين.

http://www.almustaqbal.com/v4/Article.aspx?Type=NP&ArticleID=723033

HUMANITAIRE

1 800 mineurs, en majorité syriens, ainsi que des enfants libanais et palestiniens bénéficieront de ce programme de 16 mois lancé dans Beyrouth et sa banlieue, ainsi que dans le Mont-Liban.

Source : L’orient Le Jour 27/10/2016

Redaction Zeina ANTONIOS 

Mohammad, réfugié syrien de 12 ans, a commencé à travailler à l'âge de 9 ans, son père étant incapable de trouver un emploi à cause d'un problème à la main. C'est son employeur actuel, un réparateur de carrosseries de voitures, qui l'a encouragé à se rendre au centre du ministère des Affaires sociales à Chiyah où il a pu s'inscrire au programme lancé hier officiellement par l'ONG Dar al-Amal, le Regional Development and Protection Programme (RDPP) et les ministères du Travail et des Affaires sociales.

Mille huit cents mineurs, sur les centaines de milliers d'enfants que l'on retrouve sur le marché du travail au Liban, devraient bénéficier de ce programme baptisé « Ensemble pour un nouveau départ pour les enfants réfugiés syriens au Liban ». Cette initiative, qui s'étalera sur 16 mois, a été lancée il y a à peu près six semaines sur le terrain, dans Beyrouth et sa banlieue ainsi que dans le Mont-Liban. Elle vise à « améliorer les mécanismes de protection dans le monde du travail et les conditions de vie des enfants syriens et de ceux des sociétés d'accueil », selon Manal Eid, qui collabore avec Dar al-Amal sur ce projet. Ce programme de soutien s'adresse principalement aux enfants des réfugiés syriens obligés de travailler, mais également aux enfants libanais et palestiniens issus des milieux défavorisés et qui vivent dans la ceinture de pauvreté de la capitale.

« Il n'y a pas de chiffres fiables concernant le nombre d'enfants sur le marché du travail au Liban. On estime qu'ils sont des centaines de milliers. Le nombre d'enfants pris en charge par notre programme correspond au budget alloué à cette initiative », indique Sergio Garcia, directeur du RDPP au Liban, conscient du fait que cette initiative n'est qu'une goutte d'eau dans l'océan.

Concrètement, le programme en question se traduit sur le terrain par un accompagnement des enfants dans quatre centres affiliés au ministère des Affaires sociales, à Tarik Jdidé, Chiyah, Ghobeyri et Bourj Brajneh, ainsi que dans les bureaux de Dar al-Amal à Sabra et Bourj Hammoud. « Notre initiative comporte un programme de lutte contre l'analphabétisme ainsi que des cours de mise à niveau pour les enfants qui ont les bases nécessaires en langues. Les enfants bénéficieront également d'un appui psychologique ainsi que d'activités ludiques », indique Manal Eid. « Nous proposons par ailleurs un programme technique pour apprendre aux enfants qui ne peuvent plus reprendre l'école un métier comme la coiffure, la réparation des téléphones... Des ateliers de sensibilisation seront également organisés pour les parents », ajoute-t-elle.

 « Apprendre aux enfants à se protéger »
Mohammad, comme la plupart des enfants qui travaillent au Liban, est payé 50 000 LL par semaine, soit 200 000 LL par mois, ou 133 dollars, sachant que le salaire mensuel minimum au Liban a été fixé en 2012 à 450 dollars. Selon la loi du travail au Liban, l'âge minimal pour travailler est de 14 ans. Par ailleurs, la loi 686, adoptée en 1998, a rendu l'école primaire obligatoire et gratuite dans les établissements publics. Des lois qui, visiblement, peinent à se faire respecter, en raison de l'afflux massif des réfugiés syriens ces dernières années et de la régression de la situation économique qui oblige de plus en plus d'enfants à déserter les bancs de l'école pour gagner leur vie, souvent sous la pression des parents.

Mahmoud, 15 ans, rêve de devenir coiffeur pour homme, mais aussi footballeur professionnel. Né de père syrien et de mère libanaise, et abandonné par son père, il a dû travailler très tôt pour subvenir aux besoins de la famille. Comme Mohammad, il répare des carrosseries de voitures et touche 50 000 LL par semaine. Très actif sur les réseaux sociaux et plein d'enthousiasme, le jeune homme s'est inscrit au programme, sur les conseils de sa mère, auprès du centre de Tarik Jdidé où il compte apprendre le métier de coiffeur.
« Notre programme vise à aider les enfants inscrits à trouver de meilleurs emplois, en leur apprenant certains métiers. Nous essayons également de sensibiliser les parents aux métiers dangereux pour leurs enfants », explique Manal Eid. « Six projets de sensibilisation sur le sujet seront lancés bientôt. Ils seront entièrement montés par des enfants ayant bénéficié du soutien de notre programme, qui s'adresseront à d'autres enfants obligés de travailler », ajoute-t-elle.

Pour Habib Hatem, directeur de Dar al-Amal, le projet vise avant tout « à apprendre aux enfants à se protéger face aux dangers qu'ils seraient susceptibles de rencontrer ». « Nous voulons également les aider à acquérir certaines compétences, à savoir affronter les difficultés et trouver des solutions sans recourir à la violence », a-t-il dit.
Sanaa el-Kurdi, directrice du centre du ministère des Affaires sociales à Tarik Jdidé, fait quant à elle état d'une « immense détresse » qui touche la population vivant dans les quartiers pauvres de Beyrouth. « Nous recevons beaucoup d'enfants syriens et palestiniens dans le centre. Nous avons même eu des enfants syriens de 6 ans qui se sont inscrits aux cours de lutte contre l'analphabétisme, ils sont nés durant la guerre et ne sont jamais allés à l'école », souligne-t-elle.

https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1014956/une-nouvelle-initiative-pour-defendre-les-enfants-face-au-marche-du-travail.html

المصدر: "النهار 3 تشرين الاول 2016  

بقلم : أسرار شبارو

من المخدرات إلى السجن إلى النفق المظلم، رحلة فتاة تخطت القضبان فاصطدمت بقيود المجتمع. فقر وحرمان، رفض من المحيط و"فيتو" على التوظيف، فاتورة باهظة تدفعها سناء نتيجة تعاطي الممنوعات في الصغر، وها هي تصارع القدر علّها تصل إلى برّ الأمان، وتحقق طموحها بالحصول على وظيفة وإكمال تعليمها.

رحلة الى المجهول
في سن الثالثة عشرة خطت سناء خطوتها الأولى نحو المجهول، غُرّر بها في المدرسة لتناول حبّة تنسيها الهموم. من حبّة هلوسة الى رحلة في عالم السموم، جرّبت خلالها كل الأنواع، حتى وصل بها الحال الى ترويج المخدرات، كي تتمكن من الحصول على حاجتها اليومية منها، الى أن أوقفت على أحد حواجز الجيش اللبناني وفي حوزتها كمية من المخدّر، وتلفت الى ان "الفقر كان السبب في إدماني، أردتُ ان أنسى وضعنا المزري، فغرقت في وحول المخدرات".
سنة وسبعة أشهر سجن حكم على سناء (26 عاماً)، لكن في الحقيقة كما قالت لـ"النهار":"انتهت المدة التي قضيتها في السجن منذ عام لكن سجن المجتمع لم ينتهِ بعد، ورغم متابعتي تحصيلي العلمي خلف القضبان والحصول على شهادة البكالوريا في قسم العلوم في أصعب مرحلة من حياتي حيث كنت اتعالج من الادمان، الا ان ذلك لم يشفع لي بعد الخروج الى الحرية، اذ لم أجد من يقبل منحي فرصة العمل كي أجني المال وأتابع الجامعة التي ساهمت جمعية "دار الامل" بتسجيلي فيها، فحتى ثمن قلم لا املك".

أمل رغم الألم
في عائلة فقيرة تسكن الضاحية الجنوبية ترعرعت سناء مع شقيقتها الصغرى، والدها عاطل عن العمل بعكس والدتها التي اضطرت الى ذلك كي تؤمن قوت أسرتها، وشرحت "خرجت بتخلية سبيل، بعدما تكفلت جمعية "دار الأمل" بدفع مبلغ ثلاثمئة الف ليرة. لكن، لا أزال احتاج لدفع مليوني ليرة، اليوم انا شفيت نهائياً من المخدرات، لكن فرحتي الكبرى حين أكمل تعليمي وأحصل على وظيفة، والتي يحول بيني وبينها سجل عدلي أسود. سأحاول البحث عنها بعيداً من محيطي، لكون الجميع يعلم تاريخي، ومع ذلك لا تعنيني نظرة المجتمع. أما أهلي، ورغم ما عانوه من تجربتي ومحاولتهم علاجي الذي رفضته مراراً وتكراراً حتى دخلت السجن وأخذت القرار بإرادتي، الا انهم لا يستطيعون ان يتبروا من ابنتهم".
لا تخشى سناء من الغرق مجدداً في وحول المخدرات، وقالت: "من لديه الإرادة للحصول على شهادة داخل السجن لا يخشى شيئاً". ولا يزال لديها أمل في مستقبل أفضل، اذ "موت الأمل في عيني يعني موتي، وأنا أريد متابعة فصول عمري، لن أغلق كتاب حياتي من أجل فصل أسود فيه، ففي كل رواية مرحلة سوادء، وسأخط النهاية كما حلمت بها لا كما يحاول ان يفرضها المجتمع عليّ".

"وصمة عار"!
جمعية "دار الأمل" تقوم بدورات مهنية للسجينات، لا سيما في الصناعات اليدوية، في الخياطة والمكياج وتصفيف الشعر والتصوير، فضلاً عن دورات محو أميّة. المسؤولة الاعلامية في الجمعية تيريز رومية شرحت لـ"النهار" قائلةً: " نحاول معرفة متطلبات السوق اللبناني، وعلى أساسها نقوم بالدورات التي في نهايتها نمنح السجينات شهادة من دون ذكر أنها اعطيت لهن في السجن. ومع ذلك يواجهن صعوبة في التوظيف بعد خروجهن الى الحرية، اذ اغلب أصحاب المصالح يرفضون توظيفهن لكون سجلهن العدلي "ممهوراً" بوصمة عار كما يعتبرون".

محاولات رغم الصعوبات
تحاول الجمعية التواصل مع أصحاب الشركات لتأمين وظائف للسجينات بعد خروجهن، لكن "نواجه صعوبة في ذلك، وفوق ذلك تعاني معظم السجينات من أوضاع اجتماعية صعبة، ومن نبذ من بعض الأهل لهن، كما ان منهن من لا يجدن منزلاً للسكن فيه بعد الخروج وفي احيان معينة يكون الوضع كارثياً، ما يدفعهن الى تكرار الأمر الذي أدى إلى دخولهن السجن".
هذه مشكلة اجتماعية على كافة الأصعدة "تطال الدولة وأمن المجتمع، ويفترض التعاون من الجميع لحلها. صحيح ان القانون اللبناني لا يراعي وضع السجينات، اذ لا يمكن ان نغيّر شيئاً في ما يتعلق بالسجل العدلي الآن، لكن يمكن أن تبدأ شركة او اثنتين بتبني السجينات السابقات، لذلك دعينا اقتصاديين الى ندوة لشرح هذه الاشكالية لنتعاون معاً في سبيل الوصول الى مخرج".

Source: Daily Star-Lebanon News - 27 November 2015

By: Nadine Makarem

BEIRUT: More than 4 percent of children in Lebanon have been victims of sexual abuse and the matter has been considered a cultural taboo for too long, a report released by the Ministry of Social Affairs said. “Though there is still a wall of silence surrounding the subject. It is a reality in our society,” said Randa Bou Hamdan, general director of the Social Affairs Ministry.

The ministry Thursday released the National Study on Sexual Violence Against Children in Lebanon, in collaboration with the Higher Council for Children and non-profit organization Dar al-Amal, and with the support of International NGOs Diakonia and Ecpat France. The event, which took place at the headquarters of the Beirut Order of Physicians, comes on the occasion of Universal Children’s Day.

The study, conducted by main researchers Dr. Bassima al-Munla and Maher Abu Shakra and assisting researchers Dr. Susan Menhem and Alaa Nehme, used a random sample of 2,162 children from different social and cultural backgrounds, between 9 and 17 years old – the age span most prone to sexual abuse. The study spanned children attending private and public institutions, as well as those who are employed or otherwise not enrolled in school.

The study found that out of 2,162 children, 89 were victims of sexual abuse (48 girls and 41 boys) – approximately 4.1 percent. Of these, 47.2 percent were children enrolled in public schools, and 21.3 percent attended private schools, while 60.4 percent of the victims were aged 10 to 14.

The results also highlighted the most common locations where abuse took place. Some 66.7 percent of victims reported they had been abused within a home environment (not specifically their own household). “We notice that male victims reported being abused in public spaces more than females,” said Munla. “This is because families worry about young girls and shelter them at home, whereas young boys have more freedom to move about.”

The old phrase “never take candy from strangers” was found to be sadly fitting – the study identified candy and gifts as the most common methods of luring children, though this was not limited to strangers. People involved in the life of the child, , whether in the family, the school or the neighborhood, were one major type of predator identified by the report; individuals involved in exploitation networks or human trafficking were another. “It is important to realize that predators are in our homes, at our schools, among us,” Bou Hamdan warned.

The role of technology in easing the way for sexual predators was also emphasized throughout the report. “Violence has become easily permissible with the large spread of information technology and the lack of proper control and oversight,” said Bou Hamdan. Online abuse is one of many various forms of sexual exploitation, including verbal abuse (the most common form of abuse, which 43 percent of children claimed to have experienced), physical contact without performing a sexual act, visual abuse, and direct sexual acts.

Munla also said that “there are specific circumstances that make certain children more prone to abuse than others,” and suggested focusing on alleviating such conditions as a step toward protecting children. The report deduced that children that are physically or morally abused within the household, working or not enrolled in school, consuming drugs or alcohol, suffering from chronic diseases or disabilities, spending little time at home, feeling neglected by family, or who maintain social relationships without supervision are all more susceptible to sexual abuse.

The study provided recommendations to decrease the occurrence of abuse and to support victims. From a legal perspective, the Lebanese penal code related to perpetrators of sexual abuse should be amended to increase sentences. In parallel, child protection laws should impose jurisdiction within the household and over family members, and medical ethics laws should be amended to improve awareness regarding cases of sexual abuse.

Within the household, the traditional conception of “nurture” should be developed to allow open discussion about abuse. Parents should play a role in raising awareness and teaching their children methods for avoiding exploitation

“I stress the importance of these recommendations, and I look forward to coordinating and working together to put together advocacy campaigns,” said Diakonia country representative Rodolph Gebrael, addressing the ministry and his counterparts.

The study based its data on the definition of “sexual abuse” used by the World Health Organization: “The involvement of a child in sexual activity that he or she does not fully comprehend, is unable to give informed consent to, or for which the child is not developmentally prepared, or else that violate the laws or social taboos of society. Children can be sexually abused by adults or other children who are – by virtue of their age or stage of development – in a position of responsibility, trust, or power over the victim.”

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on November 27, 2015, on page 4.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2015/Nov-27/324830-study-urges-action-to-prevent-sexual-abuse.ashx#.VlgiDTgExms.facebook

Source : Magazine Mensuel – Actualité – No 2978 du vendredi 5 Décembre 2014

Par : Delphine Darmency

Le 19 novembre dernier, dans le cadre de la Journée internationale pour la prévention des abus envers les enfants, Dar el-Amal, accompagnée de ses petits protégés, a organisé une surprise de bienvenue aux passagers arrivant à l’Aéroport international de Beyrouth. Une initiative pour sensibiliser le grand public aux droits des enfants et aux risques de maltraitance qu’ils encourent.
 

Il est midi et, comme chaque jour, l’aéroport Rafic Hariri de Beyrouth est le théâtre d’un incessant va-et-vient de voyageurs pressés de retrouver leurs proches ou de s’en aller vers d’autres horizons. Dans le hall d’arrivée, rien à signaler, on fait les cent pas, les mains sont moites, l’attente se fait longue. Un calme que va venir perturber une joyeuse troupe d’une trentaine d’enfants prêts à faire porter leur voix, mais plus encore leur message, car aujourd’hui, c’est la Journée internationale pour la prévention des abus envers les enfants. Des petites têtes brunes qui font partie des protégés de l’association Dar el-Amal, la Maison de l’Espoir, instaurée en 1969. En 1987, elle ouvre son premier centre de prévention et de protection pour les enfants dits «vulnérables» dans la banlieue nord de Beyrouth à Nabaa, puis un second, il y a cinq ans, dans la banlieue sud à côté du camp de Sabra.
«Ces centres ont été créés pour les enfants qui vivent dans des conditions très difficiles au sein de familles disloquées ou dans le besoin, prises par leurs problèmes, introduit la directrice de Dar el-Amal, Hoda Hamaouié Kara. Nous les aidons sur plusieurs niveaux, tant éducatif que social ou psychologique, mais nous leur permettons également de se divertir et de s’évader. Nous apportons d’autre part une assistance juridique aux familles si nécessaire, organisons des séances de prise de conscience pour les parents, surtout pour les mamans pour qu’elles puissent assumer leurs responsabilités, et nous assurons le parrainage scolaire de ces enfants, ajoute-t-elle. Notre but est de développer leur potentiel à s’intégrer à la société et de les aider à réaliser leurs projets de vie. Ces enfants ont le droit de vivre leur enfance et de se développer sainement comme tous les autres enfants de leur âge. Pour atteindre cet objectif, tout le monde est responsable, les ministères, le secteur public et la société». Dar el-Amal a su s’entourer de partenaires fiables sur le long terme. «Seuls, nous ne pourrions pas réaliser nos objectifs. Nos partenaires, entre autres, War Child Holland, Diakonia, Ecpat France et la Fondation Asfari, ne nous accompagnent pas uniquement financièrement, mais nous conseillent et jouent un rôle de sensibilisation. Nos efforts communs paient, nous avons de très bons résultats», assure Hoda Hamaouié Kara.
 

Un projet contre la traite des enfants
Au total, deux cents enfants, âgés de sept à dix-huit ans, fréquentent ces deux centres. «A Nabaa, les enfants sont en grande majorité scolarisés et viennent l’après-midi. A Sabra, il s’agit plus d’enfants de rue, donc nous les accueillons tout au long de la journée», poursuit la directrice. Depuis presque deux ans, Dar el-Amal a mis en place avec ses partenaires un projet pour combattre la traite des enfants, notamment pour les prévenir et les protéger, sans aucune discrimination, des risques de violences, des abus sexuels et de leur exploitation à des fins commerciales: mendicité, trafic d’organes, travail forcé, prostitution, enrôlement dans des conflits armés ou encore mariage précoce. Un des volets de cette initiative est notamment de sensibiliser les parents et le grand public à ces problématiques. Ainsi, c’est la deuxième année consécutive que Dar el-Amal a choisi de célébrer la Journée internationale pour la prévention des abus envers les enfants à l’aéroport de Beyrouth. «L’idée est venue de l’équipe, reprend Hoda Hamaouié Kara. Nous avions plusieurs alternatives, mais l’aéroport est un lieu qui brasse beaucoup de gens en un laps de temps limité. Nous arrivons donc à toucher un grand nombre de personnes. Cela nous permet de mettre notre cause sous les feux des projecteurs, de parler des droits des enfants. Et plus il y aura de sensibilisation, plus un nombre important d’enfants pourront être protégés de toutes sortes de violences qui les affectent, quand on sait que des enfants travaillent dès six ans dans des conditions déplorables».
Après avoir distribué des stickers et des brochures de sensibilisation aux passagers et aux familles qui les attendaient, la joyeuse troupe, accompagnée par des animateurs - habillés haut en couleur, de l’association Arc en Ciel Circus, s’est rassemblée pour entonner l’hymne national et s’est prêtée à une représentation dynamique et enjouée, qui a failli embrigader jusqu’aux personnels de sécurité de l’aéroport. Le message est bien passé!

Sauvegarder les droits
Dar el-Amal, c’est aussi un centre de réhabilitation et de réinsertion sociales destiné à des filles mineures et des femmes victimes de violence, d’exploitation et de prostitution. C’est également un projet de réhabilitation et de réinsertion sociales adressé à des femmes incarcérées dans les trois prisons pour femmes de Baabda, Tripoli et Zahlé et un centre de protection d’enfants, de filles mineures, violentées, et de réhabilitation et de réinsertion sociales pour des femmes marginalisées. Des projets qui ont tous le même objectif: sauvegarder le droit de l’enfant et de la femme.

http://magazine.com.lb/index.php/fr/component/k2/item/10183-dar-el-amal-un-combat-pour-la-sauvegarde-des-droits-de-l%E2%80%99enfant?issue_id=159