Thousands of families in Lebanon can no longer afford to buy food. Between a collapsing economy, damage to the capital following the port explosion last August, and soaring Covid-19 cases, Lebanon teeters on the brink.
While the social and economic climate has reduced the quality of life for everyone in the country, women and girls have been disproportionately affected in ways both obvious and invisible.
A vast majority of those with intersecting vulnerabilities – migrant workers, women with disabilities and other marginalised women – no longer have access to basics rights, which allow them to contribute to the labour force, their communities and their families. Many have become unable to process or adapt to the rapidly deteriorating situation, adding to the country's mental health crisis.
These intersecting vulnerabilities are exacerbated in the current situation. The Lebanese pound has lost over 90 per cent of its value since September 2019. Food has become unaffordable for too many, and the prices of sanitary products have risen by as much as 500 per cent. One Bangladeshi migrant worker described sanitary pads as "among those expensive things that we can no longer afford". Another woman described them as a "monthly necessity" that she and people in her situation are having to do without.
Women who can no longer afford menstrual pads have limited mobility, and face discomfort and stigma for up to seven days every month. According to a Unicef report, when girls' menstrual health needs are unmet, it affects their school attendance, participation in community life and compromises the safety of women, which adds to stress and anxiety. Women's jobs are disrupted as a result.
There are several humanitarian actors in Lebanon providing relief to women whose circumstances have been hampered by Lebanon's compounding crises. One such organisation is Fe-Male, which has provided 1,800 women across Lebanon with menstrual hygiene kits since August. These women include migrant domestic workers, those affected by the Beirut blast, refugees and women with disabilities.
There are added pressures on women, in both the public and private spheres. In their homes, they are often sole breadwinners and homemakers, expected to continue these roles, along with earning an income during pandemic restrictions.
The lockdown has been traumatic for those who have had to remain confined with their abusers, leading to an increase in domestic violence. Every day across the world, there are 137 cases of women being killed. When it comes to femicide, Lebanon is no exception. According to UN data, more than 50 per cent of women and girls killed by men die at the hands of their current or previous partners.
Studies have shown that gender-based violence increases during a crisis. Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces have reported a 96.5 per cent increase in domestic violence helpline calls. As for women’s unemployment, the rate almost doubled, from 14 to 26 per cent. For those women with dangerous partners, this means more time at home with abusers.
Impoverished women need to be prioritised in the government's relief plans
In the public sphere, things are not much better. Women make up half the population, and yet are not represented in governmental crisis response strategies. This was evident in Lebanon’s Covid-19 response plan, developed by the government of caretaker prime minister Hassan Diab, with little or no consideration for the most vulnerable.
One example is the disruption of Lebanon's exploitative Kafala system, which relies heavily on transactions in US dollars between employers and migrant workers or their families.
While activists have, for over a decade, advocated the dissolution of this system, current disruptions only harm migrant workers, who are either not being paid or are stuck in Lebanon without employment or a ticket back home.
The economic collapse has decreased the incoming migrant workforce by 75 per cent in 2020 compared to 2019. This is compounded by the government's "voluntary return" initiative, which puts the onus on workers to co-ordinate with their respective embassies so that they can return to their countries of origin. This has left many workers stranded on sidewalks outside their embassies, with no food or money.
The Lebanese authorities need to develop a participatory, gender-inclusive crisis response strategy that recognises women and girls as primary victims of the ongoing emergency.
While civil society actors in Lebanon are some of the most active globally, they cannot replace the government and cannot act on its behalf, more so in a patriarchal hierarchy that restricts women’s agency and limits their civil, political and social engagement.
The intersection between sectarian politics, religious institutions and social structures in Lebanon have, over time, created a toxic environment. This can only be stopped at the source. Lebanese public officials need to ensure women and girls’ access to health and hygiene products, health centres and helplines. Impoverished women need to be prioritised in the government's relief plans. They need to be provided with healthcare, unemployment benefits and social security.
Among Lebanon's many crises, this one, too, needs to be addressed urgently.
Aliaa Awada is a feminist activist and co-director of the NGO Fe-Male, based in Lebanon
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Simran
Director Hansal Mehta
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey
Three stars
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
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What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter
1. Dubai silk road
2. A geo-economic map for Dubai
3. First virtual commercial city
4. A central education file for every citizen
5. A doctor to every citizen
6. Free economic and creative zones in universities
7. Self-sufficiency in Dubai homes
8. Co-operative companies in various sectors
9: Annual growth in philanthropy
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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JAPAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
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Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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Points about the fast fashion industry Celine Hajjar wants everyone to know
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- Fast fashion is responsible for 24 per cent of the world's insecticides
- Synthetic fibres that make up the average garment can take hundreds of years to biodegrade
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- 27 million fast fashion workers worldwide suffer from work-related illnesses and diseases
- Hundreds of thousands of fast fashion labourers work without rights or protection and 80 per cent of them are women
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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1. Fasting
2. Prayer
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Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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High profile Al Shabab attacks
- 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
- 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
- 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
- 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
- 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp
Torque: 240Nm
Price: From Dh89,000 (Enjoy), Dh99,900 (Innovation)
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Second Test, Day 2:
South Africa 335 & 75/1 (22.0 ov)
England 205
South Africa lead by 205 runs with 9 wickets remaining
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Poacher
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