Training Session of the National Committee for the Follow-up
on Women’s Issues
The National Committee for the Follow-up on Women’s Issues (NCFUWI) launched, in cooperation with the Educational Center for Research and Development, a 3-day training session on the elimination of discrimination against women in the intermediate classes’ Arabic reading books and national and civic education books. The training session took place at the hotel Bellevue-Broumana, with the support of Afkar II program, funded by EU.
Among the attendees, the coordinator of Afkar program, Ms. Youman Chacar Ghoraib and the representative of the Educational Center for Research and Development, Mr. Nizar Ghoraib (Head of the Training Office). In the beginning, the president of NCFUWI, Ms. Iman Kabbara Chaarani, welcomed the audience. She stressed the importance of the cooperation with the Educational Center. She talked about the study carried out by NCFUWI within Afkar I & II projects, managed by OMSAR, that sheds light on the forms of discrimination in the elementary and intermediate classes’ books during the year (2006-2008) with a view of identifying the gender-based roles as taught by the school books in Lebanon, and their importance for the cultural molding of an individual. She called upon the minister of education and the decision makers to integrate a vision regarding gender-based roles in the school books to reflect the national strategic goals that focus on women’s issues and political, economic and social rights in compliance with the International Women Conventions. She also thanked all those who supported the project.
As for the coordinator of Afkar II program, Ms. Youmna Chacar Ghoraib, she praised the efforts exerted by NCFUWI as well as its commitment and seriousness. She considered that NCFUWI is a very active association advocating for the human and women’s rights and that the cooperation between the Educational Center and NCFUWI is a great and precious work as for what it yields for the good of the nation and the citizen.
Mr. Nizar Ghoraib spoke on behalf of the Educational Center. He expressed his belief in the cooperation with NCFUWI and underlined the importance of the studies that aim to change the situation towards the better and meet the objectives of the Educational Center that calls to build the citizen and a citizenship based on the participation and the rights.
The training session included many topics. During the first day, Ms. Iman Kabbara talked about the importance of the integration of gender-related issues in the educational policies and in the schools’ books and curricula in Lebanon. Ms. Sourayya Hashem talked about the concept of gender and discrimination and set a parallel between them. She underlined that the gender is about the social differences between men and women that can be changed.
Dr. Fahmiyyah Charafeddine highlighted the importance of building the roles in the intermediate school and during the adolescence. As for Ms. Iman, she presented the study as well as its content and objectives.
During the last session, Ms. Wadad Chakhtoura talked about the concept of equality and discrimination. At the end of the session, Mr. Nizar Ghoraib and Ms. Wada Chakhtoura assessed the workshop. Mr. Ghoraib thanked all those who contributed to the session, through their support, training and participation. He stressed the importance of the work and cooperation with the teachers from all the Lebanese Mohafazas and of passing these concepts on to the students, with a view of changing the mentalities. He also noted that the team spirit and the harmony between the participants as well as their seriousness during the workshop revealed their belief in what has been accomplished during the session, adding that NCFUWI will organize a second session on the same topic on 20-21-22 February with another group of intermediate classes’ teachers.