Lebanon's new women's affairs minister fails to charm

Florence Massena

 

Since the new year, several Lebanese rights groups have been demanding that the government established by Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Dec. 18 implement a quota of 30% of seats for women in the May parliamentary elections. Women's rights organizations had expressed dissatisfaction over the appointment of a man to head the new Ministry for Women's Affairs, Jean Ogasapian.

Hariri's newly appointed government is composed of 29 men and one woman, and a ministry for women's affairs was implemented for the first time in Lebanon. Led by Ogasapian, a parliamentarian from the Future Movement and consultant for private and public institutions on social cohesion and women's empowerment, this ministry will have the task of advocating for new laws and amendments favorable to the advancement of women in Lebanese society.

Walking a Mile in Their Shoes

Lucine Kasbarian

On a flight from New York to Cairo a decade ago, I couldn’t help noticing many fashionably dressed Egyptian women. When we touched down, several of them pulled out their chadors and began to cover themselves, as per the local customs.
Conversely, on touching down at Zvartnots airport in Yerevan this summer, I observed native Armenian women on the flight unzipping their duffle bags, slipping off their flat shoes and putting on stiletto heels. As it turned out, this too was a local custom, albeit a very modern one.