I started to be interested in the war and peace issues in Lebanon when I left my home country to pursue my studies at the University of Montreal (QC, Canada). While living abroad, I learned that once the war grabs hold of you, it never loses its grip; it shapes one’s emotions, thoughts, attitudes and […]
Monthly Archives: March 2014
It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness
My name is Fatiha, I am Moroccan, and I am a big fan of this blog and your work. A source of inspiration and hope for women in the Middle East and North Africa. My story is a ‘regular’ one in this part of the world, being discriminated at all levels, especially in my workplace […]
Une demeure à construire, un chemin en devenir
A ce jour, le ‘Printemps Arabe’ fait place à un rude hiver. En effet, au-delà des résultats des élections en Tunisie, l’opinion mondiale découvre une Libye des révolutionnaires disloquée, la révolte syrienne se transformer en cauchemar, une Égypte en proie au régime militaire et à la chasse aux sorcières islamistes, une Palestine vivant dans l’apartheid, […]
Entre le religieux et l’a-religieux, j’appelle au dialogue des féministes libanaises
Je fais partie de la génération des enfants de la guerre des années 70-80 du siècle dernier au Liban. Suite aux accords de Taëf et l’arrêt des combats internes en 1989-1990, je portai en moi tant une mémoire meurtrie que la soif de la découverte de la vérité sur le passé. Construire mon identité en […]
Thank you for teaching us Life Lessons
On the 9th of March, Lebanon celebrated Teachersa�� Day. During my early years, every year, I used to get my mother a small gift on that day; we were taught in school that mothers are the greatest of all teachers. How do we feel about teachers nowadays? For some reason, university professors arena��t counted as […]
What about Marital Rape?
I thought of writing this post a while ago, when students of mine were talking about marital rape as if it was a futile subject to tackle, claiming that women have the obligation of satisfying their husbands’ sexual needs (‘sex is a wifely duty’), that their own desire and consent do not matter, that God […]
لا للعنف… لا للصمت
يحتفل العالم اليوم بيوم المرأة، تكرّم سيّدات رائدات في مجالهنّ، تقام الندوات والمؤتمرات التي تناقش حقوق المرأة، وطموحاتها، وانجازاتها في الميادين السياسية والاجتماعيّة والاقتصاديّة كافّة. يغيّر محرك البحث جوجل Google شكل صفحته الرئيسيّة احتفالًا بالمناسبة. ولكن في زاوية مظلمة، في مكان ما، امراة لا تشارك بمظاهر الاحتفال. امرأة يضربها زوجها بوحشيّة، يغتصبها ان لم […]
A selection of poems by Ivonne Gordon Carrera Andrade
Ojos Me miré con otros ojos, me vi pasar envolver el viento en un botón. Me vi pasar con un saco de lona vacío de rastros y huellas. Las marcas de las yemas se habían borrado. Y me ví pasar. Un cuerpo, un rumor, un silencio. Me vi rodeada de albores silentes de ágata cristalizada […]
The Heiress of Chromosome X
Most articles, documentaries and media stories in Lebanon are focusing nowadays on domestic violence issues. True that women should be protected by a law, and crimes should be punished, but there are other violations against women’s rights that should be addressed, including gender inequality in inheritance. This important issue isn’t really known, but it remains a […]
Women’s Citizenship Rights in Lebanon
When I think of Lebanon and compare it to other countries also found in Western Asia, I consider it far less restrictive concerning the women’s right point of view. However, seeing women with all kinds of plastic surgeries, driving fancy cars and going out every night does not necessarily mean that they have the freedom they […]