MENA CHILD PROTECTION INITIATIVE
Report on: Situation analysis of Vulnerable and Disadvantaged urban children: The Case of Beirut
September 11, 2004
Submitted By: Mary E. Deeb, Ph.D
Bernard Gerbaka, M.D.
In collaboration with Lina Hammaoui, M.P.H.
RECEIVED: FINAL DRAFT 20.09.2004 (Monday)
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
List of tables
List of figures
Introductory note
I. Review of the Status of Urban Children
A. Background 1. Demographic characteristics 2. Economic characteristics
B. The Convention on the rights of the child 1. Definition of the Child, the Lebanese Context
C. Child Health 1. Infant and Child Mortality 2. Maternal mortality 3. Indicators and prevalence of child morbidity 4. Indicators and prevalence of accidents and injuries 5. Nutrition 5.1 Prevalence of malnutrition 5.2 Breastfeeding and infant feeding patterns 5.3 Iodine deficiency
D. Formal Education 1. Prevalence of illiteracy 2. Early Childhood Education 3. Primary education 4. School drop-out prevalence
E. Social Status of children 1. Child Culture 2. Leisure time
F. Vulnerable and Disadvantaged Children 1. Child Labor 1.1 Prevalence and characteristics of child labor in Lebanon 1.2 Domestic work 1.3 Paid or unpaid work within the family 1.4 Paid work as part of the labor force
a. age b. regional distribution c. nationality
2 / 87 d. age of entry into labor force e. education f. nature of work g. occupation type h. economic sector i. relationship with employer j. income and other benefits
2. Children in conflict with the law 2.1 Prevalence and characteristics 2.2 Sexual abuse 2.3 Drug-related arrests 3. Institutionalized Children/ Orphans 4. Street Children 5. Displaced/ Refugee Children 6. Disabled Children
II. Outline of the Institutions
A. Key Institutions
1. The Higher Council for Childhood 2. The Ministry of Social Affairs 3. Municipalities 4. Non-Governmental Organizations
B. Examples of “ Successful Programs “ targeting disadvantaged urban children
1. Project for the Prevention and Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labor( IPEC ) 2. The Drop-out of School Project 3. Road Safety Initiative for prevention of Injuries from road accidents. 4. Prevention and monitoring home intoxication initiative by the Anti–Poison Center 5. Upgrading skills of youth working as car mechanics 6. School Integration for Autistic Children
III. Assessment of the Capacity of Institutions
A. Beirut Municipalities
B. Non Governmental Organizations (NGO’s )
C. Proposal for capacity building
1. The Higher Council for Childhood 2. The Lebanese Autism Society
Concluding Remarks
3 / 87 list of tables
Table 1: Urbanization trend in some MENA countries, % of urban population in 1970, 1996 and 2030 Table 2: Distribution of the Lebanese population by governorates Table 3: Distribution (%) of Beirut residents by selected demographic characteristics Table 4: Distribution (%) of Beirut residents (10 years+) by educational level Table 5: Distribution of selected economic indicators among Beirut residents Table 6: Distribution (%) of families by ownership of electrical appliances Table 7: Estimates of infant and child mortality rate by governorate Table 8: Distribution (%) of injuries by place of injury and age Table 9: Distribution (%) of children (0 to 5 years old) by type of injury Table 10: Distribution (%) of children by cause of injury Table 11: Proportion of last births and births in last 5 years who ever breastfed by background variables Table 12: Distribution (%) of households who had iodized salt and where the salt was tested for iodine content by governorate Table 13: Classification of the child’s age in the Lebanese educational system Table 14: Distribution of children (%) enrolled in educational institutions for age group 3 to 6 years old by gender and governorate Table 15: Distribution (%) of children in elementary schools by gender and governorate Table 16: Net enrolment in primary school (%) by age and gender Table 17: Distribution of pupils (%) reaching grade five by gender and governorate Table 18: History of schooling among Lebanese children (%) by age and sex Table 19: Children’s involvement (%) in domestic work by age and sex Table 20: Boys and girls’ involvement (%) in family work by age Table 21: Boys and girls’ involvement in the labor force by age Table 22: Regional distribution (%) of working boys and girls by age Table 23: Age of entry into labor force (%) of working boys and girls by age Table 24: Highest level of education (%) of working boys and girls by age Table 25: Nature of work (%) of working boys and girls by age Table 26: Occupation (%) of working boys and girls by age Table 27: Economic sector (%) of working boys and girls by age Table 28: Relationship to employer (%) and satisfaction with work among working boys and girls by age Table 29: Monthly salary (%) and enrollment in NSSF among working boys and girls by age Table 30: Distribution of children in conflict with the law by gender and juvenile court for the year 2000 Table 31: Distribution of children in conflict with the law by age for the year 2000 Table 32: Distribution (%) of children in conflict with the law by educational level for the year 2000 Table 33: Frequency distribution of juvenile reported cases of sexual abuse in Lebanon Table 34: Frequency distribution of drug arrests related to crime among children below 18 years of age Table 35: Frequency distribution of children in social welfare institutions Table 36: Number of disabled children benefiting from a disability card by year Table 37: Percent distribution of disabled children benefiting from a disability card by educational level and year
4 / 87 List of figures
Graph1: Map of Lebanon
5 / 87 Introductory note
Cities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have been witnessing a remarkable and an unprecedented demographic growth. Nearly 60% of the MENA population lives in urban areas and is below 25 years old (World Bank, 2002). Table 1 shows the accelerated trend in urbanized areas for selected MENA cities. Migration from rural to urban areas has a negative effect on children as a vulnerable group, in a disadvantaged environment. The problem of children living and growing up in large cities is common to both developing and developed countries.
Table1: Urbanization trend in some MENA countries, % of urban population in 1970, 1996 and 2030.
Year Egypt Jordan Lebanon Yemen 1970 42.0 78.0 59.8 13.0 1996 44.8 97.1 88.0 34.4 2030 61.8 98.4 93.0 58.1
Source: United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects, 2001.
Projection analysis shows that in year 2025, 6 out of 10 children in developing countries will be living in urban areas. In comparison about 8 out of 10 children in the developed world are presently living in densely populated cities. Thus the future of the world is unavoidably urban, and the well being of children will depend on where they live. About half of the children in developing countries will be living in poor conditions and underserved areas. This group will have the highest demands on urban resources and facilities, and constitute the potential consumers and suppliers in the near future. Unfortunately, there is a lack in the current planning strategies in most of the MENA region’ municipalities, to address the needs of children and young people in urban areas (Benna, 2002).
The theme of youth in Lebanon is particularly relevant as they constitute close to one third of the Lebanese population. These young people will ultimately bear a good deal of the burden of reconstruction after fifteen years of civil war. This is compounded by high rates of unemployment and migration, and a relatively low participation in public and political life. Moreover, young people are exposed to risk behaviours that may affect their
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immediate or future life, such as : violence, smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases.
The MENA Child Protection Initiative (CPI ) launched a program supported by the World Bank to improve the well-being of vulnerable and disadvantaged (V and D) children (0-18 years ) in the MENA countries. The first activity of the CPI was to commission specific country case- studies in ten MENA cities in order to provide background papers to review and assess the current situation of V and D urban children. These countries specific papers will be used by stakeholders for policy and intervention oriented-action.
This study presents a situation analysis of the V and D urban children in the city of Beirut, Lebanon. The first part is a review of the status of urban children to identify major problems faced by these V and D children. The second part presents an outline of key institutions responsible for tackling social issues in urban areas, along with concrete examples of “successful programs” targeting V and D children. Finally specific recommendations for capacity building among selected institutions is discussed.
The Methodology used for this report include the following : A secondary data analysis of published documents and literature review on the situation analysis of urban children in Beirut. Interviews with key people on the council of the Beirut municipality. Interviews with coordinators of “successful programs“ targeting V and D children. A self-administered questionnaire to assess the needs for NGO’s and municipality’s capacity building.
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I. REVIEW OF THE STATUS OF URBAN CHILDREN
A. Background
Lebanon is a republic with a democratic parliamentary system and is administratively divided into five Mohafazat or governorates. Recently a new mohafazat Nabatieh was established in the South of Lebanon.
The “ State of the Children in Lebanon “ provides the most recent data on the population of Lebanon. Data was collected based on a national multi- phase random sampling of 7748 households all over Lebanon. Of these, 7231 households were occupied and 6843 families were interviewed. Data collection took place over the 3 months of July to September 2000. (Appendix I gives details on the survey methodology).
Table 2 shows Lebanon resident population regional distribution. Mount Lebanon, has the highest proportion of resident population in the country (38.5%), next is the North (22.7% ), the South including Nabatieh (17.4%), and the Bekaa (11.6%). Children of age groups 0-4 years, 5-9 years, 10-14 years, and 15-19 years constituted 8.6%, 9.5%, 10.3%, and 10.3% of the overall study population, respectively.
Table 2: Distribution of the Lebanese population by governorates
Governorate Gender Male Female Total Beirut 9.5 10.1 9.8 Mount Lebanon 38.5 38.3 38.5 North 22.6 22.8 22.7 South 17.2 17.7 17.4 Bekaa 12.2 11.1 11.6
Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).
The capital Beirut contains now almost half of the total population of Lebanon, including displaced persons. It is by far the largest city in the country; other major cities are Tripoli, Saida, Tyre, and Zahle. The growth of the city periphery and its population as a result of urban immigration, 8 / 87 particularly from the South of Lebanon is called Greater Beirut. The population living in the suburbs consists mainly of internal immigrants, that were forced out of their rural villages in the south, due to the civil war and Israeli occupation.
The suburbs are overpopulated and form a poverty belt around the capital Beirut. They account for 63.7% of Greater Beirut residents and 22.9% of total Lebanese population. The internal immigrants chose Beirut Suburbs for residency and work, where the cost of living is less than in Beirut city. These secondary homes (the primary being in their villages of origin), were typically old, small and rented. The infrastructure did not develop proportionally to the flow of incoming residents. The protracted civil war combined with overpopulation and restricted governmental budget allocation, led to the “ruralization” of the newly formed suburbs at the periphery of Beirut city.
The suburbs belong administratively to the Mount Lebanon Governorate. In the post-war phase the suburbs were included in the Greater Beirut area, emphasizing political and religious non-segregation of the Capital Beirut and its suburbs. Mount Lebanon received 58% of all internal migrants in Lebanon.
1. Demographic characteristics
The average family size in Lebanon is about 4.7 individuals. It varies by Mohafazat, the South is close to the general average in Lebanon. However, the average family size in Beirut (4.3 individuals) and Mount Lebanon (4.2 individuals) is smaller, while larger in the north (5.5 individuals) and the Bekaa (5.2 individuals) regions. ( Ministry of Social Affairs, UNFPA, 2000)
Table 3 compares the distribution of Beirut city residents and its suburbs by age group and marital status. The proportion of the population age less than 15 years old is higher in the suburbs (26.8% ) than in Beirut city (21.6%). Table 4 shows that illiteracy rate is higher in the suburbs compared to Beirut city for both males and females.
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Table 3: Distribution (%) of Beirut residents by selected demographic characteristics
Age Groups Beirut Beirut Suburbs < 15 21.6 26.8 15-64 69.1 66.9 > 65 9.3 6.3 Average family size 4.3 4.5 Marital Status Single 47.0 47.7 Married 44.8 46.0 Marriage contract 0.3 0.4 Multiple marriages 0.1 0.1 Divorced/separated 1.2 0.7 widow 6.6 5.1 Total 100.0 100.0
Source: Ministry of Social Affairs and UNFPA, 2000. Analysis of the Population And Housing Survey Lebanon. Volume 4
Table 4: Distribution (%) of Beirut residents (10 years+) by educational level
Educational level Beirut Beirut Suburbs Read and write 7.2 7.5 illiterate 8.9 10.3 Primary school not completed 3.9 5.2 Completed primary 23.8 29.8 Completed High school 20.1 16.5 Completed university 13.1 8.3 Completed Graduate Studies 2.1 0.8 Total 100.0 100.0 Illiteracy Rate Male 5.8 6.4 Female 11.7 14
Source: Ministry of Social Affairs and UNFPA, 2000. Analysis of the Population And Housing Survey Lebanon. Volume 4
10 / 87 2. Economic characteristics
The economy plunged into deep depression in 1985 after several years of amazing resilience to political turmoil, with the breakdown of the infrastructure, and the constant postponement of reconstruction and development projects. The stagnation and decline in economic activity since 1998, had a major effect on the living conditions of middle and low-income population. Poverty in Lebanon is described in reference to relative poverty, i.e. the mapping of living conditions survey inquired about perceived ability to meet the basic needs of the family. The data shows that the cost to meet the basic needs for health and education, constitute the major burden on the household economy compared to purchasing food and housing. Poverty in Lebanon is characterized by social disparity, mainly a gap between the rich and the poor and the emergence of a new precarious middle class, ( Nehmeh, 1998 ). The mapping of living conditions reveals that low satisfaction of basic needs is higher in rural areas namely in the North and the South. The resident of Beirut and the Mount Lebanon report a higher satisfaction with the available education resources and access to health insurance compared to the remaining regions in Lebanon. The urban poor are deprived of housing and suffer from lack of access to potable water and overcrowding. Quality of water networks and sanitation is lower in the regions compared to Beirut city.
The poor in Lebanon include farmers and skilled workers in agriculture and fishing, operators and drivers of heavy vehicles, equipment and cranes, unskilled workers and employees in sales and services, vendors and sales assistants.
Table 5 and 6 show the distribution of selected economic indicators among surveyed Beirut residents. The residents of Beirut suburbs fare worse on most economic indicators compared to Beirut city residents.
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Table 5: Distribution of selected economic indicators among Beirut residents
Economic Characteristics Beirut Beirut Suburbs Average family income 2,069,000 LP 1,724,000 LP Average individual income 481,000 LP 405,000 LP % of residents in work force 32.3 31.7 % of females in the work force 28.7 23.0 Dependency rate 2.1 2.1 Unemployment rate 5.6 5.6 Household Surface area (m2) % % < 80 27.9 35.8 81-200 61.4 58.2 > 201 10.7 6.0 Total 100 100 Households not connected To water network 0.8 2.8 To sewage network 1.1 12.5 Medical insurance 55.3 50.2
Source: Central administration for statistics, 1997. Lebanon household living standard survey. ( $1=1500 Lebanese Pound )
Table 6: Distribution (%) of families by ownership of electrical appliances Ownership of Beirut Beirut Suburbs appliances % % Mobile phone 25.2 23.7 phone 68.8 35.0 Video 62.1 46.6 Television 95.2 85.2 Washing Machine 94.0 90.5 Refrigerator 97.4 94.2
Source: Ministry of Social Affairs and UNFPA, 2000. Analysis of the Population And Housing Survey Lebanon. Volume 4.
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Graph 1 Map of Lebanon
Population size Per cent
Akkar
Tripoli Minieh Danieh Hermel Zgharta Bchirre Koura Batroun
Jbeil Baalbak
Kesrouan
Metn Beirut Baabda Zahle Aley
Chouf Bekaa Garby
Rachaya Jezzine Saida Nabatiye Hasbaya
Marjiyoun Sour Bint Jbeil
Per cent
4.50 - 7.18
7.19 - 9.87
9.88 - 12.56
12.57 - 15.23
Missing Data
13 / 87 B. The Convention on the Rights of the Child
Lebanon ratified the Convention on The Rights of The Child (CRC) in 1991, following participation in the world summit for children. Thereby emphasizing the country’s commitment to children rights and its strong will to move forward in improving the situation of children. Appendix II gives the dates of the revised regulations and laws concerning children’s rights.
1. Definition of the Child, the Lebanese Context
Definition of the child as per Article 1 of the CRC: “For the purposes of the present Convention, a child means every human being below the age of 18 years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.”
In the case of Lebanon, there are no separate legal texts which define childhood. The most Universal legislative enactments which lend themselves to encompassing a definition of the child are the Duties and Contracts Act (the Civil Code) and the Penal Code. Articles 215-218 of the Duties and Contracts Act define the child indirectly by determining the age at which a person is competent to be bound by contractual engagements, namely 18 years. In other words, it determines the full legal age at which the stage of childhood ends, which corresponds to the age specified in article 1 of the CRC and is consistent with the approach of treating a child as a minor.
In the same way there is no specific legal text which immediately determines the moment when life begins. In the Lebanese law, however, abortion is regarded as a punishable crime pursuant to articles 541-545 of the Penal Code and no doctor may perform an abortion, other than for medical reasons and within strict conditions. This legal text reflects the society’s position on this subject, which coincides with the general position of the religious and confessional authorities in Lebanon, all of which generally prohibit abortion. Lebanon adopted the principle whereby the fetus is included under the protection stipulated in the Convention. The prenatal stage is included within the definition of childhood, in particular the right to survival by virtue of the ban on abortion.
As for the age of criminal responsibility, it is divided into stages relating to the degree of criminal responsibility and protection measures. There is no criminal responsibility below 6 years of age, however between 7 and 11 years of age, the law entail specific protection measures.
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Age of puberty and age at which marriage may be licensed differs by religious groups. Marriage is legal for females starting 9 years of age (Moslem Sunni and Shiite), and the guardian may give a minor in marriage without his or her consent (Greek Orthodox and Shiite). As for custodial care it varies by confessional group, but usually a mother has custody of her child till the age of 7 years for males and 9 years for females (custody assigned to the mother).
Lebanon has also revised regulations concerning child labor. Changes, reflected in the Lebanese Labor Law, may be summarized as follows: Raising the minimum age for work from 8 to 13 complete years. Prohibiting the use of boys and girls before having a medical examination, to ensure the capability of the child to accomplish the work. Conducting follow-up medical examinations until age 18. Prohibiting the use of girls and boys, below 15, in industries and exhausting occupations that are dangerous to health. Prohibiting the use of girls and boys, below 16, in dangerous occupations, or occupations that present risk to the life, health, or morals of the juvenile. Limiting working hours for boys and girls, below 18, to 6 hours a day with a mandatory 13 consecutive hours of rest between two working shifts. Requiring employers to give children, below 16, an annual paid vacation, that is not less than 21 days. Prohibiting the employment of girls and boys during breaks, inter-shift rest hours, vacations, and holidays. Prohibiting evening and night work, i.e., work hours that extend from 7:00 pm till 7:00 am. Requiring employers to certify the age of the child. Allowing girls and boys of at least 17 years of age to work in industries to gain vocational training, after approval by the Minister of Labor and a medical certificate from the MOPH. Ensuring mandatory and free elementary education (No Ministerial Decree has been issued to this effect).
15 / 87 C. CHILD Health
Article 24 of the Convention recognizes the right of the child to the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and health rehabilitation. This section describes and gives an overview of the health status of Lebanese children living in urban areas namely Beirut city.
1. Infant and Child Mortality
Infant mortality is considered as a key indicator for the economic and social conditions of the country, as it reflects on the improvement of risk factors affecting child survival, development and growth. Table 7 shows a decrease in infant mortality rates (IMR), and the under five mortality rates (U5MR) from 35 and 43 per thousand in 1990 to 28 and 32 per thousand respectively in 1996. The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey undertaken by the Central Administration for statistics in collaboration with UNICEF in 2000, revealed that the infant mortality rate and under five mortality rate were 26 and 33 per thousand live births respectively which points to a stagnation in childhood mortality rates.
Infant and child mortality rates have fallen dramatically over the past decade when compared to the pre-war level of infant mortality rate in 1975. However, disparities among regions and groups still present a serious challenge. Progress in reducing mortality rates has not been equal across the five governorates. The Bekaa, South Lebanon and North Lebanon estimates of child mortality are two to three times higher than in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. The available evidence suggests marked differentials in accessibility to quality maternal and prerinatal care such as persisting risks of infection from substandard sanitation and hygiene in some areas.
The neonatal mortality i.e. deaths in the first 28 days after birth, accounts for the majority of reported infant deaths rates. This points to the fact that deaths during the first year is mainly due to congenital factors rather than infectious diseases. A well targeted approach to reduce infant mortality should focus on the causes of deaths in the neonatal period such as preterm deliveries, low birth weight, and congenital malformations. Genetic counseling for consanguineous marriages couples which is still quite a common practice in Lebanon, should also be considered as a prevention strategy for improving child survival in Lebanon.
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Table 7: Estimates of Infant and Child Mortality Rate by Governorate
Year Lebanon Female Male Beirut Mount North South Bekaa Lebanon Infant Mortality Rate per 1000 19901 35.0 19962 28.0 27.6 28.6 15.9 22.4 51.5 35.2 35.9 20003 26.0 24.0 29.0 20.0 19.0 32.0 24.0 40.0 Under five Child Mortality Rate per 1000 19901 43.0 19962 32.0 31.0 33.0 19.6 30.6 53.7 32.3 39.8 20003 33.0 30.0 38.0 25.0 23.0 44.0 32.0 57.0
Sources: 1.Ministry of Public Health/ UNICEF Basic Child Health Indicators, 1990. 2.Lebanon Mother and Child Health Survey (PAPCHILD), 1996. 3. CAS /UNICEF, Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, 2000.
2. Maternal Mortality Article 24.2.d of the Convention acknowledge that appropriate access to maternal health care services, ensure children's right to good health. Maternal mortality continues to be an area of concern. There is a shortage of adapted care services and health programs addressing women’s health needs at different stages in their life. Quality of care is the main problem in the delivery and access to health care services in underserved areas. (UN Common Country Assessment, 2000).
The PAPCHILD used the sisterhood method to indirectly estimate maternal mortality ratio at a range of 130 to 155 per 100,000 live births. The reference time location is 12 years preceding the interview i.e. 1984. Two additional estimates exist: a sisterhood estimate for Beirut which obtains a maternal ratio of 63/100,000 live births (Deeb, 1997), and an 11 year study of 35,058 live births and 45 maternal deaths in a tertiary referral facility, the American University of Beirut Medical Center (1971-1982) which obtains a maternal mortality ratio of 128 per 100,000 live-births.
17 / 87 3. Indicators and prevalence of child morbidity
Morbidity associated with acute respiratory infections remains a leading cause of death in children below one year and the most reported childhood sickness. Also, incidence of colds and coughs accompanied by complications were widespread among under-fives. However, a significant drop in incidence of diarrhea in children under five was observed and a decrease in drug medication. The major benefit of the decrease in diarrhea- associated mortality, was a substantive saving on costs related to unwarranted medical consultations and drug consumption. (Common Country Assessment, 2000)
4. Indicators and prevalence of accidents and injuries Domestic injuries is the leading cause of deaths among children between 1 and 5 years old, data from the MICS Survey in 2000, shows that 10.4% of children less than 5 years old had at least one accident during the year preceding the survey. The rate of injury increases by age from 8.7% for children less than 3 years old to 15.2% for children 3-5 years old. This underlines the relevance of the program for the prevention of accidents among children younger than five years old, launched by the Ministry of Health in cooperation with NGO’s and academic institutions sponsored by UNICEF. (CAS and UNICEF, 2002)
4.1 Injuries by location The majority of the injuries occurred at home (84%) for those less than 3 years old and (70%) for those 3 to five years old. ( Table 8)
Table 8: Distribution ( % ) of injuries by place of injury and age
Age (years) at injury Place of injury < 3 3-5 Kitchen 13.3 18.4 Living room 28.2 13.4 Bedroom 19.3 14.0 Stairs 8.3 10.3 Balcony 11.5 11.3 Bathroom 3.7 2.9 Outdoors 15.8 29.7 Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).
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4.2 Injuries by type and cause
Wounds and injuries account for almost half of all injuries followed by burns, fractures and poisoning. (Table 9)
Table 9: Distribution (% ) of children (0-5 years) by type of injury
Age (years) at injury Type of injury < 3 3-5 Total Wound 38 53 47 Burn 29 18 24 Fracture 11 14 12 Poisoning 3 3 3 Other 19 12 14
Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).
Table 10: Distribution (%) of children by cause of injury
Cause of injury Percent Boiled water/oil 11.7 Hitting fixed object 10.4 Slip 54.5 Unspecified 23.4
Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF. (2000). Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).
19 / 87 5. Nutrition
Protein-Energy Malnutrition (PEM), is present but in a limited form among low socio-economic people, displaced and refugees. Iron deficiency, anemia and growth faltering are reported in the 6-23 months age group. The Ministry of Public Health recommends the administration of iron drops for children starting at six months of age, for a period of six months. This was advocated as an adequate measure to decrease the reported prevalence rate of iron deficiency anemia among under five children (23%), this proportion reaches 43% among children aged 12-23 months. ( Ministry of Public Health and UNICEF, 1998 ).
No gender differentials in nutritional status is observed among Lebanese children. However children above 5 years old are adopting unhealthy eating habits such as consuming fast food meals and a high intake of animal protein and fat. Iodine deficiency also appears to affect children in Bekaa and the mountains, although accurate data on prevalence and incidence of Iodine deficiency are not available.
5.1 Prevalence of malnutrition
The PAPCHILD survey (Ministry of Social Affairs, 1996), indicate that the proportion of children who are severely underweight is 3%, moderate to severe wasting 2.9%, moderate to severe stunting 12.2%, moderate to severe wasting and stunting 1.1%. Following the international standards set by WHO and UNICEF, these figures show that the Lebanese children do not suffer from acute malnutrition in comparison to other countries.
5.2 Breastfeeding and infant feeding patterns
Breastfeeding is still a common practice among Lebanese mothers. Initiation of breastfeeding among the 2,190 children born alive during the 5 years prior to the survey was quite prevalent (88.1%). Differentials in breastfeeding patterns by the age and education of the mother and place of residence were minimal (Table 11).
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Table 11: Proportions of last births and births in last 5 years who were ever breastfed by background variables.
Respondent’s Last birth Births in last 5 years background % N % N Age <20 94.0 33 92.5 40 20-24 89.8 262 89.4 418 25-29 88.9 433 89.0 663 30-39 86.4 661 87.0 935 40-49 86.1 109 86.5 134 Region Beirut 86.3 179 86.9 238 Mount Lebanon 86.8 488 87.4 670 North 87.9 380 88.1 603 Bekaa 89.2 210 89.7 312 South 89.1 154 88.0 233 Nabatieh 92.0 88 91.0 135 Education Illiterate 89.1 189 88.3 310 Read &/or write 87.7 152 87.6 224 Primary 89.0 436 89.4 656 Intermediate 87.7 351 88.7 493 Secondary+ 86.2 370 86.1 507
Total 87.9 1498 88.1 2190
Source: Lebanon Maternal and Child Health Survey 1996, ( PAPCHILD).
Women who reported never breastfeeding their last child where asked why they did not do so. The most common reason given was insufficient milk (45% for the index child and 41% for children born in the last 5 years). Poor health on the part of the mother accounted for 15%, child sickness for 10%, child death for 10%, and child refusal to breastfeed for about 8% (Table11).
5.3 Iodine deficiency
Iodine deficiency affect children in the Bekaa and the mountains, accurate data on prevalence and incidence of Iodine deficiency are not available. A national study reports a mild to moderate amount of thyroid gland hypertrophy in all Lebanon. (UNICEF, 1993). Consequently, UNICEF sponsored two salt production factories to provide adequate iodized salt for consumption in Lebanon.
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Table 12 shows that the majority of Lebanese households use iodized salt. In addition the salt was tested and it was found that the salt iodine content was appropriate.
Table 12 : Distribution (% ) of Households who had iodized Salt and where the salt was tested for Iodine content by governorate.
Governorate no iodized salt Iodine percent (PPM) salt tested for available iodine < 15 15 + Beirut 0.3 97.0 8.9 91.1 Mt Lebanon 0.5 96.9 18.2 81.8 Lebanon 0.4 97.3 13.5 86.5
Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).
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D. Formal Education
Human capital has always been Lebanon’s major asset.
Table 13 shows a slight shift in the classification of children in schools by children age groups.
Table 13 : Classification of the child’s age in Lebanese education system Educational Stage Age group (previous) Age group (new) Kindergarten 4-6 4-6 Primary 7-11 7-12 Intermediate 12-15 13-15 Secondary 15-17 15-17
Source: Nehmeh, A., 1998. The second national report on the situation of children in Lebanon, The Higher Council for Childhood, 1993-1998.
1. Prevalence and indicators of illiteracy
Lebanon has the lowest illiteracy rate in the Arab region. The illiteracy rate declined from 31.8% in the early 1970s to 13.6% in 1996. In 2000, adult illiteracy was estimated to have further decreased to 11.6 percent of the population. (UNDP, 2002)
Illiteracy rates vary considerably between regions, with the highest rate in North Lebanon (20%), and the lowest rates in Beirut and Mount Lebanon (9.5%). It also varies by gender, 25.1% of females and 10.8% of males are illiterate in the Nabatieh governorate, whereas 12.2% of females and 6.2% of males are illiterate in Beirut.
2. Early Childhood Education
The Lebanese government engaged in early childhood care and development by promoting early enrolment of children in educational institutions. Table 14 shows that that 85.5% of 3-6 years old children are enrolled in educational institutions, with no gender differential. However the proportion varies by governorates, the lowest rate is in the North (80.8%), and the highest in Beirut (92.8%).
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The distribution of children by age, shows that 72.2% of three years old children and among four and five years old children 92.9%, are enrolled in kindergartens. Regional differences exist among three years old children, while there are no gender or regional differences among four and five years old children. About 75% of children below 6 years of age, are enrolled in private educational institutions. The enrolment rate in kindergarten increases proportionally by mother’s education level.
Table 14: Distribution of children (%) enrolled in Educational institutions for age group 3 to 6 years old by Gender and Governorate
Gender % Male 85.1 Female 86.0 Governorate Beirut 92.8 Mount Lebanon 89.2 North 80.8 Bekaa 83.9 South 85.3 Lebanon 85.5 Type of institution Private paid 67.6 Private free of charge 6.8 Public 23.4 Abroad 1.7 Orphanage 0.3 Specialized institution 0.2 Total 100 Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).
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3. Primary Education
Table 15 and 16 show an enrolment rate for primary education of 98.3% in 1999-2000 with no gender or regional differential. Enrolment by age does not reveal a significant drop-out rate among students 7-11 years of age for both boys and girls. This is an important achievement for Lebanon in reaching the goal of education for all.
Table 15: Distribution (%) of children in elementary schools by Gender and Governorate
Governorate Gender Total Male Female Beirut 99.1 98.7 98.9 Mount Lebanon 98.7 97.4 98.1 North 97.9 98.6 98.3 Bekaa 97.9 97.5 97.7 South 97.3 100 98.5 Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).
Table 16: Net enrolment in primary school ( % ) by age and gender Age ( years ) Gender Total Male Female 7 98.8 98.7 98.7 8 97.9 98.1 98.0 9 99.2 99.0 99.1 10 96.7 96.9 96.8 11 98.2 99.5 98.8 Total 98.1 98.4 98.3
Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).
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4. Prevalence of School Dropouts Table 17 indicate that 95.3% of those who enter grade one do reach grade five, with gender differences in favor of girls 97% compared to 93.8% among boys. The drop out rates vary minimally by governorate, except for the Bekaa where this proportion goes down to 90.7%.
Table 17: Distribution of pupils (%) reaching grade five by Gender and Governorate
Gender Reaching Grade Five First Second Third Fourth Fifth Male 99.5 97.8 98.4 98.0 93.8 Female 99.7 99.0 98.8 99.4 97.0 Governorate Beirut 100.0 100 100.0 97.8 97.8 Mount 100.0 97.5 100.0 98.9 96.3 Lebanon North 100.0 97.9 96.7 99.5 94.2 Bekaa 98.1 98.6 96.8 96.9 90.7 South 99.2 100.0 99.7 98.6 97.4 TOTAL 99.6 98.4 98.6 98.7 95.3
Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).
Table 18 indicate a sharp increase in the proportion of boys and girls who left school after age 14 with a clear disadvantage among males (30.9% of males vs. 22.8% of females of 15-18 years of age stopped school).
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Table 18: History of schooling among Lebanese children (%) by age and gender
5-9 years 10-14 years 15-18 years School M F M F M F attendance Never attended 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.7 1.0 1.1 Stopped 0.2 0.1 5.1 3.7 30.9 22.8 enrolled 99.2 99.2 94.2 95.6 68.1 76.1
Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).
Unfortunately, data show that approximately 20% of students leave school while semi-literate i.e. before acquiring the minimum skills provided at the level of primary education. 5.2% of children aged 10-14 years old are out of schools and 28% of children aged 15-18 years. It is to be noted that these dropouts do not all enter the workforce as a high number of them help their parent at work or in household chores. The main reasons for children leaving schools are their family poor economic situation, and the failure of the present educational system in retaining students.
The main reasons for school dropout were, in this order, lack of interest, cost, academic failure, family’s need of help, and health.
E. Social Status of Children
The Lebanese civil war ended officially a decade ago, but it had a negative effect on the social integration among the population. As a result, status of children is affected by their eco-cultural setting, socio-economic status and religious affiliation. Children of low socio-economic families do not have access to good schooling, or cultural activities. Their daily routine activities when not in schools are mainly spent playing in streets and watching television. Few families can afford books, magazines, or games for children. Whereas their more affluent urban counterparts have access to fairly good schools, and are exposed to different types of stimulating experiences.
There are eighteen religious denominations in Lebanon which consists of six major religious groups: Maronite, Greek Catholic and Greek Orthodox Christians, and among Muslims, Sunnis, Shi’as and Druze. Cultural practices vary among regions and religious affiliation and has its implications on the quality of life that the children are exposed to. Adherents 27 / 87 to every religion are located in a certain region of the country, have their own traditions, apply their own rituals, and have their own schools. (UN Common Country Assessment, 2000).
1. Child culture
Play, leisure and the development of the intellect, the senses and aestheticism are considered as secondary issues compared with essential services and needs, such as nutrition, health and education. Child culture which is imparted through books, toys, arts, films, music and magazines is somehow neglected.
Television is the main source of relaxation, entertainment and information for children. Television is available in almost every home and a multitude of local and satellite channels are accessible for a small subscription fee. The attitude towards protecting children from the adverse effects of television vary according to the local mentality. Despite the strictness concerning permissive scenes, leniency abounds when it comes to scenes of violence, which are frequent when children’s programmes and cartoons are transmitted. The prevailing approach is that violence is not an extremely serious matter, meaning that children are protected from visual exposure to violence.
The strictness regard the question of permissiveness in the media equates pornography with sex education. Protection takes the form of prohibition and suppression. Consequently children are deprived from scientific teaching and knowledge of sexual matters.
2. Leisure Time
The leisure activities that cater specifically for children are usually expensive and out of reach to the low income families. Consequently, most of their leisure time is spent at home or playing in unsafe polluted streets. Ride parks are available in the suburbs, however they are not monitored for safety, exposing children to accidents and injuries. Game arcades are also widespread in the Beirut suburbs, they provide computer and internet games and are accessible to the low income groups. Such premises are small or medium-sized, cramped with adolescents and youths.
Public space and green areas are scarce and off limit to the low income families living in Beirut, whereas in the villages they are close to the natural environment of fields, orchards and woodlands. In the towns, this situation is
28 / 87 due to the high price of real estate, and the neglect of municipal authorities in managing public parks, playgrounds and recreation facilities for children and for adults. There are few exceptions where School facilities such as equipped playgrounds are used for extra-curricular and scouts activities. The reconstruction of the Sports Stadium in the city of Beirut was given priority and the rehabilitation of a number of municipal playgrounds in Beirut and Bourj Hammoud. ( Nehmeh, 1998)
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F. Vulnerable and Disadvantaged children 1. Child Labor The number of Children that enter the workforce rises from 0.3% for children aged 10 years to 4.5% for those aged 14 years to 15.1% at age 18 years. Poverty, under its many disguises is the main culprit in the dropping out of school and starting work. So we see the highest rate of child labor in the poorest regions.
Children work in jobs predominantly trade-related. In the countryside, agricultural work predominates. The rate of work with the family rises especially for females as they also participate heavily in household chores. 90% of child laborers are not covered by any health insurance; although Lebanese labor law imposes on the employer the enrolment of any child laborer aged 15-18 years after a 3 month trial period in the establishment.
1. 1 Prevalence and characteristics of child labor in Lebanon
The "State of The Children in Lebanon 2000" report presents the most recent data on working boys and girls in the country. The national survey divided boys and girls’ work into three categories: domestic (household) work, paid or unpaid work with family, and paid work as part of the labor force.
1. 2 Domestic work
Table 19 shows an early involvement of boys and girls in domestic work but a sharp increase for girls (39% to 73%) as they grow up in contrast to a relatively stable proportion (<30%) of involved boys. No information was collected about type of domestic work carried by girls and boys.
Table 19: Children’s involvement (%) in domestic work by age and sex
5-9 years 10-14 years 15-18 years M F M F M F Yes 24.9 39.1 30.8 64.6 27.7 73.2 No 74.8 60.2 69.1 35.0 71.3 26.3 Unspecified 0.3 0.7 0.2 0.4 1.0 0.4
Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).
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The relatively higher involvement of girls, compared to boys, in domestic work is not associated with a higher dropout from school. On the contrary, there is a higher dropout among boys. However, this raises concern about the burden on girls to study and do well at school while contributing to domestic work at home, which might affect long-term academic achievement. Furthermore, girls’ involvement in domestic work at home, especially for those who dropped out of school, might be “hidden” employment to allow adult females, or even males, to join the paid labor force.
1.3 Paid or unpaid work within the family
This is further substantiated in Table 20, which shows an increase in the participation of boys in their families’ work from 5.8% among the 5-9 year old to 14.1% among the 10-14 year old and 21.9% among the 15-18 year old. A similar trend but at a lower proportion is noted for girls. The majority of this work is not paid. The majority of boys and girls (>98%) work less than 4 hours a day in all categories, except for females of age 15-18 years where 18.7% work more than 4 hours a day. If girls’ involvement in domestic work at home is accounted for as “labor’, the differences between boys and girls become very limited.
Table 20: Boys and girls’ involvement (%) in family work by age
5-9 years 10-14 years 15-18 years M F M F M F Work, no salary 4.5 2.2 11.0 4.3 16.2 7.1 Work, salary 1.3 1.1 3.1 0.5 5.7 1.8 No work 93.8 96.1 85.8 95.2 77.2 90.9 Unspecified 0.3 0.6 0 0 0.9 0.2
Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).
1.4 Paid work as part of the labor force a. Age
Table 21 presents the proportion of working boys and girls by age. No boys and girls younger than 10 year of age were reported as working. The proportion of working boys and girls gradually increased from 0.3% for 10 years old children (boys and girls) to 15.1% for 18 year old children. 31 / 87
Females represented 9.7% of those 10-14 years old and 12.8% of those 15- 18 years old.
Table 21 : Boys and girls’ involvement in the labor force by age
Age % Working (labor Proportion of girls force) < 10 0 - 10 0.3 11 0.4 12 1.2 9.7% 13 2.6 14 4.5 15 6.4 16 10.7 12.8% 17 13.1 18 15.1
Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). b. Regional distribution
The proportion of the young working boys and girls (10-14 years) is highest in the North (3.3%) with minimal differences between the other regions (<2%) (Table 22). As for the older group (15-18 years), the overall proportion is 11.3% with a relatively higher proportion in the peripheral regions (North, South, and Bekaa). These regions are known for higher poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment rates, and lower attention from central government translated into less developed infrastructure, schools, and health care system.
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Table 22: Regional distribution (%) of working boys and girls by age
Age ( years ) Region 10-14 15-18 Beirut 1.3 7.3 Mt. Lebanon 1.3 9.2 North 3.3 14.9 Bekaa 1.7 10.4 South 1.0 12.9 Lebanon 1.8 11.3
Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). c. Nationality
Ninety percent of the working boys and 100% of the working girls (10-14 years) are Lebanese. The proportion is less for the older age group (15-18 years) with 86.3% of boys and 97.5% of girls Lebanese. The remaining boys and girls are of Arab nationalities. d. Age of entry into labor force
Table 23 reveals that working girls join the labor force at an earlier age than working boys.
Table 23: Age of entry into labor force (%) of working boys and girls by age
Age group (years)
Age joined the 10-14 15-18 labor force M F M F < 9 11.2 25.4 2.4 2 10-14 85.5 74.5 43.9 52.9 15-18 49.7 45
Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).
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e. Education
Table 24: Highest level of education (%) of working boys and girls by age
Age group ( years )
Education 10-14 15-18 M F M F Illiterate 2.7 12.7 0.8 6.6 Elementary 72.8 47 62.8 51.1 Intermediate 24.5 40.2 32 28.4 Secondary - - 1 - University - - - 3.6 Technical - - 3.4 10.3
Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).
Table 24 shows that working girls are either more illiterate or spend more years at school with a higher proportion attaining intermediate education or higher. In other words, some girls are deemed not worthy of sending to school, while some boys are sent only to receive basic elementary education. If sent to school, girls tend to receive more education.
f. Nature of work
Table 25 offers further explanation to the relative earlier labor force participation and higher education among girls. It shows that a higher proportion of working boys than girls join the labor on a full-time basis. This is most probably happening at the expense of school, while more girls are involved in seasonal work that can allow for school attendance.
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Table 25: Nature of work (%) of working boys and girls by age
Age group ( years )
Nature 10-14 15-18 (duration) of M F M F work Full time 71.2 8.9 77.6 73.3 Occasional 15.3 12.7 14.8 1.4 Seasonal 10.1 38.2 4.5 25.2 Part time 3.4 40.2 2.9 - Unspecified 0.2 0.1
Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).
g. Occupation Type
There are clear differences in the occupations held by working boys and girls in both age groups (Table 26). The majority of working boys in both age groups are in artisan/ handicraft occupation, which include small industrial establishments such as mechanics, auto body repair, and the like. The rest of the boys are distributed among different occupations with less involvement in agricultural work as they grow up. In contrast, young working girls are mostly (91.1%) in unskilled occupations, but later in age they spread out into other occupations, mostly sales and personal services and unskilled jobs. Interestingly, the proportion of females working in agriculture increases with age. This finding confirms a similar observation among boys and girls working in tobacco plantations in the South (CRI, 2002). It seems girls are kept home to help with domestic work and farming, while boys move out to learn a new skill and bring more income to the household.
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Table 26 : Occupation (%) of working boys and girls by age
Age group ( years )
Occupation 10-14 15-18 M F M F Artisan 53.9 8.9 64.1 7.9 Unskilled 12.1 91.1 16.5 34.3 Sale/ 25.4 - 10.8 37.5 Office/reception 1.1 - 0.2 1.4 Skilled/agriculture 5.7 - 1.2 5.5 Other 4 - 7.2 13.4
Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). h. Economic sector
The distribution of working boys and girls by economic sector is shown in Table 27. No girls work in construction, as compared to 11% of the younger boys and 20% of the older boys. Commerce and industry are the leading sectors employing boys and girls. More girls than boys are involved in agriculture.
Table 27: Economic sector (%) of working boys and girls by age
Age group ( years )
Economic sector 10-14 15-18 M F M F Fishery/Agriculture 11.2 50.9 6.9 23.8 Industry 16.6 8.9 22.1 27.1 Construction 11.4 - 19.9 - Commerce 46.3 40.2 31.2 28.7 Other 14.5 - 19.9 20.4
Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).
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i. Relationship with employer
The majority of working boys and girls are not related to their employer, especially among older working boys (Table 28). The younger boys tend to also work with relatives or friends of the family, while younger girls work in workplaces in the neighborhood perhaps as a measure of protection and close supervision. This becomes less striking with older girls, although a higher proportion of them than males work with relatives. One-fifth to more than one-third the working boys and girls reported no satisfaction with their work (Table 28). This was not pursued further in the survey.
Table 28: Relationship to employer (%) and satisfaction with work among working boys and girls by age
Age ( years ) Relationship to 10-14 15-18 employer M F M F Relative 36.1 12.7 18.8 37.2 Friend 11.4 - 6.0 6.5 Neighbor 1.8 40.2 1.3 6.9 None 50.7 47.0 73.9 49.4 Satisfaction with work Yes 77.2 61.8 66.7 81.0 No 22.8 38.2 33.3 19.0
Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). j. Income and other benefits
Younger boys are more advantaged than the younger girls (Table 29), with higher salaries and more enrollments in the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). This is reversed among the older age group, where 34% of the boys versus 48% of the girls receive at least 300,000 L.L. ($200 USD) a month (minimum wage) and 8.1% of boys versus 34% of girls are enrolled in NSSF.
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Table 29: Monthly salary (%) and enrollment in NSSF among working boys and girls by age
Monthly salary Age (years ) (thousands LL ) 10-14 15-18 M F M F 10-149 34.5 38.2 32.9 9.1 150-299 14.5 8.9 19.8 19.9 300-449 5.3 - 24.4 29.8 450-599 7.2 - 4.2 7.6 600-749 2.8 - 3.9 7.1 750-899 - - 1.4 3.5 Not specified 35.7 52.9 - - Enrolled in NSSF No 92.4 100 91.9 66.2 Yes 7.6 - 8.1 33.8
Source: Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).
The tables above present a rather interesting, but not straightforward, relationship between work and gender. More girls contribute to domestic work at home, subsistence work at home, and unpaid family work, or work on a part-time or seasonal basis, but continue to go to school. In contrast, the boys tend to leave school early on to join the labor force on a full-time basis. In agricultural families, more girls help in farming while the boys move to new occupations. Boys are employed in construction, while girls are not, and as mentioned before more girls work in agriculture. It is clear that girls are still protected by their families, keeping them away from some “male-dominated” physically demanding jobs, securing them jobs at home, with the family, with relatives, or within close proximity. Families did not report of girls working as full-time (live in) or part-time domestic helpers. Overall girls faired better than boys regarding education and salaries and social security. The survey does not differentiate boys and girls at the level of occupation, but it seems girls are working in larger establishment with bigger workforce, which allows for a more stable and better salary and better social benefits. Boys in contrast maybe working in smaller establishments with less amenities.
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2. Children In Conflict With the Law
2.1 Prevalence and characteristics
Table 30 gives the frequency of children who appeared in Lebanese Juvenile courts in the year 2000. The overwhelming majority of children in conflict with the law are male (95.5%) and only (4.5%) are females. The highest distribution are in Beirut and Mount Lebanon and in the age group 15 to 18 years old.
Table 30: Distribution of Children in conflict with the Law by gender and Juvenile court for the year 2000
Juvenile Male Female Total Court N % N % N Bekaa 109 96.5 4 3.5 113 Beirut 454 96.5 16 3.5 470 Mt.Lebanon 331 95.7 15 4.3 346 Tripoli 298 97.4 8 2.6 306 Saida 289 90.9 29 9.1 318 Nabatieh 150 96.8 5 3.2 155 Military 6 100.0 0 0.0 6 Total 1637 95.5 77 4.5 1714
Source : Juvenile Delinquency and Children in Danger, UN center for crime prevention and drug control, MENA regional Office, March 2000.
The proportion of children who are older than 18 years old and still appearing in the statistics of Juvenile courts, is a reflection of the delay in the trials of the children in conflict with the law (Table 31).
As expected the illiteracy rate among these delinquent children is higher than the proportion of illiteracy among the children in Beirut and Mount Lebanon ( table 32) .
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Table 31 : Distribution of Children in conflict with the law by Age for the year 2000
Age(years) Beirut Mount Lebanon N % N % 8-11 11 2.3 3 0.9 12-14 30 6.4 15 4.3 15-18 315 67.0 146 42.2 19-21 44 9.4 55 15.9 22-30 12 2.16 15 4.3 Unspecified 58 12.3 112 32.4 Total 470 100 346 100
Source : Juvenile Delinquency and Children in Danger, UN center for crime prevention and drug control, MENA regional Office, March 2000.
Table 32: Distribution (%) of Children in Conflict with the Law by Educational Level for the year 2000
Juvenile Educational Level Court Illiterate literate Unspecified Total Bekaa 15.0 77.1 7.9 100 Beirut 22.9 68.8 8.3 100 Mt.Lebanon 17.4 78.8 3.8 100 Tripoli 25.3 66.1 8.6 100 Saida 16.2 74.0 9.8 100 Nabatieh 20.8 53.2 26 100 Total 19.6 71.7 8.7 100
Source : Juvenile Delinquency and Children in Danger, UN center for crime prevention and drug control, MENA regional Office, March 2000.
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2.2 Sexual Abuse
Data on prevalence of sexual abuse is hard to get due to cultural sensitivity of the issue and its problematic definition. The only source of quantitative data available are the annual reports of victims of sexual abuse perpetrator compiled by the Internal Security force, department of Statistics (Table 33).
Table 33 : Frequency distribution of juvenile reported cases of Sexual Abuse in Lebanon
Sexual abuse 2000 2001 2002 Perpetrators 97 56 85 Victims 117 93 97
Source : Directorate General, Internal Security Forces, Information Department Statistics.
2.3 Drug-related arrests
There are no accurate statistics on the prevalence of drug abuse in the Lebanese population. Data from Oum-el-Nour a rehabilitation NGO provide statistics on characteristics of drug abusers who sought help. The demand for rehabilitation services is on the increase. Sixty percent of those who requested counseling and rehabilitation services at Oum El Nour started taking drugs between 10 and 19 years old in 2003, 53% and 44% were between 14 and 19 in the year 2000 and 1999 respectively. This shows a sharp decrease in age and increase overtime in the proportion who are initiating use of illicit drugs. The comparative data on proportion of drug abuse in the age group less than 24 years old show a sharp increase between 1999 and 2003. The highest percent (21%) is among university students. Several surveys among school children and university students have documented reports of ever use of drugs among targeted youth groups. ( An- Nahar, 2004 )
The ministry of interior in collaboration with other concerned official partners launched a campaign in 2004 to stop drug trafficking. The estimated number of drug dealers varies between 3000 and 4000 persons. The ministry of interior managed to capture most of them. The government is fully aware that the problem of drug abuse should be dealt with in a holistic approach. First by exploring and eliminating the reasons that lead to drug abuse, then providing protection and rehabilitation to users of illicit drugs by the government and the civil society.
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Table 34 : Frequency distribution of police arrests related to Drug use and dealing among children below 18 years old
Governorates 2000 2001 2002 Beirut 16 12 12 Mount Lebanon 7 16 0 North 4 4 5 South 4 3 0 Nabatieh 2 1 0 Bekaa 7 8 2 Total 40 44 19
Source : Directorate General, Internal Security Forces, Information Department Statistics.
Placing children convicted of substance abuse in prison, like criminals is a major problem in dealing with these kids. On the contrary, they should be offered proper counseling and placed in rehabilitation centers.
3. Children in Institutions/ Orphans
The total number of welfare institutions having a contractual agreement with the Ministry of social affairs is 170 in 2004 of which 100 are located in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. Table 35 shows that the number of institutionalized children amount to 6403 and 12,556 in Beirut and Mount Lebanon respectively. The children in these institutions include orphans, children from difficult backgrounds (poverty, broken-up families), infants of needy families (including children born out of wedlock), children at risk of delinquency and children in conflict with the law. Therefore most of the institutionalized children are suffering from poor economic conditions and are not necessarily orphans. Indeed poverty seems to be the most important triggering factor for parents to send their children to institutions. In spite of the negative impact that institutionalization may have on children’ development, their presence in institutions guarantees their right to education, health services, and nutrition.
The Ministry of Social Affairs launched, in coordination with the NGO sector, an initiative to strengthen childcare within the family. Although the budget allocated to this project at present is insufficient, the limited experience carried out so far with a number of NGOs related to this project has been very positive and calls for the expansion of this initiative.
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Table 35: Frequency distribution of children in Social Welfare institutions*
Governorates 2000 2001 2002 2003 Beirut 6783 6817 6637 6403 Mt Lebanon 13689 13385 12455 12556 North 4291 4422 4081 3849 Bekaa 3569 3651 3571 3720 South 5095 5131 4656 4686 Nabatieh 1250 1190 1144 1270 Lebanon 34677 34596 32544 32484
Source : Ministry of Social Affairs, Department of Social Welfare Annual Reports. * having an official agreement with the Ministry of Social Affairs
4. Street Children
4.1 Definition and prevalence of street children
Legally, any child that begs for charity on the streets or leaves the family home is classified as a vagrant and subject to criminal law. Most children on the streets spend their days selling trinkets or begging for their parents/ other family members before returning home at night. However, there is a small number for whom the street is their permanent residence, and these are usually children who have suffered emotional and/or physical abuse within their families due to poverty, overcrowding, or family disintegration.
Lebanon does not really have accurate or reliable statistics concerning the phenomenon of street children and very few comprehensive surveys have been carried out. Partial studies seem to suggest that around 70% of street children are in fact Syrian nationals, with a further 6% Iraqi, 1.5% Palestinian and 1% Egyptian. Only 7.5% are believed to actually be Lebanese. These proportions and the magnitude of the phenomenon also vary from place to place, with Beirut, Saida and Tripoli all having their own particular characteristics.
Children on the streets of Lebanon come from all over the Arab world, including Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Algeria, Egypt and Sierra Leone. Foreign workers also intentionally leave their illegitimate children behind when they leave, in the belief that they will fare better in Lebanon than their home country. This means the phenomenon of street children cannot be resolved solely through internal reformation. 43 / 87 Street children from all these countries lack any kind of formal and/or recognized documentation, which excludes them from access to government services such as healthcare, education and skills training. It also makes them more susceptible to conflict with the law.
The Ministry of Interior established a specialized “ Street Children unit “ in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs and ILO. A major achievement in 2004 was the opening of an exclusive rehabilitation center for Streets girls.
5. Refugee / Displaced Children
There are around d 2,600 transient refugees living in Lebanon mainly Iraqis, Sudanese and other nationalities. These refugees have no legal rights in Lebanon. ( MECC, 2004 )
The main group of refugees in Lebanon are the Palestinians who fled to Lebanon after the Arab–Israeli I war in 1948. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA ), is the most important international source of assistance for Palestinian refugee. According to URNWA registers, a Palestinian refugee is “a person who, as a result of the establishment of the state of Israel, took refuge elsewhere in Palestine ( the West Bank and Gaza ), Lebanon, Syria and Trans-Jordan prior to 1 July 1952 , and who was deemed in need “.
5.1 Population size and distribution
The total number of registered Palestinians refugees in Lebanon as of December 31st, 2000 is estimated at 382,973 persons of whom 35% are children less than 18 years old. They constitute 10% of all Palestinians refugees worldwide. More than half of the UNRWA‘ registered Palestinians population live in camps. They are distributed a follows : Beirut and its suburbs 21.6 %, Saida 25.75%, Tyre 24.16%, Tripoli 19.8% and Bekaa 3.38%. However, all Palestinians who entered Lebanon after 1956, are not registered with UNRWA and are not eligible to a residency permit. Their children are particularly vulnerable as they are not issued birth certificates, and consequently are denied officially from receiving UNRWA services.
The Living Conditions of the Palestinians Refugees living in Camps and Gatherings ( LIPRIL ) survey undertaken in January- February 1999 is the most recent study on Palestinians in Lebanon ( FAFO, 2003). The study
44 / 87 surveyed the Palestinians refugees residing in camps an in camp-like areas outside the camps, known as “ gatherings “.
5. 3 Economic activity
The economically active Palestinian population who are regularly employed in Lebanon is estimated to be only 5% and 0.16 % have work permit. The remaining are employed by UNRWA and NGOs or work regularly in sectors where a work permit is not required. It is estimated that 2.4% of the Palestinian children aged 7-14 years old are working compared to 1.6% among Lebanese children.
The LIPRIL study shows that the labor force participation is 16% among females compared to 69 % for males. The unemployment rate for the Palestinians in camps an gatherings is 17%. This is high by International standards however similar to the unemployment rate of 15% in Lebanon and Jordan. The poverty level among the residents of Palestinians camps in Lebanon is relatively high, 7 in 10 Palestinians households are in the lowest income brackets compared to 2 in 10 among Lebanese households. No Palestinian household was categorized in the two upper income level brackets.
5.4 Education
Palestinians children attend UNRWA schools where they follow the Lebanese school government curriculum. The rates of enrollment for registered Palestinian children were 62.7% at the primary level, 74.9% at the intermediate level and 21.8 % at the secondary level. The total enrollment during the academic year 1999/2000 consisted of 41,153 children.
The LIPRIL survey data shows that among refugees aged 10 years and older 13% of the population have never attended school, and 18% per cent dropped out of school before completing elementary education. One in 10 have completed the secondary, and only 1 in 20 have completed semi- professional or higher education. The educational level among Palestinians in Lebanese camps and gatherings is lower than in the total Lebanese population.
The enrolment in the first years of primary school is quite high, and remain above 90 per cent until the age of 11 years. The dropout rate among males after 11 years of age is greater than for females. Girls remain in school longer up to 18 years of age, when attendance rates become closer for
45 / 87 males and females. Two thirds of these dropouts are, according to their parents due to repeated academic failure, or lack of interest in school. Among the girls one in 10 have left school in order to get married or to take care of family members.
5.5 Mortality
The LIPRIL study shows that the Infant Mortality and the under five- mortality rates decreased from 35 to 32 and from 40.3 to 37.3 per thousand respectively in the last ten years preceding the survey. Although these mortality rates are relatively low, they are higher than those observed in camp populations elsewhere as well as among Lebanese children. The leading cause of infant mortality among registered refugees are premature birth and low birth weight (22%) followed by respiratory infections (16%).
5.4 Morbidity
The prevalence of communicable diseases is high among Palestinian children in Lebanon. The prevalence of cough and/or common cold is 44% and that of fever was 25%, among children under 5 years of age ( UNICEF, 2000). This is mainly due to the poor housing condition : overcrowding, poor ventilation and lack of sanitary infrastructure in the Palestinians camps.
The LIPRIL survey shows that 19% of the population report a chronic health problem, while 9% had a severe health problem, or a disability. Three percent perceive suffering from a war–related chronic health problem. The prevalence of morbid conditions differ by age and gender, male children are worse off than females, however males report more chronic problems after age fifty than females.
5.5 Nutrition
The survey data shows that 5% of Palestinian children (1 to 3 Years old) living in camps and gatherings are malnourished compared to 2% in the camps of Jordan (FAFO, 2003). UNICEF also reports that 30% of registered Palestinian children suffer from micro-nutrient deficiency.
6. Disabled Children
According to the WHO conceptualization differentiation should be made between impairment, disability and handicap. “ Impairment is viewed as
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any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function, and “Disability as any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in a normal manner. “ Handicap” is the social disadvantage resulting from an impairment or disability (WHO, 1980).
There is no reliable statistics on the prevalence of disability in Lebanon. The housing and population survey estimates 10 disabled persons per 1,000 individuals. The prevalence of disability was higher among the males than females (12.3 and 7.7 per 1,000). The distribution of disability among the young by type shows that the majority were cases of mental illness (38%), followed by limb deformities (16.4%), paralysis (14.2%), deaf (9.4 %) and blindness (4.3%). The ministry of social affairs launched a program in May 2000 for the rehabilitation and reintegration of the disabled in the society. Table 36 report the frequency of disabled who have acquired a disability card and are benefiting from the services offered by the ministry.
Table 36: Number of Disabled Children benefiting from a disability card provided by the ministry of social affairs, by year.
Year Lebanon Lebanon Lebanon Beirut Mount Male Female Lebanon 1998 1499 902 597 117 555 1999 1382 802 580 119 462 2000 1147 663 484 63 417 2001 1507 901 606 106 554 2002 522 292 230 31 177
Source : Ministry of Social Affairs, Disabled Rights Programs, Yearly Statistical reports.
Educational attainment showed that around 60% of handicapped registered at the ministry of Social Affairs are illiterate and less than 2% attain secondary level (table 37).
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Table 37 : Percent Distribution of Disabled Children Benefiting from a Disability Card by Educational level and Year
Educational Level 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Never attended School 60.0 56.9 62.0 58.4 57.5 Regular Primary 26.0 28.6 23.7 25.9 26.6 Specialized Primary 9.5 7.2 5.5 4.8 5.4 Regular Complementary 2.5 4.2 4.9 7.0 4.9 Specialized Complementary 0.3 0 0.9 0.4 0.4 Regular Secondary 0.7 0.2 0.4 1.3 1.9 Specialized Secondary 0 0 0 0 0 University 0 0 0 0.7 0 Other 1.0 2.8 2.6 2.1 3.2
Source: : Ministry of Social Affairs, Disabled Rights Programs, Yearly Statistical reports.
48 / 87 II Outline of the Institutions
A. Key Institutions
1. The Higher Council For Childhood
In 1994 a Decree issued by the Council of Ministers which mandated the Ministry of Social Affairs to form the Higher Council for Childhood. The Higher Council for Childhood is the national body that coordinates the activities of the public and private sectors, with the support of International Organizations. The council is responsible for the preparation of national reports, and the follow up of the implementation of the CRC.
The council has 19 members (in addition to the secretary of the council), 10 represent the governmental sectors, 8 the NGOs, and a UNICEF representative. All Ministries concerned by the implementation of the CRC, do have a representative in the council : Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Media, Ministry of Labor. An executive team is assigned to the council. (enclosed the organizational chart)
2. The Ministry of Social Affairs
Established in 1993, the Ministry of Social Affairs is in charge of planning and monitoring projects for development and social welfare. It also provides welfare and social services directly or through non governmental organizations. Its areas of concern include aspects relating to the rights of the child. The Ministry manages a network of social development centers located all over Lebanon, which provide a wide spectrum of medico-social services. A list of the Social Development Centers operating in Beirut is provided in Appendix III.
The ministry has also a social training center that provides training and capacity building for various governmental and non-governmental organizations. The Ministry of Social Affairs is responsible for organizing youth volunteer camps, to promote the participation of youth in social development at the community level, and the social re-integration of youth from different regions of Lebanon. The reproductive health programme supported by the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Social Affairs and the National AIDS programme have youth as one of their target groups. The 49 / 87
Ministry of Public Health supports also a project for prevention of accidents among young people, undertaken by a NGO formed by youth.
The Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports has a General Directorate for Youth and Sports; most of the activities conducted by this Directorate are related to sports and the organization of camps .
3. Beirut Municipality
Lebanese municipal elections took place in June 1998 for the first time in 35 years in over 700 municipalities. Seventy did not participate due to Israeli occupation or the displacement of village populations due to wars. The election of more than 700 municipal councils brought over 8000 elected members to local government, most of whom lacked relevant experience. The municipal elections of 1998 constituted a major step in the political reconstruction of the country, strengthening the democratic process and providing a sound basis for the reactivation of socio-economic and community life at the local level.
Prior to municipal elections, SUNY/CLD and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had envisioned that assistance to the municipalities would be implemented in the post-election transition period, when new strategies would be studied and planned, with the objective of decentralizing government services in Lebanon. Both SUNY/CLD and USAID noted that the first priority of the public in electing municipal council members was to be served efficiently. SUNY/CLD has undertaken the job of enhancing the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities (MOIM) capabilities by providing the necessary assistance to newly elected municipal councils and increasing their efficiency in meeting public needs to counteract 35 years of deterioration.
The Beirut municipality is the biggest in the country it is constituted of an elected council and an appointed “Mohafaz” by the Lebanese government. The Mohafaz has the jurisdiction of implementing the decisions taken by the municipal council according to the Lebanese Law. The well functioning of the municipality of Beirut is a function of the delicate interplay of power relationship between the council and the Mohafaz. The municipal council has several specialized subcommittees and one delegate for children issues.
The Jurisdictions of the Municipal Council consist of :
Budgeting. Loans and contract management. 50 / 87
Human resources management and salaries of employees. Establishing public gardens and public spaces including parks, play areas, swimming pools, museums, hospitals, shelters, libraries. Contribution to public schools expenses. Monitoring of education activities and operations in public and private schools and preparation of relevant reports to education authorities. Provision of help to needy and disabled people and support to clubs, NGOs, as well as all health, social, sports, cultural and other activities.
The new municipal members found local government facilities in ruins, with inadequate services and operations. The municipality of Beirut regained its offices in 2002, and is located presently in a beautiful renovated historical Building in a the downtown area.
The major challenges facing the municipal council according to the Municipal Council president, is shortage of qualified manpower and human resources and scarce financial resources, that allow them to deliver services within their jurisdictions. There are around 400 full time employees in the municipality of Beirut, unfortunately most of them have been employed prior to 1975. In addition, they lack the relevant technical expertise to provide the needed support to the municipal council. The responsibility of the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities (MOIM) is to help the councils perform their tasks. The newly elected municipal councils looked to MOIM to provide needed technical support and to monitor and sustain functioning.
The municipalities have regained, in principle, more autonomy in administrative and financial matters. However their revenues are scarce and their administrative resources are inconsistent with their duties (only 20% of the 7000 municipal employees are civil servants among whom only 7% are skilled).Weak capacity of the elected municipalities and poor facilities to plan and implement changes at the local level reduce their ability to effectively mobilize and implement major initiatives. At present, municipalities rely mainly on the central government for maintenance of the local infrastructure and basic services. More than 95% of public spending is effected at the central level and less than 5% at the local level (UNDP, 2002)
51 / 87 4. Non-governmental Organizations
Civil society organizations have a rich experience in providing social services, especially in education and health care. Most non-governmental schools, hospitals and centers are run by non -profit civil society organizations. Lebanese NGOs active in social development and relief work have performed outstandingly during the 16-year of civil war. Nevertheless the operations of many organizations would gain considerably from enhancing financial transparency, strengthening internal and external accountability mechanisms, and upgrading governance. Structural reform and better efficiency through enhanced professionalism and managerial and technical skills (National Human Development report 2001-2002).
At the nongovernmental level, it is not possible to list all the NGOs that are involved in working with youth. However, the major areas covered by the work of those NGOs involves: behaviour modification and promotion of healthy lifestyles; promotion of participation and development of basic life skills particularly among out-of-school youth; scout activities by a variety of associations; and promotion of participation of youth in political life, primarily including decreasing the age for eligibility of voting.
There are around 2,353 NGO’s registered with the ministry of Interior this does no imply that that they are all active. Beirut has the highest concentration of NGO’s 682 in Beirut city and 803 in the suburbs.
Since 1996, the UNDP has maintained an NGO data bank. This includes data on contact addresses, senior responsible persons, the type of NGO, thematic involvement, activities, size of staff and volunteers. The Ministry of Social Affairs in cooperation with UNDP, is preparing presently an updated comprehensive manual enumerating all NGO’s working in Lebanon.
The list of the major NGO’s operating in Beirut and targeting children, compiled by the Higher Council of Childhood is attached as Appendix IV.
52 / 87 B. Examples of “ Successful Programs “
1. Program Title: IPEC, Comprehensive Project for the Prevention and Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labor in the Sin El Fil, Borj- Hammoud Area (North- Eastern Poverty Belt of Beirut).
22 NGOs, 2 municipalities (Borj-Hammoud, Sin El Fil) and the Ministry of Social Affairs Development Center worked closely to supervise a comprehensive regional program against worst forms of child labor in the North East poverty Belts of Beirut. This program was directly executed by 8 out of the 22 organizations involved. The program targeted the most hazardous child labor (car mechanics, leather tanneries, child victims of prostitution and drug trafficking). This program sets a clear example of how wide social mobilization of related institutions and their ability to coordinate their services can be extremely effective in combating child labor in a certain region, rather than having a sole institution working alone on the issue.
1.2 Program Approach and Strategy
The program intervenes through 5 main strategies
a. The prevention of further entry of children (under 12), especially the most vulnerable into the worst forms of child labor prevalent in the Sin El Fil, Borj Hammoud region.
b. The withdrawal of the most vulnerable children working in worst forms of child labor to formal or informal education.
c. Protection of those children in most hazardous jobs and improving their working conditions
d. The support of the family through income generation, schooling of children, health services… in order to help gradually withdraw their children from the labor force and back into formal or non formal education.
e. Direct support to working children and their families as well as indirect support by building the capacities and raising the awareness of the institutions working on their behalf and the community they belong to respectively, not to mention the local and national authorities.
53 / 87 1.3 Institutional Framework
The actual implementation was carried out by 8 organizations:
- Arc En Ciel , AFEL, Armenian Relief Cross, LIBAMI, SIDC, Social Movement, Dar El Amal, Social Development Center (Ministry of Social Affairs), Borj Hammoud Municipality, Sin El Fil Municipality.
All the organizations operated in an independent as well as complementary manner in the comprehensive project. This means that there has been a clear division of labor amongst the respective organizations that facilitated an organized referral system and coordinating mechanism.
Therefore a child who attends the literacy programs at the Social Development Center and LIBAMI will have access to the dental care services and the extended music and sports club at Arc en Ciel. Girls attending the programs of Dar El-Amal will also have access to the music programs at Arc en Ciel and the games of SIDC. Moreover certain programs and activities run across all organizations like for example awareness raising activities on children’s rights and monitoring (especially health monitoring) for all working children attending centers. Identification of working places where there are working children was an on-going process, carried out by all organizations. It also aimed at developing a relationship with the employers in order to establish a long-term process (with local authorities) of reducing the hazards of work.
( IPEC- Project Document 2001 ).
54 / 87 2. Program Title: The Drop Out of School Project
The Lebanon drop-out of school project was initiated by Save the Children, (SC) United Kingdom in 1999 in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs. The project started in the southern Suburb of Beirut namely Ghobeiry and Bourj El Barajneh, ministry of social affairs health centers. The number of drop-out children in those areas was more acute than other places as it is considered a poverty belt around Beirut. In addition, the number of children hanging out in the streets at all times of the day was increasing in the neighborhood.
2.1 Project approach and strategy
The project intervenes through 6 main strategies
a. Mobilize children, parents, schools, MoE and the community to be part and share in the implementation of project. b. Provide the drop out children and their teachers with the needed skills to successfully reintegrate in schools the drop out of school children. c. Provide constant support to the children and teachers during the process of reintegration. d. advocate for an awareness strategy regard the problem of drop out of school as a community issue. e. Eliminate child labor at an early age f . Encourage other organizations to undertake similar projects elsewhere in Lebanon.
2.2 Institutional framework
During the first year the project recruited 90 children of whom 63 joined the rehabilitation course, 55 of them went back to school and are still in school. One quarter of these children had never attended school, 42.6% had been out of school for one year, 22.8% for two years and 35.1% for more than two years. The main reason for dropping out of school was poverty and lack of awareness. The majority of the children were drop out from semi-private schools, which are subsidized by the government and have a weak educational program.
Funding to continue the program were secured by SC and the local authorities to cover part of the school expenses. As for the regulations a special permit form the Minister of Education was secured, to allow
55 / 87 children who did not attend school the previous academic year to sit for an entrance exam. The encouraging results of the first year convinced all stakeholders involved : the Ministry of Education, the schools, the community, the Social Workers to continue supporting the project.
The direct outcome of the three year project were the reintegration of 296 children in schools. A marked change in the parents attitude towards these problematic kids, from neglecting them to a close follow-up of their performance in school. The children behavior also changed from feeling segregated and unwanted, to feeling in control of their life and part of the community in which they live. Children who were perceived as lost children out in the streets, have been reintegrated as school mates. Eight children with slight disabilities were reintegrated in the regular school system.
The major achievement of the project was to enhance collaboration between different ministries Social Affairs and Interior. The municipalities who provided the children textbooks and stationary for free. An NGO namely The Middle East Council of Churches sponsored extra curricula activities for the children such as transportation fees. It also triggered other NGOs to initiate similar projects such as Renee Mouawwad Foundation in North Lebanon
56 / 87 3. Project Title : Road Safety Initiative: Role of the municipality of Beirut in the prevention of trauma caused by accidents and the promotion of safety in Beirut. ( Gerbaka , B. 2004 )
Traumatic accidents are the primary cause of children mortality. Road accidents rank ninth among the cause of mortality in the world and may rank third in 20 years. Four hundred thousand people live in the Beirut city and about one third of the total population of greater Beirut. Greater Beirut faces yearly an increasing number of road accidents : more than 70,000 accidents, 450 injured and 100 deaths per year. The prevalence of deaths due to traumatic accidents is 20/100,000 individuals, with 1 death per injured and one injured per accident. Traumatic accidents constitute primary cause of injuries among all emergency trauma. Young people age 14 to 18 are particularly affected.
Program Approach and Strategy :
1- Establish a network of cooperation between the hospitals in Beirut, the ambulances services, and the various emergency assistance units i.e. civil defense and fire fighting brigades. Promote first aid training among the latter group.
2. Evaluation of information pertaining to accidents and their consequences. A special “Commission for children “ was proposed to take in charge this responsibilities.
3- Evaluate and decide on urban design pertaining to road safety : bridges and pedestrians passage road signs at vulnerable locations.
4- Develop joint projects with WHO, UNICEF, NGO’s and academic institutions to promote : safety in schools, roads safety, air pollution control, reducing lead intoxication, use of car seats prevention of domestic accidents and reducing domestic intoxication.
5- Action taken by the legislative body and improvement of the infra- structure: a ) separate pedestrian streets, install 400 traffic bumps to reduce speed around areas such as : mosques, churches, schools, universities, hospitals and dispensaries. b) Installation of a mobile air pollution control Laboratory.
57 / 87 4. Project title : Preventing and Monitoring home intoxication initiative. The poison prevention center in collaboration with the municipality of Beirut.
A recent study conducted by Hotel Dieu de France Hospital shows that the accidents due to intoxication were 3.8% of the total accidents for those below 18 years of age. Though the percentage seems low yet some 40% of the cases needed hospitalization thus a significant number. Many of the intoxication cases are considered by the community as “benign” and not referred to the emergency services.
As a result of the study and due to the active role of the mother in the prevention of intoxication and first aid and in order to minimize the risk of domestic intoxication of children the project “prevention and control of domestic intoxication“ was launched in April 2002 by the : Centre Universitaire de Sante Familiale et Communautaire, Centre Anti-Poison and the emergency services at the St Joseph University.
4.1 Program approach and strategy a. Help the parents and every adult having responsibilities for children between age 0-7 years to : recognize the sources of intoxication found in medical drugs and household cleaning products; apply safety measures (watching children, labeling and appropriate shelving); improve the parents action in case of intoxication. b. Strengthen the know-how of health professionals who will in turn provide guidance and training to personnel concerned with domestic intoxication. c. Establish a coordination network to improve assistance in case of intoxication and to ensure continuity of preventive actions. d. Impress on the manufacturers for better control to avoid risks (proper labeling, tighter caps, less toxic products).
The following interventions were adopted :
- Establish communication /information ( brochures, bulletin boards ). - Organize information sessions /seminars for health professionals in the region (family medicine, pediatrics, emergency and internists physicians, nurses, pharmacists ). - Organize “open House days“ to inform mothers, schools, Kindergarten.
58 / 87 The area close to the Centre Universitaire ( Ras El-Nabeh, Bourj Barajneh ) was considered appropriate to conduct the study for two reasons, one availability of detailed and recent data /research about the area, two the socio-cultural diversity characteristic of the area.
The evaluation of this initiative demonstrate an improvement in the parent’s and health workers preventive action. Moreover the project was a model for collaborative work between academics, NGO’s and Beirut Municipality. The targeted population was adequately sampled and represent an urban multi-confessional group.
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5. Title of the project : Upgrading skills of the youth working as car mechanics in the suburbs of Beirut .
“Mouvement Social Libanais” (MSL) was established to integrate the poor and vulnerable populations in Lebanon, and to create a more just and humane society. MSL inspired by Bishop Grégoire Haddad and a few committed Lebanese, both Christians and Muslims was first acknowledged as an NGO in 1961. In 1963 and once again in 1979, MSL got the official title of “Mouvement of Common Welfare”. Since its inception, it has been concerned with issues of public welfare and the continuous involvement in various areas of social development. In the past, MSL covered a number of sector areas in its operation, such as education, rehabilitation, local development and health. At present, it chooses to focus its action on youth and gives priority to training, social and economic development, raising consciousness, and promoting grass root participation.
The MSL is governed by a board of nine volunteer members, who checks its goals and defines its priorities. The board is elected every two years by the General Assembly, which is made up of 60 members. Under the supervision of the executive director, a senior team manager leads and monitors the day- to-day programs. Local teams of Social Workers run and execute these programs through MSL’s 14 local developmental centers (LDC) all over Lebanon. MSL runs an annual budget of $ 1,475,000.
On-going Youth programs
1. Vocational and human training for 15-19 year-old school dropouts. The program aims at providing youth dropout with opportunities to integrate socially and economically in society despite their lack of education and low school performance. The program has two main components: the short course vocational training (delivered by a professional trainer), and the social activities and social behavior training (delivered by a social worker)
60 / 87 2. Basic education and career advising for 11-14 year old school children dropouts.
The pre-vocational club was created in 2 regions of Beirut : Jnah and Sin el Fil, to provide a framework within which 11-14 years old children get opportunities to achieve their basic education, to select an active career through direct and indirect activities (workshop visits, professional meetings, and activities in workshop initiation), and finally, to get involved in sports and educational activities. This program has proven effective to prevent child labor.
3. Formal and non-formal educational activities for vulnerable and poor children MSL supports the schooling of 300 young children in different areas. This program helps prevent children’s school dropouts through activities like: scholarships, follow-up, remedial teaching, day camps etc. MSL helps them attain the highest possible school degree. 4. Social and vocational rehabilitation for women and delinquents in prison.
In the women prison, the rehabilitation focuses on handicraft production, illiteracy and language courses. The MSL sells the handicraft products to “Artisan du Liban” or to the local market, while the women use the profits to reach their basic material needs. The rehabilitation of the young boys in prison is mainly carried out through vocational training activities, including four workshops. MSL social workers hold regular discussion sessions for the social awareness of these young boys, as well as to provide juridical follow-up on their cases. 5- Managing two small schools: a vocational school in Bourj-Hamoud, and an elementary one in Jnah (North and South Suburbs of Beirut). 6- The Artisan du Liban: a company founded by MSL in 1978 to design and sell handicraft products especially those produced in rural areas. 7- Building a Local Network Platform of resource persons and institutions around every LDC in order to promote local development with multiple actors including municipalities. During 15 years MSL focused on the integration of marginalized youth in the labor market through short-term vocational training and social education. The vocational training topics are based on a private sector need assessment that is conducted on a yearly basis.
61 / 87 The extensive and continuous contact with the private sector representatives to ensure the youth integration in the workplace, helped us realize that the private sector is facing economic difficulties, and hence jeopardizing the employment of young people. Accordingly, we decided to push our role one step further and build local network platform, composed of the municipalities, the Micro and Small Enterprises (MSE), and the MSL Local Development Center (LDC). The project aim is to push the municipalities to get more involved in a local development agenda to assist the MSE that support thousands of families.
The project is as follows: 1. Establish a dialogue between various groups of the local civil society and in particular between the municipalities and labor organizations. 2. Re-enforce the institutional capacities of the municipalities through supporting them in conceiving, organizing and implementing projects to promote the micro-enterprises in their areas. 3. Improve the administrative capabilities of MSEs, and their capacities of integrating young workers. 4. Promote collective activities and events for the MSEs, allowing them better visibility, productivity and collective management of their common problems. 5. Promote the participation of the local society in the promotional activities and events.
The MSL has established a committee representing MSL, the dominant MSE sector in each area, and members of the 4 municipalities of Ghobeiry, Haret Hreik, Bourj el Barajneh, Mreijeh. The main sector of work activity in those 4 municipal areas among youth is in the informal sector of car mechanics. The MSE evaluation highlighted the needs in this employment sector as, the adoption of modern approach to working in car mechanics and the use of the computer in the basic performance of everyday checking. The study also showed how many people lived from this now precarious industry, and the mechanism by which municipalities could offer support and upgrade their skills. The vocational training of MSL has already a module on computer mechanics. This training has to be extended also to the shop owners The Municipalities offered a piece of land on the junction of the 4 areas. The MSL will equip a Pilot Garage, where all shop owners will follow a short-term course training financed by themselves. The execution is underway and the municipality are actively promoting the launching of the project in collaboration with the media .
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6. Project Title : School Integration for Autistic children
For the past four years, the Lebanese Autism society (LAS ) has been involved with programs and activities addressing the needs of children with autism in Lebanon. The LAS has particularly focused on the initiation and implementation of a school integration project aiming primarily at providing autistic children with meaningful educational activities within the “least restrictive environment”, in view of preparing them for successful functioning within society.
1.2 Program Approach and Strategy
The school integration project launched in the academic year of 2000 in collaboration with the “Lycée Abdel Kader” school, involved initially the establishment of a special preschool classroom program within a regular school targeting six children with autism disorder. The evaluation of the project over the first year of implementation, revealed that the project was having a major impact in promoting and supporting the social integration of these children. LAS established an additional special classroom during the academic year of 2001, thus benefiting six additional children and adolescents characterized with autism disorder.
In the school year 2003-2004 the Classes for Children with Autism (CCA) at the “Lycée Abdel Kader” school had 13 children enrolled in two classrooms:
Cocoon which has 6 children aged between 3 and 6 years old Butterfly which has 6 children aged between 7 and 15 years old One child (6 years old) was fully integrated in the “Lycée Abdel Kader” school in Grande Section b
LAS was also promoting home based integration initiatives through the development of outreach programs targeting children with autism and their parents at home. The social burden relating to the hundreds of children with autistic disorders in Lebanon continues to be overwhelming. This is highly evident as the Lebanese Autism Society is constantly approached by an ever- increasing number of parents seeking the enrollment of their autistic children in their projects and activities.
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III. Assessment of the Capacity of Institutions
A. Municipalities
1. Post-Election Assessment
In November 1998, SUNY/CLD, with former New York State Senator John B. Sheffer II as the principal consultant, performed an assessment to define, document, and analyze the post-election state of local government in Lebanon. The purpose of this study was to identify the problems facing municipalities, to assess their needs, and to determine the resources that they required. The study focused on emerging issues such as standardization, public participation, municipal services, budgeting, training, information dissemination, and intergovernmental relations.
The in-depth assessment presented a number of recommendations, including the need for municipalities to:
Encourage public participation in local government and public policy formation Develop procedures and systems to deal with revenue collection, budget preparation, and budget execution Reorganize citizen application processes for municipal licenses and permits Strengthen human resource capabilities (by training staff and hiring necessary professionals) Reorganize administrative structures, outlining unit and employee responsibilities Utilize information technology.
Based on the results of the post-election study, SUNY/CLD concluded that the potential for strong municipal government in Lebanon was high. This potential, however, might not be realized unless careful attention were given to many issues, particularly those concerning the efficiency and accountability of municipal government and the encouragement of citizen participation.
64 / 87 B. Non Governmental Organizations ( NGOs ) A detailed questionnaire was sent to all NGO’s listed in Appendix IV with a cover letter from the Higher Council of Childhood. ( Questionnaire Attached As Appendix V ) The response was very poor only two NGOS responded and provided us with a concrete assessment of their capacity building. The two proposals for capacity building are described in the next section of the report.
65 / 87 C. Capacity Building Proposal by The Higher Council for Childhood
1. Program Title: Establishing Youth Clubs
Program Duration : 1 year
Stakeholders: Ministry Of Social Affairs (Social Development Centers and Social Training center), The Higher Council For Childhood, Ministry of Interior and Municipalities and NGOs.
1.2 Program Description
The strategy of the program will focus on capacity building of the social development centers, municipalities and NGOs, aiming at providing skills for establishing a number of youth clubs (to be located at the municipalities). The capacity building will encompass a Training of Trainers (TOT) component pertaining to training of youth themselves to manage the clubs and initiate its activities in order to subsequently participate in awareness raising relating to children rights for those younger in age.
1.3 Justification
-The Social Development centers, and NGOs had repeatedly expressed their need for training on Children Rights and Programming for children to The Higher Council for Childhood.
-Youth expressed their need for training on the Convention on The Rights of the Child during the summer camps organized by the Ministry of Social Affairs.
-As was mentioned earlier youth priorities (15-18 years), need to be addressed.
- Youth Clubs would constitute a preventive measure against delinquency, a place where basic life skills are provided, a welcoming place for rehabilitation and reintegration into the community.
- Youth would assume the responsibility for helping younger children, who in their turn will play the same role in the future.
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1.4 Capacity Building Methodology
The capacity building will consist of a an established self-learning module. The participants from the various organizations will be guided through a learning process, whereby they study on their own a pre-set program, that will be supported with 2 major training workshops, and monthly facilitated sessions.
1.5 Beneficiaries
- Participants from the selected organizations. - Youth (15-18 years). - Children (9-14 years).
Outputs Budget $ Development of a 5000 training Curriculum Development of a TOT 5000 training manual for youth 2 Training Workshops 16000 in a hotel 14 Monthly workshop at 13000 Social Training Center including training for youth Equipment for the clubs 40000 Program Management 10000 Production of 10000 Informative material such as flyers, brochures, posters and development of a website Materials and supplies 5000 Total 104,000 $
67 / 87 2. Proposal Title : School Integration for Children with Autism
The number of individuals with autism in Lebanon is estimated to be around 1500 persons including 750 children. Programs addressing the needs of children with autism in Lebanon remain limited in scope and number at the governmental and non-governmental levels. Moreover, such programs when they exist are not easily accessible in terms of financial cost and/or geographical location. A great number of children with autistic disorders are confined to stay at home with no opportunity for education or adequate social integration, which increases the risks of social burden on these children, their families and the society. The Lebanese Autism Society is proposing to expand its current projects and activities through the establishment of an additional intervention center. LAS is hoping to benefit from a contribution that will allow the replication of the school integration program of “Lycée Abdel Kader” in another school.
2.1 Project Goal :
The project aims at addressing the needs of children with autism in Lebanon through the development of appropriate intervention programs that would allow them to reach their fullest potential. The LAS aim is to establish intervention programs targeting children with autism, and reach a greater number of beneficiaries through the development of highly structured and specialized education programs tailored to their individual needs.
The main interventions of the project are : a. Lease a property (preferably within a school unit) to house a comprehensive range of services targeting different categories of children with characteristics of autistic spectrum disorder. b. Initiate and support the establishment of 3 special classrooms with different learning areas and provide the essential furniture, equipment and educational material. c. Develop highly structured, specialized educational programs tailored to the individual needs of the children with autism disorders. d. Support and expand the professional capabilities of personnel providing services to autistic children in Lebanon. e. Upgrade public awareness in what relates to autistic children in Lebanon.
2.2 Project Description
The implementation of this project will mainly involve the execution of the following activities: 68 / 87 Early intervention classroom: potential beneficiaries of this classroom include children who were diagnosed during their early years of life with characteristics of social, communication, imaginative and learning style typical of an autism spectrum disorder. The focus of this classroom programs will be mainly on early intervention techniques that encompass the upgrading of expressive communication skills and fine and gross motor skills through special and structured services and support in preparation for future integration/inclusion settings. A maximum of 6 children aged 2-4 years will be integrated in this type of setting.
Special classroom for integrated children: potential beneficiaries of this classroom include children for whom integration is found to be appropriate. The focus of this classroom programs will be similar to those noted in the previous setting with an emphasis on self-help skills. These children will benefit from academic and social integration in the ordinary school; furthermore this setting will prepare them for future vocational training programs. A maximum of 6 children aged 4-8 years will be integrated in this type of setting.
Vocational training classroom: potential beneficiaries of this classroom include children for whom the assessment and evaluation results show that this setting is most meaningful for them. These children will be integrated in non-academic integration. Also, programs of this classroom will mainly emphasize specific vocational training activities in preparation for an independent life. A maximum of 6 children aged 8-16 years will be integrated in this type of setting.
Speech and psychomotor therapy area: the programs of this area will provide daily opportunities for a one to one instruction and practice of speech and motor skills. Occupational therapy will be provided during two days weekly while speech therapy will be available during three days weekly. All children will benefit of these activities according to a structured schedule.
Formation of multidisciplinary teams: Multidisciplinary teams including professional personnel trained in dealing with autism disorder issues will be formed as may be required prior to the initiation of activities. Contracts will be made with personnel including special educators, speech and occupational therapists, and social workers. Multidisciplinary teams will act as a support service to the intervention programs and will be mainly involved in the following activities:
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-Develop profiles of individual children that recognize their strengths, needs and learning styles. -Develop individualized educational plans for children enrolled in the established classrooms. -Provide regular feedback about the children’s learning process, capacities and skills.
Beneficiaries :
The direct beneficiaries include autistic children. The services and activities of this project may reach a maximum of 18 children during the first year. The number of direct beneficiaries may be expanded during the following years according to needs and availability of resources. Other indirect beneficiaries include: Families of children with autistic disorder, concerned professional groups, educational bodies, concerned governmental and non-governmental organizations, the general public.
The responsibility for the management of the project will be assumed by the Lebanese Autism Society as well as Monitoring and evaluation.
BUDGET:
The total cost of the proposed objective is estimated at 91,062 US Dollars of which 64,000 U.S. Dollars will be covered by the Lebanese Autism Society and by parents of enrolled children. The remaining amount of 27,062 U.S. Dollars is requested from the funding agency. Funds will be mainly disbursed in favor of the leasing and restoration of the property in view of establishing the areas of work and the purchasing of educational materials and office equipment for the proposed learning areas. Other expenses relating to operational cost including personnel fees and administrative expenses will be covered by the Lebanese Autism society, and the parents of enrolled children. Table 1 provides budget details.
Lebanese Autism Society Beirut – Lebanon PO Box: 113/5819 Beirut – Lebanon Tel.: 961.1.364433 – 3. 232427 - 3.651905 Fax: 961.1.364433 E-Mail: [email protected]
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Table 1: Estimated Budget
BUDGET ITEM AMOUNT (USD) Per I- PROGRAMS Months Month LAS FUNDS TOTAL Salaries of Multidisciplinary Team Psychologist 12 500 6,000 - 6,000 Special Educators (2) (2) x 12 500 12,000 - 12,000 Assistant (2) (2) x 12 300 7,200 - 7,200 Speech Therapist 12 400 4,800 - 4,800 Occupational Therapist 12 400 4,800 - 4,800 Shadow Teacher (2) x 12 300 7,200 - 7,200 Subtotal 42,000 42,000
Equipment and Educational Materials Special Class Equipment (x3) 10,350 10,350 Special Class Educational Materials (x3) 8,712 8,712 Educational Equipment (2 PCs) 2,000 2,000 Subtotal 21,062 21,062
Consultative Services in Support of Programs 4,000 - 4,000 SUBTOTAL PROGRAMS 4,000 4,000
II- ADMINISTRATIVE Project Coordinator 12 1,000 12,000 12,000 Project Secretary 12 300 3,600 3,600 SUBTOTAL STAFF 15,600 15,600
III- ORGANIZATIONAL EXPENSES Rental and Utilities 12 500 6,000 6,000 Communication 12 200 2,400 2,400 SUBTOTAL ORGANIZATIONAL EXPENSES 2,400 6,000 8,400
GRAND TOTAL 64,000 27,062 91,062 71 / 87 References
Central administration for statistics, UNICEF, 2000. The State of Children in Lebanon 2000. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). UNICEF.
Central administration for statistics, 1997. Lebanon household living standard survey.
Deeb M. (ed. ), 1997. Beirut : A Health Profile 1984-1994 , Beirut, American University of Beirut .
Ole Fr. Ugland (ed.), 2003 . Difficult Past, Uncertain Future Living Conditions Among Palestinian Refugees in Camps and Gatherings in Lebanon FAFO
Gerbaka B. 2004 . Report presented at the WHO World Health Day . Beirut, Lebanon.
Hamaoui, L. 2001 . Report on the implementation of the convention on the rights of the child (1998-2000), presented to the committee on the rights of the child, Geneva. The Higher Council for Childhood Lebanon, Ministry of Social Affairs.
IPEC . 2001. Project Document Borj Hammoud and Sin el Fil.
Lebanon Ministry of Public Health 1996. Lebanon Mother and Child Health Survey . Beirut : Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Social Affairs and the Arab League.
Ministry of Social Affairs and UNDP. 2002. Demographic characteristics and the socio- economic situation of the districts of Lebanon. Baabda
Ministry of Social Affairs and UNFPA. 1996. Population And Housing Survey Lebanon.
Ministry of Social Affairs and UNFPA. 2000. Analysis of the Population And Housing Survey Lebanon. 5 volumes.
Ministry of Social Affairs/ UNDP 1998. Mapping of living conditions in Lebanon: Analysis of the housing and population database. Beirut : Ministry of Social Affairs, and United Development Program (UNDP) .
Neemeh , A. 1998. The second national report on the situation of children in Lebanon (1993-1998). The Higher Council for Childhood Lebanon, Ministry of Social Affairs (1998).
Republic of Lebanon. The Lebanese law and amendments to date.
Save the Children , 2003. Shaping a Country’s Future With Children and Young People, Summary Guide for Governments.
The Higher Council for Childhood . 2004 . Organizations Database. Beirut .
UN Resident Coordinator System in Lebanon 2000. Lebanon Common Country Assessment, 2000.
72 / 87 UNDP. 2002. National Human Development Report (2001-2002), Globalization towards a Lebanese agenda.
UNICEF.(2001). National report on follow-up to the world summit for children. UNICEF, Beirut.
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Methodology, Central administration for statistics, UNICEF. (2000). Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). UNICEF
The Lebanese national survey sample was selected to provide data on health, education, and social indicators related to the situation of children in Lebanon as a whole and in each of the five governorate (South , North, Bekaa, Beirut, Mount Lebanon), as well as the four most underserved districts as a group (Akkar, Minieh/Dinnieh, Baalbeck, Hermel). As well known, the sample size relates to several factors including required accuracy, margin of confidence, expected non-response rate, and the number of cost- defined groups among others. The sample size was determined at the level of the single governorate using the incidence of acute diarrhea in children younger than five-year-old. The single governorate sample size was thus determined to be 1,625 households and the overall national number to be 8,125 households.
The sampling procedure was carried out in two stages. The first stage included selection of 65 islets from each of the five governorate using the probability proportional to size (PPS) method based on the comprehensive survey of buildings, units and institutions undertaken in 1995-1996. Prior to the second stage, the larger islets were subdivided into sections of 125 households or less. One of these sections was then chosen at random. The second stage was through the selection of fixed number of households — set at 25— for each of the selected islets or sections. For those islets or sections that had less than 25 households, the total number of households was considered. Subsequently, the weighing of each household was based on the inverse of the probability of its inclusion in the sample. Taking into account the non-response rate in each of the selected islets finally modified the final weighing.
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2. Legislative context
1993 -Law no.224 relating to the imposition of penalties in cases of adoption operations in exchange of money. -Law no. 242/93 concerning the disabled (including children). 1994 -Law no. 334/94 which imposes a medical certificate on all marriage applicants. -Decree no. 288 of 14/2/1994 related to medical ethics requiring the doctor to inform the concerned authorities of any cases of sequestration, mistreatment, deprivation of children while exercising their medical duties. 1995 -Governmental Decree no.36 dated 30/6/95 for the classification of disabilities and the issuance of a personal card for the disabled to obtain health care with full coverage by the Ministry of Health and other services (including disabled children). 1996 -Amendment of the articles of the Labor law relating to child labor in accordance with law no. 536/96, which lifted the minimum age for working children from 8 to 13 completed years and widened protection related to conditions of employment and labor. -Law no.541 prohibiting the use of the wording “illegitimate child” or any such sentence on the identity card. -Law no.550 for a compulsory health register for each born child. 1997 -Circular no. 31/97 by the public prosecutor of the court of appeal which prohibits the recording of judgment result on the Judicial Record of the Youth. -Circular no. 32 by the Public Prosecutor related to attendance of a social worker during investigation. 1998 -Decree no.686 related to free and compulsory elementary education (until 12 years). -Law number 673 pertaining to drugs, including articles that stress on child protection and encourage rehabilitation instead of retribution in certain cases.
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1999 -Decree 700 that forbids employment of youth before reaching 16-17 years of age in dangerous professions that constitute in their nature a life, health or moral hazard. -Modification of the 2 annexed lists to the labor law, that specified industrial jobs that constitute the utmost risks on the health of children. 2000 -Approval of application of half the tariff for children and disabled children for common transportation, visits to archeological, touristic, cultural locations, theatres, exhibitions, cinemas, and swimming pools for children. -Issuance of the disabled law 220. 2001 -Ratification of the optional protocol of the CRC on the sale and prostitution of children. -Ratification of the ILO convention 182 on the worst forms of child labor. 2002 -Amendment of decree no.119/83 related to reform of the child instead of punishment in case of criminal offense. -Issuance of the law 422 on the protection of children in conflict with the law or at risk of danger. -Ratification of the ILO convention 138 on the minimal age of child labor. 2003 -Signature of the optional protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflicts. Source: Hamaoui,L. (2001)1.
1 Unpublished updated report by the author in 1994. 77 / 87
Excerpts From The Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child
Child labor
While noting the measures taken by the State party in this sector, by raising the minimum age for employment, the Committee is concerned that despite stricter laws on child labor, a high percentage of working children are involved in activities which represent a danger to their health and development. The Committee welcomes the collaboration with ILO/IPEC in combating and preventing child labor.
The Committee recommends that the State party a) continue and strengthen its cooperation with ILO/IPEC and to carry out campaigns to inform and sensitize the general public, especially parents and children, of work hazards, as well as to strengthen labor inspections and law enforcement; and b) make every effort to ratify and implement ILO Convention (No. 138) on the Minimum Age for Admission to Employment and seek assistance from ILO in this regard. The Committee encourages the State party to ratify the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
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Excerpts From the Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child
The Committee urges the State party to: a) urgently take all legislative measures to prohibit all forms of physical and mental violence, including corporal punishment and sexual abuse, against children in the family and the schools; and furthermore recommends that the State party: b) conduct a study to assess the nature and extent of ill-treatment and abuse of children, and design policies and programs to address it; c) carry out public education campaigns about the negative consequences of ill-treatment of children, and promote positive, non-violent forms of discipline as an alternative to corporal punishment; d) establish effective procedures and mechanisms to receive, monitor, and investigate complaints, including intervening where necessary; e) investigate and prosecute instances of ill-treatment, ensuring that the abused child is not victimized in legal proceedings and his/her privacy is protected; f) provide care, recovery and reintegration for victims; g) train teachers, law enforcement officials, care workers, judges and health professionals in the identification, reporting and management of ill-treatment cases; h) take into consideration the recommendations of the Committee adopted on its days of general discussion on children and violence (CRC/C/100, para. 688, and CRC/C/111, paras. 701-745). i) seek assistance from, among others, UNICEF and WHO.
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Excerpts from the Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child
The Committee encourages the State party to: a) re-initiate the process of establishing an independent national human rights institution in accordance with the Paris Principles relating to the status of national institutions (General Assembly resolution 48/134), to monitor and evaluate progress in the implementation of the Convention at the national and, if appropriate, at the local levels, including implementation by the private sector and NGOs as providers of services to children. This institution should be empowered to receive and investigate individual complaints of violations of child rights in a child-sensitive manner, and effectively address them.
Violence/abuse/neglect/maltreatment
The Committee is concerned that violence as a means of discipline in the home and at school is culturally and legally acceptable in the State party, and regrets that no follow-up to the Committee's previous recommendation has been initiated (ibid, para. 37). The Committee is furthermore concerned that there is insufficient information and awareness of domestic violence and its harmful impact on children. Finally, the Committee is concerned that despite its prohibition by ministerial decision, corporal punishment is still practiced in schools
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Excerpts from the Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child Children deprived of a family environment
The Committee is deeply concerned at the high numbers of children placed in institutions, a significant majority of whom are placed there because of socio-economic problems affecting their families and without judicial procedure. It notes with concern that the institutions, which are often non- governmental organizations, are contracted by the Ministry of Social Affairs, presently not being subject to monitoring. The Committee notes the information provided by the delegation that legislation and procedures regarding alternative care are in place.
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Appendix III
Social Development Centers Tel Tarik el Jdideh (Beirut) 01-706267 Achrafieh (Beirut) 01-333194 Musaitbeh (Beirut) 01-365361 Labor Union Beirut (Beirut) 01-302370 Ain El Rimaneh 01-388919 Chayah 01-274614 Ghobeiri 01-833522 Burj El Barajneh 01-450724 Burj Hammoud 01-240813 Hay El Sulum 05-480334
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Appendix IV
Key Institutions by major specializations
NGO Specialization Tel e-mail Dar El Amal Delinquency- 01-483508 [email protected] Prevention of Prostitution Beirut Health and 01-801400 [email protected] llitanmiah al cultural ijtimaiah Al Riaaya al Social Welfare 01-654654 [email protected] Ijtimaiah Ajialouna Health- 01-365892 [email protected] Education- Cultural Arcanciel Disabled 01-564630 [email protected] Lebanese red Health- 01-378207 [email protected] cross Education- Cultural Lebanese Health- 01-200569 [email protected] Autism Education- Association Cultural Wahet el Health- 01-367445 Shahid Education- Cultural- Disabled Maternal and Early 01-788767 child care Childhood Development- Health-training Education Makassed Education- 01-665511 Philantropic Child Labor- Association Literacy- Health- Vocational Fista Disabled 01-318816 [email protected] Al Haraka al Education- 01-390335 [email protected] Ijtimiaiah Delinquency- Vocational
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Education- 01-689463 Protection- Libanbel Hotline-Health- Cultural Lebanese for Disabled 01-374100 [email protected] Disabled Care Harakat al Education- 01-689030 [email protected] asalam al daem Culture- Human Rights Al-Itihad al Children Rights 01-657463 [email protected] Lubnani liriayet el Tofl Tajamou al Children Rights 01-341230 [email protected] hayaat min ajil houkouk el tofl Amel Health 01-317293 [email protected] Association AFEL Education- 01-481690 [email protected] Health- Family Support- Delinquency- Protection Al hayaa al Children Rights 01-377783 wataniah tofl al lubnani UPEL Delinquency- 01-427973 Protection IDRAC Protection- 01-587190 [email protected] Psychology Medical Psychological 01-561098 Psychological rehabilitation of center war children YASA Accident 05-452587 [email protected] Prevention- Awareness Lebanese Street Children 05-769664 Evangelical Association Armenian relief Education- 01-265359 [email protected] cross Culture-Health- Scholarships- Entertainment 84 / 87
Source: adapted from The Higher Council for Childhood, Organization Database, 2004.
International Organizations:
UNICEF UNESCO WHO IPEC-ILO SAVE the Children UK Swedish SAVE the Children
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ACS
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