By Mr. Najib Choucair

Executive Director &

Head of the Banking Department

Banque Du Liban

Gender Lending One of the basic rights women have is not to be

discriminated against in the workforce and in the workplace. Unfortunately, however, reality does not always comply with the law, women continue to be discriminated against in manifold ways.

This discrimination at work will not vanish by itself. The elimination of discrimination requires deliberate, focused and consistent efforts and policies by all parties concerned over a sustained period of time.

Gender Lending Some publications show that Seventy percent of the

world's poor are women although women make up about 50 percent of the world’s population.

Women’s declining economic and social condition (relative to men’s) is referred to as the feminization of poverty. Any policies that aim to reduce poverty must address the female face of poverty today

• Many countries have drafted legal statutes to address women’s rights. However, these laws have been partially ineffective

• Despite increasing legislative efforts to extend property rights to women, reform policies require additional safeguards to ensure that laws are implemented.

• Discrimination against woman still exist not only in developing countries, but also in advanced countries

• Discrimination takes several forms: employment and wage discrimination, Glass ceiling, Discrimination in lending…etc

Lebanon Legislative efforts The Central Bank’s policy to increase Gender lending, is

aimed at stimulating more jobs and achieving higher economic growth. Since female lending constitute only 6% of total loans.

Efforts were done to abrogate certain articles to empower women for example Article 11 of Merchants law states that married women, whatever the provisions of her personal status, is legally qualified for trading only in so far as she obtains her husband’s express or tacit agreement. Tacit agreement is presumed granted when trade is public and manifest, and is carried on without the husband opposition. This was abrogated by law No. 380 now married women enjoys unrestricted capacity for acts of trade.

Lebanon Legislative efforts Article 12 states that agreement thus granted may be

cancelled for just motives by the husband, subject to judicial control, if need be. Such cancellation shall be mentioned in the trade register. Article 12 was abrogated by Law No. 380 now married women, when considered as trader, has the right to transact all acts in the interest of her commercial enterprise.

Article 13 states that married women regularly qualified enjoys unrestricted legal capacity to transact all acts in the interest of her commercial enterprise. However she must be specifically authorized if she intends to join a partner-ship or be financed in a limited company. This too was abrogated by Law No. 380 now the married women has the right to join a partnership company or be an active partner in a limited partnership company.

Gender Lending % of total Loans Dec 2010 Dec 2011

Female

5.58% 5.71%

Male

42.95% 43.02%

Société

51.47% 51.26%

Lebanese Banks focused on Women's Empowerment by : •Improving access to financial services •Providing advisory services, training and financial education to help women entrepreneurs manage their businesses •Facilitating access to market and information •Developing highly customized and differentiated products to address the needs of women SMEs •Helping in the development of partnerships and sharing of experience and knowledge through networking between women customers to increase their potential in their communities

• Lebanese banks are dynamic and successful and do not differentiate between genders when granting a loan. It all depends on risk management analysis.

• Lebanese banks are creative and cater to the needs of

different customers by offering innovative banking products such as the plastic surgery loan. Such type of Loan is basically addressed for Women

Women Empowerment

Women Empowerment • Women in Lebanon are legally entitled to access bank

loans and can enter into financial contracts.

• In 2009, The Association of Banks in Lebanon recommended that Nothing prevents the mother to create a fiduciary account at a certain bank and to designate her minor child as a beneficiary from this account. In other words, Allowing mother's to open Bank accounts for their minor children.

Women Empowerment Some Lebanese banks signed a partnership agreement

with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to provide specific services and products to female entrepreneurs in Lebanon through the "Women in business” program (WIN). This program, which aims to promote female entrepreneurship, is the first of its kind in Lebanon and in the region