Digital storytelling and women

Bringing the fairer sex to the fore in the use of social media

Margaret Webb, March 26, 2012

ince 2004, social media has grown to become a determining factor in the reporting of any story we come across. Without it, one wonders what might have happened over the last 16 months in the MENA region, or if the Arab Spring would have occurred at all.

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Wikipedia, Reddit, Digg – social media is what brings many of us together. And despite the sweeping changes taking place in the Middle East, one thing remains the same: there are not as many women using social media tools as men.

In December 2011, the Arab Social Media Report released by the Dubai School of Government (DSG) showed that there is an increasing use of social media by women in the region. However, Arab female users were still outnumbered by their male counterparts with a ratio of 2:1, compared to 54 percent of women using social media tools globally. 

It seems obvious, therefore, that workshops should be created to familiarize women with social media tools. Working with Lebanese civic initiative Hayya Bina, Lebanese enterprise Social Media Exchange(SMEx) has created a social media training program specifically designed for women.

“Shou Osstik?,” or “What’s your story?” in Arabic, is a six-month course that aims to educate women in digital storytelling and social media. Project coordinator Malak Zungi told NOW Extra that “we want to empower women by giving them a tool for their messages and ideas.”

Lebanese blogger Beirut Drive-by explained that “social media interaction is, in simple terms, word of mouth on a digital scale… Taking care of our resources, highway safety, the environment, dealing with the Lebanese government and blood donation are a few of the issues that one would see over and over again on the Lebanese blogosphere.”

The prolific blogger went on to say that it is because of social media, where cell phones have failed, that a digital coalition has been made possible.  Indeed, as the DSG report cited, “Lebanon is the most gender-balanced of the Arab countries,” but that is only for Facebook.

SMEx is hoping to introduce women to other social media tools to bring about desired change. Launching the “Shou Osstik?” course last week, workshops were held in Tripoli, Bekka, Tyre and Beirut to target women who are willing to take up the social media cause. “For me, personally,” said Zungi, “women are not given the chance to say what they want or the tools [to say them].”

Creator of SMEx Mohamad Najem concurred, saying there are a lot of issues women have to deal with in Lebanon. “There are a lot of movements in the last two or three years that show women are trying to be seen as [more than just] housewives [and] we want to remove this stereotype.” Lebanese anti-harassment campaigns, such as Adventures of Salwa and Kherr Berr are perfect examples of this.

Basic knowledge of and some experience with using the Internet are a must for women wanting to take the SMEx workshops. At the Beirut gathering, 12 women met, waiting eagerly to learn how to get their message online. “Everyone is like ‘ooh, it’s the new trendy thing’,” said Esraa Haidar, the workshop trainer in Badaro at the SMEx offices.

Present during the selection process of prospective attendees, Haidar became acquainted with why each woman wanted to take the workshop. “A lot of them want to be able to share [their] story but they just don’t know how,” said Haidar. “There were stories of change. One interviewee talked of how through her work, she and others had managed to change a certain culture in the community. We can’t wait to see this online.”

The women taking the class are a real mix. Elham Banna is a 60-year-old retired teacher. “I like to improve myself in any possible way. I use Facebook, but I wanted to learn about blogs and Twitter.” According to Haidar, as per the course requirements, all the women are active online “but really only for social activities, like posting photos on Facebook.”

For SMEx, this is a mentality they’d like to see shift. “I have a project my friends and I are working on,” said American University of Beirut student Rana Yassin. “It’s about spreading reading awareness and social media is of course something that will help.”

“If you look at the history of the last 2,000 years,” explained Najem, “there was always some communication tool used to help a revolution [take place]. I think change is going to happen but [social media] speeds it up.” Let’s hope he’s right. 

To learn more about the Social Media Exchange workshops, please visit their website here.

Lebanon news - NOW Lebanon - Digital storytelling and women

Stop #LIRA: The Lebanese Internet Regulation Act

2012-03-11

Minister Walid “Internet Killer” Daouk The Lebanese cabinet postponed on March 08, 2012 the discussion of the draft law for the regulation of electronic media, giving it more time to rewrite the terms of the act.

The proposed draft law caused some stir in the Lebanese blogosphere and social media scene.

Lebanon is known to be one of the few (not to say the only) countries in the Middle East region where freedom of speech is still in action (with lots of challenges though).

Following is a translation to English of the articles of the act propose by Daouk — hence DaoukA. (As per the published draft on Annahar website, and sorry for the terrible translation in advance)

More on @ Joseph’s

Note Anonymiss Express: The drafted LIRA will allow the Lebanese government to treat digital media as it treats print media.

More information:

Internet World Stats Lebanon

CENSORShiP iN LEbANON: lAw ANd PRActicE (pdf)

We won’t stand still while another stupid law passes - Stop LIRA

Lebanese Internet Law Attacks Last Free Space of Expression

Petition: Stop Lebanese Internet Regulation Act

battle-studies: Rahel Zegeye, Ethiopian creator of film Beirut Q&A Rahel, you have been living and working in Lebanon for some years and made the film Beirut focusing on the experiences of a group of Ethiopian migrant workers living in Lebanon. What brought you to Lebanon and what inspired you to make the film?      I came to Lebanon because of the unemployment situation in Ethiopia. I was inspired to make the film because of the bad situation of the Ethiopian girls working over here as housemaid. Beirut is a drama about a group of Ethiopian girls in Lebanon working as domestic workers. It is loosely based on the Ethiopian girls that I have encountered during my ten years working in the country. Please talk a bit about the plot of the film.      The story centers on Hiwot, Z, Zufan, Misir, Saba and Hana who are friends but lead very different lives. Hiwot, left her employer’s house a long time ago and started a life earning a living as a prostitute. She parties, smokes and drinks and seems very happy and free. The story starts when she wants to find a co-worker, another girl who could satisfy her clients (mainly Sudanese workers). Saba, still a housemaid, complains about her ‘madam’ and wishes to run away. One day she takes the courage and joins Hiwot in her free life, much against the objections of her two good friends Misir and Hana. Misir and Hana, both working as maids, represent the ‘good girls’ in the story. Although Hana is being mistreated by her madam she does not want to run away and join the ‘naughty girls’ but just wishes to return home to her country. The lives of the girls get intertwined once Saba, encouraged by Hiwot, goes and lives with an Ethiopian man named Yared. Yared is in fact married to Zufan, but is not a man to be trusted. Why did you decide to make the film?      My main aim with the film was to show a different perspective on the lives of Ethiopian workers in Lebanon. We often hear stories of abuse and bad treatment of Lebanese employers towards their foreign domestic workers (maids). Most media and organizations working to help migrant domestic workers (MDWs) in Lebanon portray the worker as a helpless victim, her fate ruled by evil agencies and bad madams. Although this often does happen and is definitely an issue that needs attention, reality is much more complicated. I want to shed light on the inner lives and thoughts of a domestic worker, an aspect which is usually hidden from the Lebanese and foreign public. Many Ethiopian MDWs who come to Lebanon decide to run away from their employers. Some do this due to real reasons of mistreatment, others don’t. They might be tempted to leave the boring household chores and duties at the employer’s house for a ‘freer’ existence. Once they leave the employer’s house and break their contract they do not have any documents and are illegal to stay in Lebanon. More than often they will choose to sell their bodies for a living whilst enjoying their freedom. They live life on the fast lane: drinking, smoking, partying and sleeping with many men usually without any form of protection. The film tackles sensitive topics such as morality, prostitution and HIV/AIDS. These are important issues that need to be brought into attention to both Ethiopian women in Lebanon but also back in Ethiopia, before they decide to go work in Lebanon. MDWs need to understand the risks that are involved when you runaway from an employer. Although many employers are difficult to live with and work for (and some outright impossible), the truth is that they still offer some protection against the risks of the outside society. You have put forth a tremendous effort to make the film and have incurred distribution difficulties. How did you develop an interest in filmmaking and what was the process of making the film.      I started working on the film in 2004 and it was finished a few months before the July 2006 Israel War. Before making the film, I showed my script to the church as well as the Ethiopian embassy in Lebanon and they approved it. The editing and finishing was done in Ethiopia with the support of Alem Tilahun (Haile Gebrselassie’s wife). Alem was very supportive of my project and would have liked to help me distribute it. However, once I returned to Beirut with the finished film the embassy did not want to give the final approval for distribution. This has stopped the process of showing my film to a wider audience back in Ethiopia, which is my main target audience for this film. All the actresses and actors in the film are migrant workers from Ethiopia and Sudan. Both my sister Hiwot and I have attended drama and acting school when we were younger. As domestic workers we only have Sundays off, so we could film only on Sundays. It took two years to finish the filming. During this time I put in all my earnings to produce the film. What has been the reception of the film by the public as a whole and more particularly the Ethiopian migrant workers in Lebanon?      The film has not been seen by the public because I do not have the means nor anyone to assist me in Lebanon as the country is in continuous strife and war.  After the failed attempt of getting Beirut to be approved for distribution, I encountered my own troubles. I had a residence problem for some years because my boss left the country during the 2006 war, leaving me homeless and without any legal documents. Now I have a new boss and I am legal. And I have found a good employer who supports my filmmaking.  What is your relationship with Ethiopia and Ethiopians in the larger Ethiopian Diaspora?      My relation with Ethiopia? Well my parents are there and I continue to keep in touch with them. As for the Ethiopians in Lebanon, I do my best to help them, but it is not easy, since most of them have problems with their employers.  You have expressed an interest in producing a dramatic, fictional web-series about the lives of a group of Ethiopian women in Lebanon along the same line as the film, how do you envision this?      I have many ideas and hope to begin a new project but this time I would need real funding and support from a wider public. I hope with the support of organizations like Migrant Workers Task Force, we can make this happen!
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battle-studies:

Rahel Zegeye, Ethiopian creator of film Beirut

Q&A

Rahel, you have been living and working in Lebanon for some years and made the film Beirut focusing on the experiences of a group of Ethiopian migrant workers living in Lebanon. What brought you to Lebanon and what inspired you to make the film?

     I came to Lebanon because of the unemployment situation in Ethiopia. I was inspired to make the film because of the bad situation of the Ethiopian girls working over here as housemaid. Beirut is a drama about a group of Ethiopian girls in Lebanon working as domestic workers. It is loosely based on the Ethiopian girls that I have encountered during my ten years working in the country.
Please talk a bit about the plot of the film.

     The story centers on Hiwot, Z, Zufan, Misir, Saba and Hana who are friends but lead very different lives. Hiwot, left her employer’s house a long time ago and started a life earning a living as a prostitute. She parties, smokes and drinks and seems very happy and free. The story starts when she wants to find a co-worker, another girl who could satisfy her clients (mainly Sudanese workers). Saba, still a housemaid, complains about her ‘madam’ and wishes to run away. One day she takes the courage and joins Hiwot in her free life, much against the objections of her two good friends Misir and Hana. Misir and Hana, both working as maids, represent the ‘good girls’ in the story. Although Hana is being mistreated by her madam she does not want to run away and join the ‘naughty girls’ but just wishes to return home to her country. The lives of the girls get intertwined once Saba, encouraged by Hiwot, goes and lives with an Ethiopian man named Yared. Yared is in fact married to Zufan, but is not a man to be trusted.
Why did you decide to make the film?

     My main aim with the film was to show a different perspective on the lives of Ethiopian workers in Lebanon. We often hear stories of abuse and bad treatment of Lebanese employers towards their foreign domestic workers (maids). Most media and organizations working to help migrant domestic workers (MDWs) in Lebanon portray the worker as a helpless victim, her fate ruled by evil agencies and bad madams. Although this often does happen and is definitely an issue that needs attention, reality is much more complicated. I want to shed light on the inner lives and thoughts of a domestic worker, an aspect which is usually hidden from the Lebanese and foreign public.
Many Ethiopian MDWs who come to Lebanon decide to run away from their employers. Some do this due to real reasons of mistreatment, others don’t. They might be tempted to leave the boring household chores and duties at the employer’s house for a ‘freer’ existence. Once they leave the employer’s house and break their contract they do not have any documents and are illegal to stay in Lebanon. More than often they will choose to sell their bodies for a living whilst enjoying their freedom. They live life on the fast lane: drinking, smoking, partying and sleeping with many men usually without any form of protection. The film tackles sensitive topics such as morality, prostitution and HIV/AIDS. These are important issues that need to be brought into attention to both Ethiopian women in Lebanon but also back in Ethiopia, before they decide to go work in Lebanon. MDWs need to understand the risks that are involved when you runaway from an employer. Although many employers are difficult to live with and work for (and some outright impossible), the truth is that they still offer some protection against the risks of the outside society.
You have put forth a tremendous effort to make the film and have incurred distribution difficulties. How did you develop an interest in filmmaking and what was the process of making the film.
     I started working on the film in 2004 and it was finished a few months before the July 2006 Israel War. Before making the film, I showed my script to the church as well as the Ethiopian embassy in Lebanon and they approved it. The editing and finishing was done in Ethiopia with the support of Alem Tilahun (Haile Gebrselassie’s wife). Alem was very supportive of my project and would have liked to help me distribute it. However, once I returned to Beirut with the finished film the embassy did not want to give the final approval for distribution. This has stopped the process of showing my film to a wider audience back in Ethiopia, which is my main target audience for this film.
All the actresses and actors in the film are migrant workers from Ethiopia and Sudan. Both my sister Hiwot and I have attended drama and acting school when we were younger. As domestic workers we only have Sundays off, so we could film only on Sundays. It took two years to finish the filming. During this time I put in all my earnings to produce the film.
What has been the reception of the film by the public as a whole and more particularly the Ethiopian migrant workers in Lebanon?
     The film has not been seen by the public because I do not have the means nor anyone to assist me in Lebanon as the country is in continuous strife and war.  After the failed attempt of getting Beirut to be approved for distribution, I encountered my own troubles. I had a residence problem for some years because my boss left the country during the 2006 war, leaving me homeless and without any legal documents. Now I have a new boss and I am legal. And I have found a good employer who supports my filmmaking. 
What is your relationship with Ethiopia and Ethiopians in the larger Ethiopian Diaspora?
     My relation with Ethiopia? Well my parents are there and I continue to keep in touch with them. As for the Ethiopians in Lebanon, I do my best to help them, but it is not easy, since most of them have problems with their employers. 
You have expressed an interest in producing a dramatic, fictional web-series about the lives of a group of Ethiopian women in Lebanon along the same line as the film, how do you envision this?
     I have many ideas and hope to begin a new project but this time I would need real funding and support from a wider public. I hope with the support of organizations like Migrant Workers Task Force, we can make this happen!

(via dougcmatthews)

Another history lesson: In an interview with Amy Goodman on March 2, 2007, U.S. General Wesley Clark (Ret.), explains that the Bush Administration planned to take out 7 countries in 5 years: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Lybia, Somalia, Sudan, Iran

(Uploaded by on Mar 17, 2007, tweeted by )