Meeting with Raya El Hassan … Prime Minister of the Interior in Lebanon and the Arab world

Meeting with Raya El Hassan … Prime Minister of the Interior in Lebanon and the Arab world

Lebanese Minister Raya El Hassan (National Information Agency)

Beirut: Tamara Jamal Aldin

The Lebanese are celebrating the birth of a new government since Thursday, about nine months after the appointment of Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
The biggest surprise that has probably attracted the attention of the Lebanese in general, and the Lebanese in particular, is the entry of four women into the new government of 30 ministers, the first precedent in the history of the governments in Lebanon, of which two are the Ministries of the Interior and Energy, which are two of the main portfolios.
The Hariri Movement for the Future chose two ministers to take charge of two of the five portfolios it has received: the Free Patriotic Movement led by Lebanese President Michel Aoun and the Lebanese forces under the leadership Samir Geagea chose two women for the portfolios of their two ministerial portfolios.
For the second time, Hariri chose Raya al-Hassan, who is close to him to represent him in the government as Minister of the Interior, after taking charge of the finance portfolio of his first government between 2009 and 2011.
Al Hassan became the first woman to hold this position, not only in Lebanon, but also in the Arab world.
In his first comment after his appointment, Al-Hassan said that she was not expecting to become Minister of the Interior, which was a surprise.
"I am proud of the Lebanese, proud of the four government ministers, proud of the first woman minister of the Interior in the Arab world, proud of her future, proud of Lebanon," Hariri told Reuters on Friday.
Al-Hassan, 52, mother of three daughters from Tripoli (northern Lebanon), works in the banking sector and has consulted in several ministries, including finance and the economy, and is responsible for several projects. under the chairmanship of the government and international organizations. In particular the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
In 2015, she was appointed chairman of the board of directors and general manager of the Tripoli Special Economic Zone.
Al Hassan holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from George Washington University in the United States.
Hassan is responsible for many government-led projects, including support to the Prime Minister in a number of policies, technical assistance and capacity building.
She is also a member of the Government Reform Coordination Office, responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Paris III program.
Hassan led efforts on behalf of the Lebanese government for the establishment of the UNDP Recovery Fund for Lebanon at the beginning of the summer 2006 crisis.
She is also responsible for overseeing the World Bank's project to design and implement social sector reforms and participate in the creation of a World Bank multi-donor trust fund for the reconstruction of the Palestinian refugee camp. Nahr al-Bared.
The choice of women for the portfolios welcomed the hosting of organizations and campaigns for the political presence of women, in the hope that they will introduce greater participation of women.
In this regard, Professor Iqbal Mourad Dougan, President of the Lebanese Women's Council, which currently has more than 150 women's and mixed associations in Lebanon, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the committee was proud of Raya's arrival. and other women ministers of the Council. And all the Arab nation.
"Regardless of the political affiliations of the four women ministers, we have the honor to contact the government, and I am convinced that they will fully fulfill their functions, they have immense and concrete capacities", he said. she said.
She also noted that Al-Hassan is known for his integrity, high cultural and scientific level, discipline and transparency.
She also praised the role of the media in highlighting the achievements of Lebanese and Arab women in general, pointing out that the handing over of these important bags by women ministers is an essential and transitory step in the history of women's affairs. 39, political action of women in Lebanon and in the Arab world.
The appointment of Hassan was hailed by the pioneers of social networking sites, including Twitter, where the rich Hastagh "Raya Al Hassan" exchanged a lot and used it to congratulate the minister and urge her to work for the cause of women. Rola Yahya wrote: "Congratulations to Minister Raya al-Hasan, we fully trust your support for women's rights and we look forward to your support for us in our just civil problems".
Amal Omar said: "Raya al-Hasan is the prime minister of the interior of the Arab world, Lebanon is still a race in evolution and far from stereotypes, Lebanese women are orienting themselves more towards political and security scene, which is old in his thinking. "
"We hope you will be the lady of your decision and your word as I was before." Congratulations to the post office.

Lebanon