Women Support

LAU actively encourages applications by women in fields where they are underrepresented. The university demonstrates its commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment through events like the MEPI TL Program and the Tomorrow’s Leaders’ Talking Series, which celebrate and promote women in leadership across various fields, including those traditionally dominated by men. These initiatives aim to inspire and support women, ensuring equal gender representation and nurturing their potential to overcome barriers.

Additionally, The Arab Institute for Women (AiW) at the Lebanese American University (LAU) is a pioneering institute dedicated to empowering women through training, mentoring, and advocacy. The AiW fosters career advancement and highlights the vital role of women in various industries. Through its initiatives, the AiW encourages young girls to enroll in subjects where they are underrepresented, particularly in STEM fields. The institute visits classes to discuss the importance of women’s inclusion in science, energy, and other nonconventional fields. Additionally, it organizes campus events and invites prominent women in these sectors to share their experiences and inspire students.

LAU-MEPI TL Celebrates Women Empowerment and Participation in Decision-Making in the Arab World through a Discussion Forum

LAU has been at the forefront of gender equality since its founding of the first school in 1835; ever since equal gender representation has been one of LAU’s core values that the institution always strives to achieve across its different services and events. Mirroring LAU’s values, the MEPI TL program hosted a panel discussion on Women’s Participation in Decision-Making in the Arab World, to mark the appointment of the first female Prime Minister in Tunisia and to shed light on case studies of women’s leadership and political participation in the Arab world in general and in Lebanon and Tunisia in particular.

The symposium at Irwin Hall, LAU Beirut campus was attended by the Ambassador of Tunisia to Lebanon Bouraoui Limam, the Ambassador of the U.S. to Lebanon Dorothy C. Shea, LAU President Dr. Michel E. Mawad, Vice President for Student Development and Enrollment Management Dr. Elise Salem, representatives from both embassies, and LAU faculty, staff, and students. It was also live-stream on the social media platforms.

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Tomorrow’s Leaders’ Talking Series: Women in Leadership!

In partnership with the Arab Institute for Women (AiW), the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Tomorrow’s Leaders (TL) Program at the Lebanese American University launched the Tomorrow’s Leaders’ Talking Series: Women in Leadership! The Talking Series comprises of monthly panels that will connect our TL students and LAU community to powerful female leaders who strive to influence their societies and execute change.

Why Women in Leadership?

Leadership, in most work areas, has been male-dominated. Even though women have contributed to many fields around the world, their involvement has remained, for decades, unnoticed and their active role has been downgraded. Women, after many years of perseverance, were finally able to break the invisible “glass ceiling” which hindered their self-development and self-actualization. Currently, women are present in fields like Entrepreneurship, Administration, Education, Engineering, Health, Science and Technology at the local, national, regional, and global levels. Throughout history, women were able to prove that leadership is not gendered and that the qualities required to be a good leader are inherent and can be cultivated through education, experience, and self-development.

The TL Talking Series

Accordingly, the TL Talking Series will shed light on Women in Leadership in different areas such as Sports, Education, Arts, Business, Economics, Sciences, Politics, Activism, and many more. Our aim is to celebrate the achievements of women who broke the gender barriers and to encourage our young TLers to go beyond the obstacles they face in their leadership journey. Success is about going where others didn’t dare to go first. Thus, our objective in the TL program at LAU is to nurture our young scholar’s innate courage to DARE and DO!

TLS Students Raise Advocacy for Women and Girls in Sports

While it may seem that a gender mainstream is well established in Sports, especially in World Championships, the fight for gender equality in sport is far from over. TLS students Maria Hanna, Michael El Assaad, and Anthony Semaan chose to address this issue in their research paper “Women in Sports”. The team studied the topic from a 360-degree approach starting with a projection on history, law, the role of the media in accentuating the gender gap in the Sports field, the gender pays gap and its repercussions on both local and global economy, etc…

To have concrete and credible case studies, the team shared their survey under the surveillance of the team’s instructor and received high responsiveness from the community at LAU.

Sports are not only about teamwork and winning championships, MEPI TLS students Maria, Michael, and Anthony went behind the stage to unravel the challenges girls and women face in the sports arena. The survey they conducted among young men and women highlighted the cultural perceptions of the role of girls in sports, the physical abilities of boys versus the soft abilities of girls mainly in the choice of certain sports activities. The Three TLs students also interviewed girls who play soccer who expressed their pride in how soccer girls’ teams have reached world championships, while not getting as much attention in the media as boys’ soccer. Maria, Michel, and Anthony’s passion in sports will be matched by their excellent work to advocate and work for gender equality.

“Honestly, the TLS program was the most useful experience we ever encountered. In a year full of setbacks MEPI was our light in the dark, our hope in this country and its future. The leadership and confidence skills that we gained during the program, and the expansion of knowledge with regards to the laws, historical events, and other factors that were indeed affecting on a huge scale in the gender equity problem” points up the team.

March 2022 Episode: Women in Sports!

This March we would like to celebrate Women in Sports.
Please mark your calendars to meet:

Ms. Mona Yaacoub - the founder and creator of The PlayInHerShoes social enterprise;
Ms. Jennifer Ammoury - the one and only Lebanese Female International Referee (FIBA)

Date: Thursday, March 10, 2022

Time: 12:00 → 14:00 p.m. (Beirut Time)

Location: AKSOB 903

Profile Information

Playinhershoes is an initiative to empower women and girls in sports by giving them the attention they deserve. Through its page on Instagram, Playinhershoes delivers the message of women empowerment in sports, covers the news and journey of women athletes, and creates sports events for women. According to recent statistics, only 4% of the media in the world covers women’s news, and around 50% of girls aged 15 years old quit their favorite sports because of societal pressure.

Something had to be done!

Events organized till now by this initiative

Streetball events: So far, three streetball tournaments, each including 80 girls of all ages, have been organized for girls to compete and play basketball. During these events, sponsors helped cover the fees and offer the winning teams prizes and medals. The latest tournament was organized in collaboration with the Amel Association. This basketball event also hosted stations where girls can play, paint and learn more about their bodies, menstrual cycle and hygiene and what gender equality is about. Each girl was offered a kit with sanitary products.
Self-defense events: Two self-defense events were organized last year, one in Zouk Mikael and the other in Choueifat in collaboration with the Choueifat Activists Group. During these events, girls and women received an introductory session about self-defense, as well as an awareness session about gender-based violence

“Where do we get our fund from?

“In addition to the YLP INC (Youth Leadership Program/Incubation program-UNDP) grant that helped us start this initiative, after Playinhershoes won the local competition of startups and went to Tunisia to learn more, we earned another grant to start the socks line which is helping us generate revenues.

Mona Yaacoub

Brief BIO

Ms. Mona Yaacoub, a basketball Player, is recently playing for women’s first Division team at Homentmen - Antelias. She previously played for “Energy Mtayleb” and “Antranik” as well. Ms. Yaacoub studied Journalism in the Lebanese University and obtained a Master’s degree. Last year, in addition to her degree in Journalism, Ms. Yaacoub decided to sign up for a new major in physical education. With regards to her volunteering activities, she was always passionate about sports and women’s rights. She was part of the game association that helps kids practice urban sports in rural areas and was also part of the Fe-male organization that works on empowering women and changing their stereotyped images in the media.

“Based on my passion for sports and my struggle of being a girl who loves basketball in a patriarchal society, I wanted to dedicate myself to help girls feel empowered in this field, so I joined the YLP4 program with UNDP where I came up with the idea of changing women’s world in sports. I started a platform dedicated to support girls and women in the sports world, through covering their achievements, preparing sports events, and coming up with socks lines that serves the same target. It became like a community where women support each other to make an impact and exact change in the sports world which is dominated by men.”- Mona Yaacoub

Jennifer Ammoury

Brief BIO

Ms. Jennifer Ammoury holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business Management and an MBA in Finance & Economics from Notre Dame University. Since 2014, Ms. Ammoury serves as a basketball coach for Champville and the Lebanese Central Bank. She joined Sports Mania in 2015 as an event organizer and currently, she’s the head of communications at FIBA, the International Basketball Federation.

“Female Referee” – Not something you would expect to hear when it comes to the sports field in Lebanon. We live in a Middle Eastern community that tends to be resistant to change; a community that is based on stereotypes and whoever falls “outside the box” will have to go head-to-head with the whole community because – according to its people – such change is deemed inappropriate”. Jennifer Ammoury

Ms. Ammoury’s area of expertise is in Basketball refereeing. This field is, however, largely dominated by men, which makes it very hard for women to become professional referees in local and international Basketball games. According to Ms. Ammoury, “for a woman to be able to attain the ranks of men and be granted the right to referee both men’s and women’s games, she has to overcome several hurdles along her path. In fact, whenever such a community experiences something “new”, it requires a lot of time for it to be accepted.” In this context, she points out that one of the main challenges she faced along the road to FIBA was having to deal with all the pressure imposed upon in hopes of making me fail, and proving dissenters’ point of view that only male referees are able to handle men’s games. and that I, as a female, am not up to par. Moreover, while keeping in mind that the referee has the upper hand on the court and has the ultimate power to control the game, many male players, blinded by their “masculinity”, could not accept being handled on the court by a female referee”. Having said that, Ms. Ammoury’s path hasn’t been easy – especially when trying to break prevailing stereotypes. Thus, to develop her skills and bring hope to other ambitious women, Ms. Ammoury worked extremely hard to enhance her fitness abilities and deployed all efforts to reach her target. Ms. Ammoury achieved her goals by applying three major steps which made her earn respect and admiration in the field:

Grasp the Basketball rules & Interpretation books;
Be physically fit and ready at all times;
Never compromise at the expense of her dignity whether on or off-court.

Throwback…
“When I was a little girl, I never imagined myself refereeing since the field was male-dominated as I previously mentioned. I started as a Track & Field athlete and Basketball player at the age of 9 at my beloved school Champville. I went on to play with 1st division teams, the National Team, and later with the University’s National Team. Thankfully, as a player, I was able to achieve a lot. I won the Lebanese League, Lebanese Cup, Arab Championship, West Asia, Hicham Jaroudi International Tournament, Catalonia Cup in Spain, and many others.

At the age of 28 however, it was time for a new challenge.

This is when I embraced the opportunity that was offered to me and competed with 7 male candidates to earn one of six international referee licenses granted by FIBA. There had been no referee training courses that year, so I had to develop my refereeing skills on my own. With the help and encouragement of some of my colleagues, I was assigned to referee more and more games. FIBA requires all referees to pass a high-intensity fitness test as well as the Rules Test. and let me just say, it wasn’t an easy task! Through long and extensive training hours, I worked very hard and consistently to reach my target and become a FIBA Female Referee. As a compensation for all the hard work I did, I made my presence on court count and was appointed as a Referee in Egypt and Morocco in the Arab Championships, as well as in an International Men Tournament in Egypt.” – Jennifer Ammoury

“Looking forward…

A piece of advice to all the girls and women out there:

Never doubt yourself and dare to make a change!

It doesn’t matter how much your dreams are far-fetched, go take that first step and work hard to make your dreams come true, and always bear in mind that if it was supposed to be easy, everyone would have done it.”- Ms. Ammoury

Advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Tomorrow’s Leaders Scholars Present their Papers in Egypt

At the Third Annual Middle East Partnership Initiative-Tomorrow’s Leaders Conference, the scholars tackle migration, gender, health sciences, education, economics, political sciences and international affairs, and contribute to the conversations around the SDGs.

From emigration and food insecurity to overeducation and the impact of Lebanon’s fuel price hikes, timely topics were the focus of wide-ranging and enriching presentations by LAU students who took part in the Third Annual Conference on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), organized by the Middle East Partnership Initiative Tomorrow’s Leaders Program (MEPI-TL).

The three-day symposium included 19 panel discussions, four debates and 80+ research paper presentations, and was hosted by the American University in Cairo (AUC) this summer.

The conference focused on climate change, diversity, equity and inclusion, bringing together 80 MEPI-TL presenters from the American University in Beirut (AUB), LAU, and AUC to discuss pressing global challenges.

It is noteworthy that the LAU scholars contributed to the conference with a total of 33 graduate scholars, three Gender Scholars, and two undergraduates, who delivered a total of 38 presentations. Additionally, seven faculty members took part in panel discussions.

Students brought their positive experience back to campus, reflecting on how they had connected with like-minded individuals, gained insights and networked with professionals from various fields.

“The conference was filled with enriching knowledge sharing, engaging presentations and discussions. I had the opportunity to network with and learn from other researchers,” said TLGer Zeina Lizzaik, who graduated this year with a master’s degree in Applied Economics.

Faculty members expressed their admiration for the students’ presentations and highlighted the engaging format of the conference, which included debates and interactive discussions.

“It was fascinating seeing the efforts of our students materialize and witnessing the level of impact their research has on providing valuable context and content for solutions to pressing issues facing the world,” said LAU MEPI-TL Executive Director Dina Abdul Rahman.

All in all, the conference was a resounding success for LAU Tomorrow’s Leaders graduate scholars. It fostered collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation among attendees. The students benefited from the conference to learn, connect, and make a positive impact, setting the stage for future endeavors in sustainable development.

	Faculty members expressed their admiration for the students’ presentations and highlighted the engaging format of the conference, which included debates and interactive discussions.
	Students brought their positive experience back to campus, reflecting on how they had connected with like-minded individuals, gained insights and networked with professionals from various fields.
	From LAU, a total of 33 graduate scholars, three Gender Scholars, and two undergraduates delivered a total of 38 presentations, while seven faculty members took part in panel discussions.

A Seat at the Table: Women Participation in Decision Making in the Arab World

LAU-MEPI TL Symposium probes female involvement in political and public life, focusing on Tunisia and Lebanon.

Prompted by the recent appointment in Tunisia of the first female prime minister in the Arab world, the US-Middle East Partnership Initiative Tomorrow’s Leaders program (MEPI TL) at LAU hosted a panel discussion on Women’s Participation in Decision-Making in the Arab World, held in collaboration with the Embassy of Tunisia in Lebanon.

The discussion focused on the opportunities and challenges shaping women’s participation in decision-making positions in the Arab world, highlighting good practices and measuring progress in the region related to women’s equality and how that can help create more stable governments.

The idea for the panel came from the Tunisian MEPI TL scholars at LAU, for whom the appointment of Prime Minister Najla Bouden Romdhane in October 2021 was momentous. Their mentors at the university – spearheaded by LAU-MEPI TL Executive Director Dina Abdul Rahman – helped them prepare for and organize the event.

The symposium at Irwin Hall was attended by the Ambassador of Tunisia in Lebanon Bouraoui Limam, the Ambassador of the US to Lebanon Dorothy C. Shea, LAU President Michel E. Mawad, Vice President for Student Development and Enrollment Management Elise Salem, representatives from both embassies, and LAU faculty, staff, and students. It was also livestreamed on social media platforms.

Background

Uprisings across the Arab world in the name of democracy, equal rights, and, for women in particular, inclusion in the decision-making process have yielded uneven outcomes. In Tunisia, Iraq, and Libya, women have won seats in parliament and government, but progress is not uniform in the region, least of all in Lebanon, where the current parliament refuses to institute a female quota for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

But what has been accomplished so far is only the beginning of an uphill battle. “In the case of Tunisia, the 2010 revolution has been characterized both by successes and challenges,” said Ambassador Limam.

“Tunisia is currently cultivating a rather extraordinary capacity to have a public debate on the different ways to evolve the society on values of democracy, equality, and justice,” he said, drawing parallels with Lebanon in terms of capable human talent.

The revolution’s achievements, he added, are owed to “a dynamic civil society and brave women’s rights associations,” which have paved the way for the appointment of Bouden Romdhane as the first female Arab PM and nine women in the new cabinet.

In a recorded message played at the event, Bouden Romdhane spoke about the current economic, health, and societal challenges facing all leaders in positions of power, and how these challenges become more pronounced for female leaders.

“The struggle for women to benefit from the same opportunities as men and to access decision-making positions is a long-term fight and we have only just begun,” she said, adding: “But it is thanks to the participation of all – men and women – and with a deeper thinking of educational, cultural, and social precepts that we will manage to create long-lasting change.”

Echoing these thoughts, Ambassador Shea affirmed the US Government’s commitment to “create and help develop a cadre of leaders who will use their education, concrete experience, and skills to enact positive change in their respective countries and communities” – the ethos upon which the MEPI TL program was founded.

To date, the US State Department has invested through the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) over $50 million in the TL program and through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) another $70 million in the Higher Education Scholarship program (USP Program). Ambassador Shea said, “We are a proud, committed partner to LAU, to MEPI, and to everyone who is working to make Lebanon a stable, secure, sovereign, and prosperous country.”

Dr. Mawad noted how, only a short while ago, having women in decision-making positions had sounded like a far-fetched dream. “Not anymore, however, thanks to the likes of Najla Bouden, who sure-footedly made her way into a man’s world and broke a barrier that has for long deprived society of all of its grey matter,” he said, affirming: “Progress toward gender equality is irreversible.”

Before opening the panel discussion, Algerian LAU-MEPI TL Graduate (TLG) student Safa Difi explained that she, along with 17 of her MEPI TL colleagues, had conducted research on a volunteer basis to provide background information on the representation of women across 22 Arab countries. The results of their research were displayed in the form of a poster presentation at Irwin Hall for attendees to view.

As examples of major milestones achieved, their findings showed that in Qatar, 51 percent of women were employed, while the percentage in Kuwait was quite similar with a total of 53 percent of women in the workforce. Mauritanian law allowed for a 20 percent quota for women in municipal councils and the November 2006 elections resulted in more than 20 percent representation of women. While women’s participation in the Egyptian parliament increased from 2 percent in 2012 to 15 percent in 2016 up to 25 percent in 2021, the percentage of female ministers in Lebanon reached 31.6 percent.

The following students presented an overview of the research findings: MEPI TL Undergraduate (TLU) scholars Hiba Kammoun from Tunisia, Mohamad Hedi Jaza from Tunisia, Omar Eladarousy from Egypt, as well as MEPI TL Gender Studies (TLS) scholars Perla Bou Dehen and Hadi Baher from Lebanon.

The Panel Discussion

LAU Visiting Assistant Professor and LAU-MEPI TLS Academic Director Dr. Lina Kreidie opened the panel with an overview of the situation in Arab countries. Dr. Kreidie said, “Since 2010, the Arab people have been struggling to build peaceful and democratic nations and women have been at the forefront of the revolutions, trying to pave their paths from the bottom up to the top political decision-making ranks.”

The obstacles they have had to face are many and on different levels. Speaking about gender justice and women’s political participation, Regional Consultant on Gender Equality at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Menaal Munshey defined the main barriers keeping women from public life in the Arab world as institutional, social, and cultural.

“Especially in light of the pandemic, we know that women suffered many setbacks, especially those working in the care economy. In order to build back better, we need more women at the center of decision-making and national response plans,” she said.

The Tunisia Case Study

International Expert in Gender and Sustainable Development Policies, Monia Braham, presented the Tunisia case study, citing data on women’s participation in politics and governmental positions. The numbers were encouraging and exceeded regional (and even global) averages: With women constituting 26.3 percent of parliament in 2019, Tunisia placed third out of 15 countries from the MENA region.

She explained that the transition from the quota system to the gender parity principle was promising for Tunisian women, as it allowed them to be largely involved in the decision-making process.

However, some gaps have yet to be addressed, she added, such as exerting more efforts to combat gender-based violence, advocating for gender justice policies, and ensuring women’s engagement and voting rights, especially in rural areas.

The Lebanon Case Study

Co-founder and President of Fifty Fifty Joelle Abou Farhat expounded on the urgent need for a women’s quota to ensure Lebanese women’s representation in public office.

The numbers she presented were bleak: In 2021, the World Economic Forum ranked Lebanon at 183 out of 187 countries in terms of women’s participation in parliament. On top of this, and ever since Lebanon became a sovereign state in 1943, only nine out of 88 governments included women. Out of 11 elected parliaments since 1963, only eight have included women, with the highest number being six representatives out of 128.

Abou Farhat drew a logical conclusion: “Without a quota system, women will not reach the parliament.” The draft law proposed by Fifty Fifty suggests instating a 26-seat quota for women in the parliament while enforcing a 40 percent gender quota on candidacy on electoral lists, but it has yet to be reviewed by parliament.

The involvement of the youth in bringing about change is critical, said the Director of the Arab Institute for Women (AiW), Myriam Sfeir. She spoke about the October 17 Uprising and its impact in shifting the dynamic between various women’s rights groups, manifest in how they came together, months later, in the aftermath of the Port of Beirut Explosion, to draft a unified charter of demands.

“The personal is political, and for democratic systems to operate efficiently and professionally, the equal representation and participation of women in politics and public life is a non-negotiable imperative,” said Sfeir. “The argument for women’s political participation is irrefutable – democracy cannot exist nor persist if half of its population is not wholly and equally engaged in decision making – nothing about us, without us,” she concluded.

MEPI TL students presented their research findings on the representation of women across 22 Arab countries.

The panel discussion focused on the opportunities and challenges shaping women’s participation in decision-making positions in the Arab world.

Webinar: “Call to Action: Women’s Leadership in Lebanon’s Crisis and Recovery”

On November 24, 2022, as part of the Food 4 Thought speaking series, The Arab Institute for Women (AiW), the Middle East Partnership Initiative - Tomorrow’s Leaders Gender Scholars Program (MEPI - TLs), and the Institute of Social Justice and Conflict Resolution (ISJCR) at the Lebanese American University (LAU), in collaboration with the Middle East Institute (MEI), hosted a webinar titled “Call to Action: Women’s Leadership in Lebanon’s Crisis and Recovery”.

In an opening word, Director of The AiW, Ms. Myriam Sfeir, welcomed the attendees, introduced the moderator (Dr. Fadi Nassar: Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs and Director of ISJCR at LAU) and the panelists (Ms. Alia Moubayed: an emerging market economist, Ms. Yasmine Ibrahim, Social Policy Specialist at UNICEF, and Ms. Asmahan El Zein, advisor to the board of the Lebanese League for Women in Business), and highlighted the main theme for discussion: The significance of understanding women’s contested performance in Lebanon amid the unresolved crises.

In a first intervention, Ms. Alia Moubayed explained, through an analysis of recent figures, the protracted impact of the 2019 economic crisis on Lebanese women. To achieve change, she emphasized the need to implement reforms which strengthen women’s contribution in all sectors, especially the labor force. She indeed focused on the necessity to acknowledge women’s role in resolving the crisis and the need to integrate them as major actors in all phases of the recovery plan. As Ms. Moubayed further affirmed, women’s inclusion in the post recovery process is central to achieve a sustainable future for Lebanon.

Then, Ms. Yasmine Ibrahim discussed, based on research she conducted, “multidimensional child poverty” in Lebanon the impact of the unresolved crises on human capital in general and the well-being of girls and boys in specific. She explained the challenges faced by children in terms of coping mechanisms, mental health, and access to basic needs amid the hardships lived. As Ms. Ibrahim argued, to alleviate the repercussions of the many crises on children, it is critically important to implement national programs (e.g., cash programs) which address the rising needs of the most vulnerable groups, including women, girls, and boys.

Building on the previous interventions, Ms. Asmahan El Zein discussed the necessity of collaboration between the public sector and nongovernmental organizations to execute inclusive and fast change. She pinpointed, in light of the economic crisis and the aggravating situation, the importance of women’s participation in the Reform, Recovery & Reconstruction Framework (3RF) program, as well as their involvement in all governmental and nongovernmental recovery initiatives. As she confirmed, the relationship of distrust between nongovernmental bodies and the government requires a reconsideration to better achieve long-term development goals.

The webinar ended with a small discussion amongst the panelists and a Q&A.

Webinar: “Gender and the Environment”

On February 13, 2023, as part of the Food 4 Thought speaking series, The AiW and the Middle East Partnership Initiative - Tomorrow’s Leaders Gender Scholars Program (MEPI - TLS) hosted a webinar titled “Gender and the Environment” to discuss the mutually reinforcing relationship between a sustainable environment and gender equality on one hand, and the impact of environmental degradation on the deepening of gender inequalities on the other.

In an opening word, Director of The AiW, Ms. Myriam Sfeir, highlighted the importance of exploring the relationship between gender and the environment, welcomed the attendees and introduced the panelists: Ms. Nisreen El Saim (Climate Change Activist), Ms. Hiba Farhat and Ms. Rouba Farhat (Members of Nidaa’ El Ard Association), and Ms. Joslin Faith Kehdy (Founder of the NGO Recycle Lebanon).

In a first intervention, Ms. Nisreen El Saim explained the severe repercussions of climate change on women and girls. As she emphasized, climate change, which not only restricts women’s access to natural and basic resources but as well precipitates violence, conflicts, and wars, to which women and girls are the most vulnerable, further threatens’ women and girls’ safety and enshrines existing inequalities. To achieve change, Ms. El Saim called for the implementation of gender-sensitive legislations which recognize and limit the negative effects of climate change on vulnerable groups, especially women. The inclusion of women in environmental action, she confirmed, will help to create a sustainable environment to all of us.

Then, Ms. Hiba Farhat and Ms. Rouba Farhat discussed the importance of communal and individual initiatives to help local authorities in promoting sustainable solutions to environmental problems. As active members in Nidaa’ El Ard, they explained the organization’s key role in implementing effective waste management strategies, through awareness campaigns and applied initiatives, in the South of Lebanon. The success of any environmental campaign, Ms. Rouba Farhat explained, is continuity and consistency in the development of action plans. Despite the overlapping challenges, she explains how their team has managed to involve the different sectors of local communities, especially women, in their projects, and have therefore been able to reduce the impact of waste mismanagement, through women’s involvement in, for example, recycling initiatives.

Lastly, Ms. Joslin Faith Kehdy introduced Recycle Lebanon’s leading wok on zero waste sorting and recycling cleanups. As she argued, around seven years after the founding of Recycle Lebanon, the opportunities to create change have been many but require the continuous support of the local communities and the inclusion of all its factions, especially women, in promoting an environment-friendly living culture. With great will, resilience and perseverance, Ms. Kehdy confirmed, women can be active agents of change and can help to achieve climate justice.

The webinar concluded with a short Q&A session.

Advocating for Sustainable Gender Equity

Tomorrow’s Leaders Gender Scholars present research on timely topics at their second annual, end-of-year conference.

In collaboration with the Arab Institute for Women (AiW), the US Middle East Partnership Initiative Tomorrow’s Leaders Gender Scholars Program (MEPI-TLS) at LAU hosted its second annual end-of-year conference, titled MEPI-TLS Scholars for Sustainable Gender Equality, on June 7 at Irwin Hall.

The conference featured a keynote address by UN Under Secretary General and Executive Director for UN Women Sima Bahous, panel discussions led by gender experts, as well as poster and oral presentations by TLS scholars who reflected on their experiential and evidence-based learning, and recommended strategies and policies for realizing equality, peace and development.

In his welcome address, LAU President Michel E. Mawad expressed his pride in the work of the 126 MEPI-TLS scholars who have successfully completed their journey at LAU – pointing to the university’s roots as a women’s college. “Since day one, this institution has been about women empowerment and gender equality. We have built a university culture around it, producing generations of women leaders who have made a difference,” he said.

On behalf of the university, Dr. Mawad thanked the American people, the US government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Department of State MEPI for their years-long generosity that has produced outstanding results in terms of academic programs, research, advocacy and activism.

“The programs that we are able to launch and support thanks to MEPI have been among the most impactful of any programs we offer, and their effect can be felt in multiple ways, in Lebanon and the region,” added Dr. Mawad.

Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy, Janae Cooley, opened her address with words of encouragement and advice for TLS scholars as they begin their professional journey. She emphasized that the US government is currently investing more than $70 million in the MEPI-TL programs, which includes the undergraduate, graduate and college-to-work pipeline programs, alongside TLS.

Addressing the scholars, she said: “You are the heart of a growing and vibrant culture of gender studies at LAU, and your journey on this program could not have been possible without the people that supported you – the distinguished professors, the experts and the activists, so I would like to thank them as well for being champions of social justice and gender equality, and I would like to recognize the LAU team’s effort in managing this scholarship program.”

In her recorded keynote address, Sima Bahous spoke about the reality of the gender gap in the Arab world, providing the latest figures on women’s participation in the workforce, women’s political participation, and the caretaking roles that women fill in Arab societies.

Giving an example, Bahous noted that “Arab women took 41 percent of all pandemic-related job losses, reaching a female labor force participation low of 20.8 percent – the largest gender gap among all regions, globally.”

That is why, she continued, “your work on women’s economic empowerment, women’s participation and the media has never been more needed at this time of interlocking crises and deepened inequalities.”

To that end, TLS Academic Director and Assistant Professor Lina Kreidieh took the stage to underline the importance of “teaching and empowering our youth on the impact of gender discrimination and the need to push for positive, transformative change,” which is at the core of the TLS program.

Before transitioning to the panel portion of the event, AiW Director Myriam Sfeir highlighted how the institute mainstreams gender in all courses at LAU – one of them being the TLS program. “The institute works closely with the students and invites them to seminars, conferences, and webinars, as well as engages them with internships,” she said, adding that AiW had recently recognized the work of student researchers by publishing their work in a special edition of Al Raida journal.

The conference included three student panels: “Ensuring a Safe and Inclusive Workplace for a More Sustainable Development,” moderated by LAU Title IX Director and LAU-MEPI TL Gender Expert Jennifer Skulte-Ouaiss; “Diversity and Inclusion for Sustainable Peace and Security,” moderated by UN Women Mediation Advisor Karma Ekmekji; and “The Representation and Reception of Gender and Sexuality in Media,” moderated by LAU Assistant Professor of Multimedia Journalism and Communication Gretchen King.

Delivering the closing remarks, MEPI-TL Program Executive Director Dina Abdul Rahman reflected on how the program has offered means of “support and inspiration and has been a driver for us to move on, despite prevailing challenges in Lebanon.”

In a parting message to the graduating TLers, she invited them to have hope, reassuring them that “today proves to all of you that you can change the world by taking everything one step, one issue and one person, at a time.”

Qudwa: Basic Living Skills Program

Qudwa, “role model” in Arabic, was developed in 1985. It is a non-formal integrated educational kit in Arabic, geared towards illiterate and semi-literate women in the Arab world, available in both hard copy and digitized form. Its users are social workers affiliated to non-governmental organizations, governmental institutions and international organizations involved in community development programs.

What is unique about Qudwa?

Simple, innovative, comprehensive, self-explanatory and integrated learning material
Tools to facilitate the learning process: illustrations, posters, colored pictures, games, documents and case studies
Evaluation forms to assess the impact of the program on women’s lives and achievements

Objectives

Strengthen the capacities of Arab women in an attempt to improve the quality of their lives and those of their families.
Empower Arab women to make them active participants in the process of sustainable and equitable development.

Content

The program was fully updated in 2017-18 by experts in the field, to include new themes and up-to-date information. The themes Qudwa covers are:

Human Rights & Gender Equality
Health, Hygiene & Habits
Humans & their Environment
Nutrition
Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights
Child Development
Civic Education & Community Building
Livelihoods & Socio-Economic Empowerment
Chronic Diseases
Gender-Based Laws
People with Special Needs
Gender-Based Violence Prevention & Response
Supporting Vulnerable Groups
Women’s Political Participation

It also includes:

A training guide for implementation including working with different groups (adolescent girls, men and boys, LGBTQ community, refugees).
3 DVDs comprising 8 films of women’s stories and one documentary that supplements other units
1 compact disc covering all the program material

Over the years, more than 60,000 women in Lebanon have benefited from the program and more than 10,000 women and men have been trained on its use and implementation. The program has been used continuously by several non-governmental organizations and it has been adopted by the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) in all its centers in the different regions of Lebanon. Qudwa has also expanded to the Arab world (Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, Palestine, Kuwait, and Yemen).

Regional Capacity Development Workshop on the Women, Peace, and Security Index

The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) held the “Regional Capacity Development Workshop on the Women, Peace, and Security Index” in partnership with the Arab Institute for Women at the Lebanese American University, Georgetown Institute for Women Peace and Security (GIWPS), and Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).

The online workshop took place on 19 and 26 January 2021.

The workshop aimed at introducing the Women’s Peace and Security (WPS) Index as a measurement tool to enable decision-makers to adopt evidence-based measures that contribute to women’s autonomy and empowerment in the community and in society. This workshop intended to shed light on the parameters of the WPS agenda given its wide-encompassing role, and numerous thematic priorities which can vary significantly depending on context, stakeholder, and timeframe. Although there has been progress in the implementation of the WPS agenda, this progress remains slow and uneven.

During the workshop, experts discussed through four sessions, the importance of the WPS Index in general and its advancement in the MENA region specifically. Country-specific presentations also highlighted the WPS Index across the different countries in the region at the national and governorate levels.