The series of events will kick off on March 6 with The Executive Woman, organized by the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), School of Business; and seeks to honor and celebrate women who have succeeded in various domains both nationally and internationally.
BEIRUT: In celebration of International Women’s Day, Lebanon is hosting a number of events in the next few days.
The series of events will kick off on March 6 with The Executive Woman, organized by the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), School of Business; designed to honor and celebrate women who have succeeded in various domains both nationally and internationally.
This year Claudine Aoun Roukoz, President of the National Commission for Lebanese Women, will be honored.
The event will also include several successful female guest speakers who will share their personal stories.
“The School of Business came up with the idea of celebrating women who excel in various domains last year,” Nada Sarkis, Associate Dean for Graduate Students in the School of Business at USEK, told Annahar.
“Our target is both men and women because it is important for males to see what women are capable of doing.”
March 8 will feature two events, with the first event organized by the Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW).
The panel will take place at the Lebanese American University, Beirut and will tackle women’s political participation and voting in the upcoming elections.
The panelists are Marguerite Helou, Scholar and Gender Consultant, and Manar Zaiter, lawyer and human rights activist.
“The topic we are tackling this year is related to politics considering that elections are near,” said Myriam Sfeir, Assistant Director of IWSAW.
The second event considers the importance of empowering working women.
Dar El-Nimer for Arts and Culture is organizing “Marché 8,” an event that honors working women by showcasing the work of those in the field of art and craft, embroidery, and food.
“Participating women come from different backgrounds and ages,” said Maha Kobaissy, Outreach and Public Program Manger at Dar El-Nimer for Arts and Cultures. “It’s the first time we organize such an event and our aim is to expose the work of these women and their talents.”
Some of the participants include Soraya Ghezelbash, The Ana Collection, Greener on the Other Side, Ellazplanet, Papyrus – Sadr Foundation, Torath Bladna, Keen – Handmade Design, Social Support Society, Julie Bou Farah, Gray Gardens Plant Studio, Essentials by Marlene, and Ashghalouna.
On a wider scale, the Galerie Alice Mogabgab is organizing a set of events in celebration of Beirut International Women’s Day. Those will take place over a course of three days on March 6, 7, and 8 at her gallery.
March 6 will include a first-time concert for Lara Eidi in Lebanon.
“We chose Lara for the concert because she has an amazing voice,” said Alice Mghabghab, Owner and Manager of Galerie Alice Mogabgab. “This hihglights the role the gallery plays in shedding light on new talents.”
A debate on March 7, on harassment moderated by Marie Therese Khair Badawi is also scheduled, featuring important female figures such as Paula Yacoubian, Lebanese journalist, Dalal Bizri, a candidate in the upcoming elections, Joumana Haddad, also a candidate in the upcoming elections, Hyam Yared, poet and novelist, and Ghada Jabbour, co-founding member of KAFA.
“The topic we are tackling is harassment because we consider that it is still a not very clear topic,” Mogabgab told Annahar. “It is important to focus on those topics especially before elections.”
The event will close with a screening of the documentary “Maestras-The Long Journey of Women to the Podium.”
“The documentary discusses how hard it is for women to go into such an artistic field,” said Mogabgab. “It also foreshadows the way one can use art to improve women’s standing worldwide.”
The series of events taking place all over Lebanon will be concluded by a March under the slogan “Different Causes, Shared Anger” on March 11.
The March is open for all Lebanese to participate in and aims to highlight solidarity between women, while opposing the patriarchal system.