LCU honors five women pioneers from Lebanon

The Lebanese Canadian University LCU organized yesterday a dinner banquet to honor outstanding women from Lebanon.  “Pioneer women towards a better world… women who achieved a lot for Lebanon during 2016” is the theme of the ceremony held at the LCU campus in Aintura, Metn area under the patronage and in presence of minister of state for women’s affairs, Jean Ogassapian. The honorees included, Hayat Arslan for her political activism through the Civil Society Dialogue Table, Dr. May Shidiac for her Women in the Front Lines annual conference, social activist Ghida Anani for her accomplishments in Abaad Association, media figure, Paula Yakubian for her launching of Dafa campaign, and Dr. Yolande Salem Abi Nakhleh, LCU president for her founding of the university. On the occasion, Rania Habib, vice-chair of LCU board of trustees, said Lebanon this year has been overwhelmed with news and achievements in the field of rights for women. To mention some, she expounded, is the right to political participation through the representation quota, the annulment of Penal Code Artile 522 on domestic rape and domestic violence, their rights to grant nationality to their children, and finally the setting up of a special portfolio for women as an initiative by PM Saad Hariri. “The right of a woman to be a full-fledged partner in society will no doubt be realized,” Habib warned, adding, “it is only a matter of time, thanks to women pioneers like the ones we are honoring this evening.” “I believe,” she said, “there should be a substantial partnership at the level of decision making in Lebanon, and demanding the (women’s) quota is not a formality or mechanism,” she added. (Al Mustaqbal, March 17, 2017)