On the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child which falls on October 11 of each year, the Embassy of Canada in Lebanon on Friday announced the launch of an initiative in collaboration with the ministry of state for the economic empowerment of women and youth. The embassy said, that as part of the initiative which aims to inspire girls develop their full potential, a group of professionals (men and women) from various sectors were invited to mentor a teenage girl to serve as a role model for the future generation of female leaders. According to a statement by the embassy, a batch of teen girls (aged between 14 and 17) from various parts of Lebanon, will have the opportunity (from September 30 to October 10, 2019), to accompany one professional on a day at work. Minister Safadi and the Canadian Ambassador participated as well in the initiative and counselled two girls to this end. On the same occasion, the Arab Institute for Women at the Lebanese American University held a seminar under the theme, ‘Empowering girls for a brighter tomorrow’. Present was the head of the National Commission for Lebanese Women, Claudine Aoun Rukuz, who stressed that women’s economic independence contributes to a balanced family life. (NNA, October 11, 2019)