Amid a growing backlash against women’s movements and the rise of dominant narratives, amplifying women’s voices through storytelling remains key to advancing gender equality.

Providing a platform for dialogue, the Arab Institute for Women (AiW) organized its first edition of TEDxLAU Women on April 5 at the Beirut campus, bringing together 18 speakers and performers from Lebanon and the region who have challenged norms and sparked dialogue within their communities, offering a powerful blueprint for others to follow.

“If you want to improve society, the first thing you have to do is empower women,” said LAU President Chaouki T. Abdallah in his opening remarks. “They will take care of the rest.”

Discussing the event’s themes, AiW Executive Director and co-organizer Myriam Sfeir explained that it aimed to merge the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the 12 critical areas of concern outlined in the Beijing Platform for Action—a landmark framework for advancing women’s rights and achieving gender equality—by ensuring diverse representation across countries, fields of expertise, and accomplishments.

Advancing gender justice, she emphasized, requires a collective effort, particularly through the sharing and centering of women’s narratives. “AiW continues to serve as an inclusive platform that transcends sect, age, and race, fostering the exchange of ideas and driving change for gender equality and women’s rights.”

Among the speakers were visually impaired sisters Ghina Bou Kamel, a current psychology major at LAU, and Jana Bou Kamel (BA ’24), a translation graduate. Drawing on their experiences at LAU and in earlier schooling, they delivered a powerful call for inclusive education.

“Inclusion isn’t just a nice idea—it’s the most effective way to improve both educational skills and personal growth,” said Jana, underscoring that all students, regardless of ability, deserve equal opportunities to learn and thrive. Their story challenged common stereotypes and showed how practical measures—from braille materials to inclusive teaching methods—can create meaningful change.

Lebanese sprinter and advocate Aziza Sbaity (BS ’12), who was also among the featured speakers, talked about her experience growing up between Liberia and Lebanon, addressing the challenges of racism, stereotyping, and identity. Recalling instances of being mistaken for a domestic worker as a child, she highlighted how athletics became a turning point in her life, ultimately leading her to become the fastest woman in Lebanese history. Emphasizing the importance of embracing individual identity, she said, “Be unapologetically yourself, because you never know who might find strength through your example.”

Along the theme of turning personal struggle into empowerment, educator and author Deema Al Alami shared her experience of moving from silence to advocacy, recounting how childhood trauma once silenced her—and how she reclaimed her voice through writing, therapy, and activism. From her first children’s book, Hatha Jismi, La Talmasni, to a powerful anthology of Palestinian voices under siege, she demonstrated how words can transform grief into action. “Words are not just ink on paper. They are a force. A weapon. A shield. A legacy,” she declared, urging others to find and use their voice.

Similarly, oil and gas policy expert Laury Haytayan (BA ‘97) shared how her career evolved alongside Lebanon’s energy sector and political upheavals, becoming a trusted voice despite facing gendered attacks in a male-dominated field. Looking ahead, she emphasized the critical role of women in leading Lebanon’s energy transition. “We must move beyond survival,” she said, “and claim our right to a clean, just future.”

Complementing the talks was a series of interactive booths, part of the TEDx social space, where LAU student volunteers creatively connected the SDGs to women’s issues. As co-organizer and host, Lecturer at the School of Arts and Sciences Reine Azzi noted, it was the collective effort of the community that made the event possible, despite numerous setbacks and delays.