There are Men intimidated by Intelligent Women: my Perception of a Lebanese Reality

I live in Beirut and I write to share with you my perception of a particular reality. Most women I know, educated, successful in their work field, young, beautiful, intelligent and independent, are not able to get married nowadays. Men they dated felt emasculated. I even heard one of my friends saying that a successful […]

The Pill Pop Culture in Lebanon

According to a recent report by the Institute for Development, Research, Advocacy and Applied Care (IDRAAC), 28.5 percent of Lebanese people have at least one mental disorder, mostly anxiety related (with a majority of post-traumatic stress disorder – PTSD and generalized anxiety). Such conditions often have even more formidable symptoms, such as chronic depression and […]

Ita��s the Season, the Season of Gifts (A Tribute to Mothers)

The truth is that ita��s the birth of the Christ. If we think about it historically though, it is not the exact date. We even celebrate it on two different dates. And, we know that neither is accurate. But when was it exactly that Christmas lost its spiritual sense? When was it exactly that the […]

Gentille ou Bad Girl?

Je vous écris pour vous faire part d’un problème que je constate dans nos sociétés moyen-orientales marquées par la violence, les guerres, la haine, et… l’absence ou la rareté de gentillesse, de gratuité, de charité, de spontanéité. Je vis à Beyrouth et je voyage souvent à Dubai, au Caire, et au Koweit. La superficialité, le […]

'Witch Hunt' in Cairo

I am an Egyptian woman who has a story to tell about the aftermath of what was called the Arab Spring Revolutions. Forgive me if I use a nickname. I have been participating to many demonstrations in the Tahrir Square since Mr. Mohamed Morsi was elected as President. My main concern was – and still […]

The Case of Lesbians in Lebanon

It is with deep concern that I put on the table of discussion the case of lesbians in Lebanon. It has come to my attention, during my last visit, that some places, bars, restaurants are implicitly linked to their presence. Although it is reassuring to know that there are some safe havens, it remains very […]

Religious Identity versus Feminist Identity?

Do religious identities and feminist identities automatically fall in a conflictual dynamic? A question I have been asking myself for a long time… And my answer:  there are ‘spaces’ of clash, and ‘spaces’ of dialogue, even in the most chaotic geopolitical zones such as the Middle East (Western Asia) where the religious knowledge tends to […]

A University Workshop on Gender Stereotypes and Women’s Situations in the Middle East

I organized yesterday afternoon a group workshop involving my students at the Holy Spirit University (USEK, Lebanon) on gender stereotypes and women’s situations in the Middle East. First-of-its-kind activity in the Faculty of Theology and in the university! Here are the results: 1- Defining Gender Stereotypes ( Target Group: Women): – Women don’t know how […]

Women in Personal Status Laws: IRAQ, JORDAN, LEBANON, PALESTINE, SYRIA

Recommending the following study by Gihane Tabet (SHS Papers in Women’s Studies/ Gender Research – Gender Equality and Development Section, Division of Human Rights, Social and Human Sciences Sector, UNESCO, 2005). Introduction: The objective of this paper is to explain the legal system as it pertains to women’s rights in the Middle East. We will […]

Women, Shari'a, and Personal Status Law Reform in Egypt after the Revolution

Recommending the following analysis by Camilo Gómez-Rivas | Assistant Professor of Middle Eastern history – The American University in Cairo. Like almost everything else during the uncertain period of the transitional government, the future of personal status law reform is at a crossroads in Egypt. The new constitution (assuming one will exist)[1] may technically have […]