WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

Make a Difference

International Women’s Day – March 8th

“Leadership lies at the heart of YWCA as a movement.” Over the years, YWCA volunteers and staff have built a platform from which women have raised their voices and discover that together they are capable of improving their world, individually and collectively. In the process, they have developed their own leadership skills and expanded their world views.

The International Women’s Day on March 8th, is an occasion when women on all continents, often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences come together to celebrate their Day. They can look back to a tradition that represents decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development.

Since 2010, YWCA-Beirut celebrated the International Women’s Day by organizing an event to promote and honor achievements of outstanding Lebanese Women. The honorees so far were:

inter_women_img1

2010: Leyla Assaf, an award winning film director, script-writer and producer.

inter_women_img2

2011: Claudia Marchelian, a renowned and popular Lebanese script writer, actress and critic.

inter_women_img3

2012: May Arida, a woman who participated in founding and organizing the Baalbeck International Festival.

inter_women_img4

2013: Nidal El Ashkar, a Lebanese artist who played a leading role in launching the theater movement in Lebanon and the Arab world.

inter_women_img5

2014: May El Khalil, a peacemaker, founder and president of the Beirut Marathon Association.

inter_women_img6

2015: Linda Matar, an activist who struggled for more than 60 years to amend the laws discriminating against women, and for the Lebanese democratic civil state.

inter_women_img7

2016: May Chidiac, journalist with exceptional courage and perseverance.

2017: Honoring 20 women, General Directors in Public Office.


2018: Paying tribute to 15 women, Presidents of Syndicates 


2019: Paying tribute to 14 women current and ex Presidents of the National YWCA
along with all the current YWCA branch Presidents.

March 8 2021 – International Women’s Day 

  • 2021 Zoom meeting: Tribute to women on the front line, to their fearless spirits, to the “unknown soldiers” who have a noble cause: Saving lives.


March 30 2022 – Celebrating International Women’s Day at the YWCA Cultural Center

March 22 2023 – Movie Screening of “I am Woman” for International Women’s Day at the YWCA Cultural Center

“I Am Woman” is a biographical film that accounts the life of Australian singer and activist Helen Reddy. The movie portrays her journey from arriving in New York in the 1960s to becoming a prominent figure in the women’s liberation movement through her iconic song “I Am Woman,” which became an anthem for feminism. The film delves into Reddy’s struggles and triumphs in the male-dominated music industry and her efforts to challenge societal norms of the time. It highlights her determination to empower women through her music and advocacy for gender equality.

The significance of “I Am Woman” to the YWCA community lies in its thematic resonance with the organization’s values and missions. The YWCA has historically been a champion for women’s rights, empowerment, and social justice. Helen Reddy’s story epitomizes resilience, advocacy, and the pursuit of equality—values that align closely with the YWCA’s goals.

Make a Difference

 

<!––>