Annually, The AiW participates in the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) international campaign that kicks off on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and runs until December 10, Human Rights Day.  As part of the campaign, The AiW and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), this year, are engaging LAU students in an arts competition under the theme of “#Uprooted – Resilience in Crisis.” The goal of the competition is focused on harnessing the power of storytelling and art to raise awareness, inspire action, and promote healing by sharing the stories and creations of women and girls who have survived and thrived amidst the war. At the end of the campaign, the winning art pieces are promoted on The AiW’s social media platforms and featured in an issue of Al-Raida.

On November 26, 2024, The AiW, in collaboration with the UNFPA, held an awareness session for LAU students on the 16 Days of Activism campaign and competition, providing necessary details and requirements for participation. In her opening words, Executive Director of The AiW, Ms. Myriam Sfeir, welcomed the Gender and GBV Expert at UNFPA, Ms. Nicia El Dannawi, and the Communication and Media Officer at UNFPA, Ms. Anastasia Hajj. Ms. El Dannawi and Ms. Hajj briefly discussed the partnership between The AiW and UNFPA and introduced the focus of this competition. Through artworks, the goal of this competition, they stated, is to encourage LAU students to creatively reimagine the ongoing crisis in Lebanon from a gender perspective. In light of all the struggles and first-hand experiences which many have been passing through, Ms. Sfeir, Ms. El Dannawi, and Ms. Hajj urged all students to participate in the competition.

Following the end of the campaign, The AiW and UNFPA announced the winners via social media platforms, specifically Facebook, Instagram, and X. This year, the competition attracted around 57 entries and included a wide variety of artistic pieces, such as posters, poems, short stories, and videos. 

The winner of the 1^st place was Pia Kmeid for her poem titled “Four, Three, Two, One.”

The winner of the 2^nd place was Judy Abdallah for her poster titled “Uprooted but Unbroken.”

The winner of the 3^rd place was Theo Sakr for his poster titled “Consent cannot be Bought.”

As for special mentions, the three recipients were Carly Ajamian for her poster titled “Abuse Knows no Age, Protect Women at Every Age,” Nour Moukheiber for her poster titled “Voice – Veto – Violence,” and Karen El Murr for her poster titled “Twice the struggle, Twice the Power to Overcome.”

Finally, on December 6, 2024, The AiW, also in collaboration with UNFPA, held a concluding webinar on “GBV in Times of Conflict.” The opening remarks were delivered by LAU President, Dr. Chaouki Abdallah and Ms. Sfeir. First, Dr. Abdallah highlighted the long-standing role which LAU has played in combatting GBV both within its campuses and in Lebanon, and Ms. Sfeir followed by describing the drastic impact of the recent war in Lebanon on women, especially the most vulnerable like the pregnant and displaced. Headlining the webinar, Member of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and Commissioner at the International Court of Justice, Ms. Nahla Haidar, served as keynote speaker. She discussed the consistent violations of international law in times of war, focusing on Lebanon as a case study. In this vein, she presented several recommendations, inspired from real life experiences, to limit the devastating impact of armed conflicts on vulnerable groups like women and girls. Finally, UNFPA Representative in Lebanon, Ms. Pamela Di Camillo, reflected on the cases of violence in displacement shelters during the war. She mainly focused on the mitigation mechanisms implemented by civil society organizations to provide psychological and physical support for those who were most in need.

The session concluded with a Q&A session.

Social Media Campaign – #NoExcuse

For the ninth consecutive year, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN ESCWA) and The AiW have joined forces, launching a far-reaching social media awareness campaign over 16 days. In collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Regional Bureau for Arab States (RBAS) and several civil society organizations from the Arab region, the campaign, comprising of 16 powerful key messages, highlighted the profound effects of occupation, war, and conflict on women in Palestine, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, Sudan, and Yemen. These messages were shared on the social media platforms of The AiW and partner organizations, underscoring the urgent need for solidarity and action during tumultuous times.