IWSAW held its very first Food 4 Thought session on September 29 & 30, 2015 in Beirut and Byblos.

The informal discussion brought together students, faculty, and staff to talk about what “studying gender” actually means. There were over 40 participants in Beirut and over 70 in Byblos - we were overwhelmed by all the energy and enthusiasm!

As the first speaker, Dr. Lina Abirafeh, new Director of IWSAW, shared her experience working in countries in conflict and natural disasters while showing a nonstop stream of photos from her adventures. Dr. Abirafeh challenged the audience to try to answer questions such as: Are we content with the world as it is? Are we living in the world that we want? Do we know everything we should know - about our rights, our roles, and our opportunities?

The Food 4 Thought session created a space for animated discussions, strong opinions, and healthy debate where participants raised concerns about the increase of violence against women around the world. Students also debated the need to shift focus away from teaching women to protect themselves in order to reach men and boys with the message that rape is not acceptable! Students emphasized the need to engage men and boys as allies, partners, and supporters to be able to achieve real equality between men and women. Equality is better for everyone - and will ensure that we have a world free of violence against women and girls.

Food 4 Thought is a speaking series that will be held on a monthly basis in both Beirut and Byblos. It is an informal discussion for the LAU community - all students, faculty, and staff are welcome to join!

More details about the Food 4 Thought sessions are found in this LAU News article.