RHU Office of the President hosted the third lecture in the Nazek Rafik Hariri Distinguished Lecture Series, featuring Dr. Josiane Fahed-Srieh, a renowned entrepreneur and Chairperson of the Family Business Institute at the Lebanese American University. Dr. Fahed-Srieh captivated the audience with a compelling talk on women empowerment, highlighting its role in achieving gender equality, driving economic growth, and strengthening communities.
She emphasized that empowering women means enabling them to control their lives, make decisions, and access equal opportunities and rights as men. Dr. Fahed-Srieh shared global statistics, noting that while 42% of women are employed globally compared to 72% of men, progress is steadily being made. She also discussed the gender pay gap and the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles, with women occupying just 22% of leadership positions and 16% of board memberships, and only 52 women serving as CEOs in Fortune 500 companies.
Dr. Fahed-Srieh highlighted key barriers to women’s empowerment, such as limited access to education and financial resources, as well as persistent stereotypes. While there is still work to be done, significant progress has been achieved globally, especially in education and economic participation.
Her call to action: support gender equality initiatives, advocate for women's rights, and promote policies that empower women. Empowerment is essential not only for individual women but for global development and sustainability.