User:ArabInstitute/sandbox/The Arab Institute for Women

The Arab Institute for Women

Abbreviation	AiW
Formation	1973
Type	NGO
Purpose	Women's rights, academic research, activism
Headquarters	El Hussein Street
Location	Beirut, Lebanon
Key people	Dr. Lina Abirafeh (Executive Director) and Myriam Sfeir Murad (Director)
Parent organization	The Lebanese American University
Website	https://aiw.lau.edu.lb/

The Arab Institute for Women (AiW) was founded by the Lebanese American University (LAU) in 1973. The organization aims to study women’s conditions in the Arab world, publish related reports, and promote policy change in favor of women’s rights.

History

The Arab Institute for Women (AiW) was founded with the name of “Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World” (IWSAW) in 1973 by the Lebanese American University (then called the Beirut College for Women).

Mission

The institute researches and sponsors studies on women in the Arab world connects individuals and organizations interested in learning about or promoting women’s rights in the countries, and advocates for policy change towards gender equality.

Academic Programs

Undergraduate

AiW offers a Gender Studies minor that aims to give students foundational knowledge on gender issues and to prompt them to examine social change through the lens of gender.

Graduate

A Masters in Interdisciplinary Gender Studies curriculum further examines issues related to gender through academic classes, research, and social activism.

Continuing Education

The institute offers a Diploma in Gender in Development and Humanitarian Assistance (GDHA). The program focuses on enhancing technical skills that are applied in humanitarian and aid settings. Students can choose one of three focus areas:

1. Gender in Conflict
2. Gender in Development Programming
3. Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response

Projects/Research

AiW seeks to aid women with services. Projects include educating the Lebanese Security Sector on gender-based violence prevention and response, imparting women basic living skills, and providing support to female migrant workers and incarcerated women.

Publications

Al-Radia Journal

The journal started as a series of newsletters about women’s issues and rights in 1976. It eventually became a more interdisciplinary publication, including original research, summaries of studies, conference proceedings, and information about academic courses on gender studies at the institute.

Besides publishing research, Al-Raida also aims to promote dialogue about Arab women’s issues in the wider international community and incorporate young activists/academics’ works. The journal is currently bi-annual.

Other Publications

The institution produces an Occasional Paper Series and Country Gender Profiles on the 22 Arab countries to provide analyses on women’s wellbeing in relation to national policies and other key economic sectors.