We are excited to announce that our partner organisation the Arab Institute for Women (AIW) at the Lebanese America University (LAU) has won at the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards Arab World 2024.
Winning in the category of ‘Research Project of the Year: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences’, judges of the THE Awards said that “some social science projects provide the knowledge a society needs at a vital moment in time. AIW’s entry is a great example – with solid academic research and a collaborative approach to engage with society, their work is having a real-world impact in an area of vital importance”.
Myriam Sfeir, executive director of AIW shared that “it’s very gratifying to receive this award, especially at such a critical time for our country and our region. It gives us greater visibility, opens more doors and highlights the Institute’s day-to-day efforts to develop a culture of change”.

This award comes at a pivotal moment as LAU celebrates 100 years of Education, Empowerment, and Innovation and AIW half a century of leading the charge to mainstream gender issues within the institution and bridging the gap between academia and activism to advance gender justice.
AIW was established in 1973, building upon the Lebanese American University’s rich history as a school for women. At that time, it was the first such institute in the Arab region, working at the intersection of academia and activism. It remains one of the first globally and one of the few in Lebanon. The Institute advances gender equality and advocates for gender justice concerns nationally, regionally and globally through research, education, development programmes, and outreach.
“It fills me with immense pride to belong to this institution, which has always been a strong supporter of AIW and continues to be,” adds Myriam. “AIW is a small but mighty institute, and we promise to always walk the walk.”
AIW’s research on the Countering Backlash programme focuses on improving the understanding of gender backlash in Lebanon, and strengthening strategies to counter. They have published research on ‘Backlash in the Lebanese Media’, ‘Understanding Backlash in Lebanon’ and ‘Deconstructing Anti-Feminist Backlash: The Lebanese Context’, as well as numerous opinion-pieces – all available on the Countering Backlash website.