Lebanon, 30th June, 2022 – By organizing the first “For Women in Science” ceremony since Covid-19, the Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO celebrated the 15 recipients of its International Awards from 2020, 2021 and 2022, and the 30 International Rising Talents awarded in 2020 and 2022. After two consecutive cancellations of the event due to the sanitary situation, this year’s Ceremony was particularly celebratory and unique.
A UNIQUE GLOBAL REUNION OF WOMEN SCIENTISTS
Held on Thursday, June 23rd at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, the Ceremony honored 15 eminent laureates of its International Awards from 2020, 2021and 2022 among them Professor Abla Mehio Sibai, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, who was awarded for her pioneering research and advocacy to improve healthy ageing in low and middle-income countries. Each awardee dedicated her life to combating one or many severe challenges facing the world today.
The ceremony celebrated as well 30 young female scientists who received the title of International Rising Talents. They represent the younger generation of scientists solving important challenges and speaking up for change.
The Levant region received the Lions share with 4 women scientists awarded as International Rising Talents:
Dr. Laura-Joy Boulos (Lebanon) – Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence. Laura-Joy has been honored for her research in creating tools from neuroscience and artificial intelligence to assist humans in taking decisions under uncertainty
Nouf Mahmoud (Jordan) – Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine. Nouf has been recognized for her research, which synthesizes novel nanomaterials to treat diabetic wound
Dr. Lina Dahabiyeh (Jordan) – Bioanalysis and Pharmaceutical Analysis
Lina has been honored for her research about the Plasma Drop to Improve the diagnosis of Pre-eclampsia
Dr. Waad Saftly (Syria) – Physics. She was recognized for her research on galaxy evolution through the history of the universe.
During the Ceremony, the extraordinary contribution of women in science was celebrated amongst a distinguished audience, including representatives of science, academics, opinion leaders, politicians, members of public authorities, and organizations promoting gender equality and women empowerment.
The event started with a foreword by the Fondation L’Oréal’s President, Jean-Paul Agon, and UNESCO’s Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, on the importance of this year’s reunion to remind the world how vital women scientists and their work are for our common future.
THE WORLD NEEDS SCIENCE AND SCIENCE NEEDS WOMEN
The world is facing unparalleled challenges: climate change, lack of resources, health risks, and the Covid-19 pandemic, among many other mounting world issues. Selected during the past three years, the women awarded this week by the L’Oréal-UNESCO program have already proven how transformative their science can be in addressing these challenges.
By celebrating 45 outstanding female researchers from all over the world in this unique ceremony, the Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO have stood out to reward and show their full support to women scientists whose work has been so instrumental during these incredibly trying times. These women are often subject to invisibilization and marginalization, inequalities, biases, and systemic barriers. Their presence in Paris this week marked the perfect occasion to recognize their meaningful contributions while reminding the world that the gender gap remains.