On March 6, 2025, four brilliant Lebanese women stepped into Issam Fares Conference Hall at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) as the guests of honor for International Women’s Day: Alia Moubayed, Carol Ayat, Sabine Oueiss, and Roula Moussa. They were saluted for their national reform efforts before sharing their experiences with the audience, which included key political figures and the entire NDU community.
After welcoming His Excellency Carlos Gitto, Ambassador of Uruguay; Member of Parliament Nada Boustany; former Minister of Social Affairs Richard Kouyoumdjian; and other prominent women in politics and security, Majed Bou Hadir, Director of the Office of Public Affairs and Protocol at NDU, introduced this year’s theme, “React. Reform.” This theme reflects the guests’ key achievements in their respective fields and highlights the continuous efforts made by the Office of Student Affairs and the Department of Community Service and Awareness at NDU.
Next, NDU President Father Bechara Khoury emphasized women’s vital role in all aspects of life, starting with our Holy Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary who inspires and protects NDU.
“Empowering women is a step towards empowering the whole world,” he added, welcoming the event’s special guests, each of whom made an impact in her own field: Alia Moubayed and Carol Ayat in economic reform; Roula Moussa in AI and technology; and Sabine Oueiss in Journalism. He concluded by listing the UN Sustainable Development Goals promoted on this day: SDG 5 Gender Equality, SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals, inviting the audience to work hand-in-hand towards a better future.
The event also honored young female entrepreneurs who are students at NDU and have already launched their businesses, thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit they developed at NDU and the academic support they received. Their experiences were showcased in a short film strongly applauded by attendees.
Moderated by MTV Lebanon News Anchor, Ralph Doumit, the panel discussion was officially launched with the event’s main guests. Moubayed gave a brief overview of the current economic crisis and shared her recommended strategy for reform, based on four-Rs-plan: Restructure (the banking and public sectors), Reconstruct (the damaged cities), Restore (private sector competitiveness), and Rebuild (the state).
On the other hand, Ayat illustrated the greater impact of the economic crisis on women’s productivity compared to men, as many women rely on affordable electricity, which is the biggest issue today, forcing them to shut down their small to medium businesses. Consequently, she emphasized that economic reform cannot happen without establishing a healthy energy sector, through six strategic steps involving a political will, proper budgeting, and sustainability.
From a technology perspective, Moussa assured the audience that there is hope in Lebanon, being one of the most capable countries in succeeding with AI technologies, thanks to its strong and competitive skills, as well as the resilience of the private sector. “The potential we have is more powerful than money; it is our talents and brains.”
Finally, according to Oueiss, the media scene is being threatened by the economic crisis, the rise of social media, AI, politically biased institutions, and the lack of safety for journalists. Despite these challenges, they bear a national responsibility to work ethically and independently, knowing that the media has destructive power if misused.
To conclude, after an interactive Q&A session, the four panelists advised women especially students, to work hard, be persistent, believe in their own potential, and build credibility to succeed.
We wish the Lebanese community a Happy International Women’s Day. We are confident that this event will inspire more students and leaders to React and Reform.