A flurry of feminist knowledge production in the SWANA region and the emergence of a robust young intersectional movement

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Notes on contributors

Lina Abou-Habib

Lina Abou-Habib is the Director of the Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon where she also designs and teaches gender courses. She serves as the Chair of the Doria Feminist Fund and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Urgent Action Fund. Lina has been on the editorial committee of the Gender & Development journal since its inception. She has worked as a gender expert, director, researcher, and development practitioner with several regional and global organisations including Oxfam GB, the Royal Tropical Institute, and various UN agencies. Lina served consecutively as the Secretary and the Chair of the AWID Board of Directors from 2007 to 2012. She is based in Beirut, Lebanon. Postal address: American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship, Riad El-Solh, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon. Email: [email protected]

Carla Akil

Carla Akil is the Assistant to the Director at the Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship, American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Anthropology at AUB. She has over three years of experience in gender research and advocacy and has several publications. She completed the ‘Power to the People: Social Movements, Activism, and Grassroots Organizing’ short course at the University of Amsterdam in 2023 and the ‘Professional Development Programme for Gender Trainers’ at the KIT Royal Tropical Institute in 2022. Email: [email protected]

Cynthia Chidiac

Cynthia Chidiac is a seasoned diplomat and researcher with a career starting in 2008 at the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants. She has held roles including Chief of Cabinet and represented Lebanon at the UN Third and Fifth Committee in New York, leading human rights negotiations. Her international posts include Lebanon’s embassies in Berlin, South Africa, and Sierra Leone. Notably, she has participated in discussions on the Syrian, Yemeni, and Libyan conflicts and peace in Africa. Beyond diplomacy, Cynthia champions gender policies and is a Senior Research Assistant at the Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship.