Since the announcement of the new government in Lebanon, the six women participating in the 20-minister-cabinet have taken the spotlight.

Such record number puts the female representation in the new government, headed by PM Hassan Diab, at 30 percent, up from 13 percent in the previous cabinet.

Defense Minister

Starting by Defense Minister, Zeina Akar became the first female to hold this post in the Arab world. She has been also appointed for the post of Deputy PM in the government.

Akar holds Bachelor’s degree in Marketing Management from the Lebanese American University and has 20 years of practical, administrative, and research experience.

Justice Minister

Justice Minister Marie-Claude Najem serves as a professor of law at Saint Joseph University in Beirut, where she directs the Centre for Legal Studies and Research for the Arab World.

She holds Bachelor’s degree in Law, a Postgraduate Diploma in Private Law from the Faculty of Law and Political Science at Saint Joseph University in Beirut, and a Ph.D. in Private International Law in Beirut.

Minister of Information

Minister of Information Manal Abdel-Samad used to be Head of the Legislation and Tax Policies Department in the Directorate of VAT at the Ministry of Finance. Additionally, she has worked as a lecturer at Saint Joseph University in Beirut.

Abdel-Samad holds a Ph.D. in law, which she acquired from the Paris-1 Sorbonne University in 2015; she had excellent grades and received first-in-class honors and a remark of recognition from the examining committee.

Minister of Labor

Minister of Labor Lamia Yammine is an architectural consultant and university professor.

She teaches at the Architecture and Interior Engineering departments of the Lebanese University, specifically the third branch of the Faculty of Fine Arts, since 2002.

Minister of State for the Displaced

Ghada Shreim was picked for Ministry of State for the Displaced. She holds a Ph.D. in French Literature and serves as the Director of the Lebanese University’s Institute of Arts and Humanities – Fourth Branch – where she also teaches.

Minister of Youth and Sports

Minister of Youth and Sports Vartine Ohanian is a Lebanese University Social Sciences graduate. She also holds a Diploma in Project Management from the Haigazian University in Beirut.

Ohanian is the smallest minister in Diab’s government. She is the Director of the Tanusheus Visitor Center for Education and Rehabilitation for Persons with Special Needs.

Source: Al-Manar English Website