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What are the key patterns of gender equality across countries and groups today, and how can we better understand women’s labor force participation, inclusion, and empowerment in both regional and global settings? Fiker Institute’s Gender Equality Program seeks to explore the nuances behind the challenges that women still face around the world today, and to contextualize their political, economic, and social participation, in addition to decolonizing narratives surrounding women in non-Western contexts.
On Leila Nseir: Beyond Social & Artistic Conventions

On Leila Nseir: Beyond Social & Artistic Conventions

Any attempt to sketch an overview of feminist thought in Syrian art today is indebted to Leila Nseir’s thinking and her revolutionary strength. Nseir devoted her life to art, sacrificing her health in the process. Yet, she was never given the credit she deserved within Syria as one of the founding figures of contemporary Syrian art and her work was never properly documented.

Nour Asalia
On Nadia Saikali: Between Aesthetics, Science, & Spirituality

On Nadia Saikali: Between Aesthetics, Science, & Spirituality

Nadia Saikali’s distinct style is a testament to the innate talent of a true creator. Pioneering the field of kinetics in the Arab World, her artistic gestures fused spirituality, aesthetics, and science, driven by an unsatiating impulse to examine truth through art, and art through truth. She introduced the concept of collaborative art in Lebanon’s art consciousness.

On Samia Osseiran Junblat: A Modern Artist in Retrospect

On Samia Osseiran Junblat: A Modern Artist in Retrospect

Samia Osseiran, Lebanese artist and poet, works from intuition, intellect, and an almost existential pursuit of meaning. One of the great female artists of her generation, her oeuvre encompasses a large body of work that is vibrant and diverse; a testimony of perseverance in times of personal as well as regional crises.

Maie El-Hage
On Helen Khal: The Transformative Power of Art

On Helen Khal: The Transformative Power of Art

Helen Khal’s influence on the art world extended beyond her artistic endeavors. Her extensive research documented the overlooked contributions of female artists in Lebanon, paving the way for their participation in the burgeoning art scene in Beirut. Her contributions carry substantial weight, and her legacy continues to inspire artists today.

Lara Arafeh
On Munira Al Kazi: Fragments of Legacy

On Munira Al Kazi: Fragments of Legacy

Painter and printmaker Munira Al Kazi stands out as a prominent figure within the realm of Arab Gulf artists; the first female artist to grace a gallery in Kuwait with an exhibition. Despite enjoying international acclaim, it was through the interconnected relationships within her intimate circle that Munira’s work found its homecoming.

Aseel AlYaqoub
Bint Al Shati’ & the Forgotten Histories of Al-Nahda

Bint Al Shati’ & the Forgotten Histories of Al-Nahda

Characterizing herself with the sobriquet Bint Al Shati’, Aisha Abd Al Rahman is part and parcel of the intellectual Egyptian tapestry of history. Her life encompassed a series of hard-won battles for a young Arab woman seeking an education; a story much neglected in the scholarship on the years of Al-Nahda.

Mariam Elashmawy