ARMENIAN INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION
65 Main St., #3A
Watertown, MA 02472
Tel/Fax: 617/926-0171, 781/237-6858
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE – September 27, 2004
Contact: Barbara Merguerian
LEBANON’S FIRST LADY WILL ADDRESS
AIWA’S GENEVA CONFERENCE ON OCTOBER 25
BOSTON – Mrs. Andree Emile Lahoud, First Lady of the Republic of
Lebanon, will be the featured keynote speaker at the 4th International
Conference of the Armenian International Women’s Association, which
will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, on October 24-27, 2004.
Mrs. Lahoud’s address, on the role of women in the Middle East today,
will take place during the opening plenary session of the conference,
scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at the historic Hotel des Bergues,
located on Lake Geneva.
An advocate for women’s rights, Mrs. Lahoud issued a statement last
March on the eve of International Women’s Day calling for legislation
that would guarantee equal rights for women in Lebanon. At the same
time she hosted a forum on “Arab Women and Armed Conflict” in which
she summarized gains made by women in the Middle East in recent years
and called for increased effort to improve the status of women in
all of the Arab states.
The First Lady of Lebanon was born in Beirut of Armenian parentage
(her father was Edouard Armadouny). She studied at the School of
the Franciscan Sisters in Beirut and then enrolled in the Pedagogic
Course at the French Cultural Center, also located in the Lebanese
capital. She is fluent in Arabic, French, and English.
As wife of the President of Lebanon, General Emile Lahoud, the First
Lady has a prominent role. She serves as President of the National
Commission of Lebanese Women, and as Honorary President of several
organizations, including the School for the Blind and Mute in Baabda,
and the Lebanese Federation of Scouts and Guides.
She and her husband have three children: Carine (married to Elias
Michel Murr), Emile Jr., and Ralph.
AIWA’s 4th International Conference will feature presentations and
workshops on a broad array of topics touching on women’s leadership,
economic activities, education, health, social relations, culture,
history, and traditions. In common with the earlier conferences
(London in 1994, Paris in 1997, and Yerevan in 2000), the gathering
will provide an opportunity for participants to meet, network, and
share their ideas with other women from Armenia and all parts of
the diaspora.
A special focus of this AIWA conference will be on the role of women
in diplomacy, international relations, and conflict resolution. A
tour of the United Nations headquarters in Geneva has been scheduled
for Tuesday morning, and speakers from the Human Rights Commission
and other United Nations departments are planned. AIWA has been a
Non-Governmental Organization with the United Nations in New York
for over a decade and serves as a roster member of the Economic and
Social Council.
Lily Ring Balian of Los Angeles is the chair of the Geneva Conference
Committee, and the co-chairs are Barbara J. Merguerian and Joy
Renjilian-Burgy of Boston. Taline Avakian serves as Geneva Coordinator,
and Hermine Janoyan of Los Angeles is serving as the International
Coordinator. AIWA’s president is Suzanne E. Moranian.
AIWA membership and events are open to all who share the association’s
goals. Further information about the Geneva conference is available
by contacting AIWA at 65 Main St., #3A, Watertown, MA, tel/fax:
617/926-0171, e-mail: [email protected]; web: