Our Impact

The May Chidiac Foundation (MCF) hosted the 13th edition of its prestigious annual Media Awards ceremony at Hilton Dubai, Al-Habtoor City, honoring outstanding achievements in journalism and media. Under the blue-and-gold theme, Former Minister and MCF founder May Chidiac opened the event by highlighting the transformative role of Gulf nations in supporting regional engagement and media freedom. She praised Lebanon’s resilience and reaffirmed the foundation’s unwavering commitment to truth, dignity and free expression. The evening recognized influential media figures from across the Arab world and beyond. MBC Group’s Chief Content Officer Ali Jaber received the MCF Special Recognition Award, while The National’s Editor-in-Chief Mina al-Oraibi was honored with the MCF Excellence in Media Award for her leadership and dedication to truth-telling. Other key awardees included Dr. Nabeel al-Khatib for Lifetime Achievement, Sarah Dundarawy for Outstanding Media Performance, Pascale Bourgaux with the Engaged Journalist, and the late Marie Colvin, remembered with the Exceptional Courage in Journalism Award, accepted by her sister, Cathleen Colvin. Innovation in digital media was also spotlighted with the Vision in Content Development Award, presented to the UAE-based platform Blinx. The ceremony featured artistic performances by Ramy Ayach, Guy Manoukian and Manel Mallat, and was directed by Bassem Christo. Founded in 2011, the May Chidiac Foundation – Media Institute continues to empower journalists through education, training and advocacy for press freedom, women's rights and democratic values.

Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh on Monday said that Jordanian and Arab women have left a distinguished mark on their societies over the years. “Women in our area have proven themselves, and have assumed very high positions, and surely left an important mark on their own societies,” Khasawneh said. However, “our societies are still dominated by masculine ideologies that relics from the past,” Khasawneh told the gathering. “We need to put such ideas behind us, and aim to keep empowering women in our societies,” the premier stressed. Khasawneh’s remarks came during the sixth edition of the “Women on the Front Lines Conference (WOFL) — the Middle East North African Region Edition — Jordan 2023”. Khasawneh acted as patron to the event, which was organised by the May Chidiac Foundation (MCF) in Amman. The one-day event saw the participation of HRH Princess Basma Bint Ali, HH Princess Dina Mired, as well as prominent figures in the fields of politics, diplomacy, media, arts, economics and technology. Minister of Government Communications Faisal Shboul presented the official speech on behalf of Khasawneh, and noted that all decisions, legislation and procedures aimed at empowering women to be on the front lines “will not enable them to win the bet if they do not believe in themselves and their abilities”. Read more:  Jordan Times

The “Women on the Frontlines” conference (WOFL) took place in Amman on Monday, May 22, in its sixth edition for the Middle East and North African Region-Jordan, organized by May Chidiac Foundation MCF. The Former Minister of State for Administrative Development in Lebanon and President of MCF, May Chidiac, praised the efforts by the Jordanian Royal Family in enabling and encouraging women’s participation in society. The WOFL conference was attended by members of the Royal family and prominent figures in politics, diplomacy, media, arts, economics, and modern technology. “The WOFL MENA CHAPTER- JORDAN 2023 aims to enable women and to encourage them in their pursuit towards accomplishing sustainable goals that serve the public and societal good in all its dimensions in addition to shedding light on the stories of ladies and young women who have challenged and achieved multiple successes and left their distinguished marks in various sectors,” stated the May Chidiac Foundation in a press release.     The conference included a variety of activities that focused on telecommunications, banking, aviation, and health in addition to interesting panels, with leading women on the role of women in politics and diplomacy, education, artificial intelligence, and ChatGPT and activists. The second part of the conference revolved around a number of panels that focused on women’s excellence in the fields of health, leadership, and activism as well as in the world of art and media. Watch Video About the Conference

May Chidiac Foundation organized the eleventh edition of the annual Journalists Honoring Ceremony at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, in honor of leading journalists, media and intellectuals in the region and the world. A splendid ceremony gathered a crowd of ambassadors, political, media, economic, artistic and social personalities, and a group of friends.  Dr. May Chidiac delivered her opening speech at this ceremony for the first time from Dubai, which she called the Emirate of the Future and the City of Success, "where it is pleasant to live in safety and peace, according to all international indicators!"She saluted Beirut, describing it as the city and capital of creativity. Watch Award

Arab women are being encouraged to tell their stories to break down stereotypes associated with abuse and violence and help empower and inspire younger female generations. The Arab Women of the Year Awards, which is organized by the London Arabia Organization, held a lavish ceremony in the UK capital on Wednesday to recognize and celebrate remarkable achievements made by Arab women during the past year, in the presence of British and Arab royalty, diplomats, ministers, and industry leaders. Dr. May Chidiac, a journalist and former Lebanese minister, received the Achievement in Media Activism Award for her work spanning nearly four decades, and for founding the May Chidiac Foundation Media Institute — a nongovernmental organization dedicated to research and education on media, human rights, democracy, and social welfare issues. There are no set categories for the annual awards and they are selected every year to celebrate outstanding women and their achievements, regardless of their background or chosen field. source: Arab News