Date: Dec 2, 2017
Source: The Daily Star
Lebanese journalist named Arab Woman of the Year
BEIRUT: Veteran Lebanese journalist Raghida Dergham was named Arab Woman of the Year in journalism at a ceremony in London Thursday. Based in New York for Al-Hayat newspaper, Dergham has interviewed more than 10 heads of state throughout her career. She dedicated her award to “every woman in the Arab world who is now breaking the glass ceiling,” as well as to “every journalist that still upholds the ethics of journalism.” The award is designed to celebrate the achievements of Arab women on the international stage, and 2017 marked its third year. The CEO of the London Arabia Organisation, which runs the Arab Women of the Year Awards, said: “The awards aim to promote the achievements of Arab women who have become role models for future generations.” Speaking to The Daily Star, Dergham said she hoped “the award would inspire a whole generation of young women in Lebanon” and that her dedication to journalists came as a result of her being “extremely worried about the state of journalism worldwide.” Asked what was next for her, Dergham said she would be keeping a “heavier foot in Beirut” as she takes up a senior columnist position with the Lebanese daily Al-Joumhouriya and helps with the founding of a Beirut-based think tank called the Beirut Institute. She added that she was “looking forward to contributing to the process of collective thinking in our society.” Dergham said the real celebration of her achievement would come when she returned to Beirut.