Elissa Trad, the First Ever WAGGGS Global Advocacy Champion

Elissa Trad, a TLS scholar, got selected as a Global Advocacy Champion, for the year 2023, with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts to represent the voices of 10 million girls worldwide in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67). Elissa will be able to represent girls’ and young women’s voices and encourage them to speak up fearlessly on everything that concerns women’s rights and gender equality.

Elissa received a prestigious invitation from the Arab Region World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) to be a guest speaker in their first Arab Women’s event, titled “Youth Events” on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. Elissa walked her audience through her experience and highlighted her personal and professional takeaways. These included all the invaluable skills that helped her become a better leader and advocate for gender equality. Moreover, Elissa shared her success stories and motivated and inspired the female leaders in the Arab regions to pursue their passions and ambitions fearlessly. Elissa’s participation in this event demonstrated her commitment to promoting gender equality and empowering young girls and women in the Arab world.

When asked about how the MEPI TLS program influenced her, Elissa explained that her participation in the MEPI TLS Scholarship program played a crucial role in expanding her knowledge and understanding of gender equality issues. The program provided her with access to various workshops, classes, and resources that helped her develop a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by women and girls in Lebanon and globally. As a result, she was able to identify the importance of advocating for gender equality and equal rights and saw the potential impact she could have by raising her voice and being an advocate for change, and promoting the role of men in the mission to create a more equitable world. The program not only opened her eyes to the challenges facing women but also empowered her to take action and make a positive difference.

Elissa’s next step is to work on a project regionally to advance her skills and share her experience with other girls and women in Lebanon, promote gender equality in our country, and take action toward preventing all types of online violence.

We are proud of you Elissa!