WE4LEAD: a cross-continental endeavor towards gender equality
Panel Discussion
Location: Room 3 :  Salle Touria Chaoui - 25/03/2026, 14:00 - 25/03/2026, 15:30 (CET) (1 hour 30 minutes)

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Session chair: Prof. Hafissatou Kane, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Dakar (Senegal)


Collective contribution

Dr. Carmen Fernández-Montraveta - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid (Spain)

Prof. Clélia Rossi-Arnaud - Sapienza University of Rome, Rome (Italy)

Dr. Hughette Abou Mrad - Antonine University,  Baabda (Lebanon)

Dr. Camille de Garidel-Thoron - Aix-Marseille University, Marseille (France)

Prof. Halima Ouanada - Université Tunis el Manar, Tunis (Tunisia)

 
Persistent issues such as value-driven education and social inequality require responses entrenched in cross-continental collaboration. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Europe and Africa must step up to build partnerships that bridge any existent divides. The WE4LEAD project (March 2023-April 2026), rooted on the Téthys network, brings together nine universities from Europe (Aix-Marseille Université, amU, FR; Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, UAM, ES; Sapienza Università di Roma, SUR, IT), Africa (Université Frères Mentouri Constantine 1, UC1, DZ; Université Constantine 3 Salah Boubdiner, UC3, DZ; Université Tunis el Manar, UTM, TN; Université de Sousse, US, TN), and West Asia (Université Libanaise, UL, LB; Antonine University, UA, LB) 


In partnership with the Réseau Francophone des Femmes Responsables dans l’Enseignement Supérieur et la Recherche (RESUFF). Its goal is to transform the governance of Mediterranean HEIs by promoting a culture of gender equality. 
Over the past three years, the consortium has collectively advanced by taking a firm political stance and institutionalizing gender equality policies in their universities, through concrete actions such as: collecting gendered data; increasing decision-makers’ awareness of the existence and causes of gender inequality; creating a political framework to support gender equality; instituting training widely shown to reduce gender bias in recruitment decisions; and improving awareness of gender-based harassment and how to address it. 
Through sustained collaboration and mutual learning, the project has succeeded in implementing policies that promote the full participation of women in university governance. 
This Panel will present these advances together with the tools and methodologies developed, while opening a space for dialogue on lessons learned and strategies transferable to other HEIs. 
The discussion will focus on how to sustain political commitment, engage decision-makers more effectively, and foster inclusive governance across the Mediterranean region.


Questions for the audience


  • How could we sustain political commitment with gender equality? 
  • Which are your local experiences on fighting against barriers to women promotion? 
  • How could we foster effective decision-makers engagement in gender equality policies? 
  • How could we promote inclusive governance across the Mediterranean region? 
  • How could we broaden the effectiveness of locally-proven solutions?

Africa Charter for Transformative 
Research Collaboration