ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2021
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. In 2021, over 25,000 young leaders on 2,000+ campuses across 153 nations applied to join the Class of 2021. 136 campuses worldwide (just 6%) were selected to host the 2,000+ Millennium Fellows. The Class of 2021 is bold, innovative, and inclusive.
UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT PERLA KHALED, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2021.
Lebanese American University | Byblos, Lebanon | Advancing SDG 5 & UNAI 2
" I deeply believe in our capability of making a change, and I am committed to fighting for a world of kindness and equal opportunities. Through the Millennium Fellowship, I am excited to expand my skills and be better equipped to take on initiatives that will allow me to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals and make a social impact. "
Millennium Fellowship Project: One Leap at a Time
One Leap at a Time, initiated by Millennium Fellows Elodie Khederlarian, Gaia Bchara, Perla Khaled, and Nareg Mesrobian, is an independent project aiming to tackle the barriers that women face in the workplace. Women still suffer from severe underrepresentation in a number of professions, let alone pay gaps, the motherhood penalty, unfair maternity leaves, and glass ceilings that obstruct promotions into high-level positions. This plight is exacerbated by the monetary collapse and ever-present political instability that remain rampant in Lebanon, forcing more women to play the roles of both caregivers and breadwinners. We believe that the rebuilding and recovery process must include women at its helm. As such, throughout the duration of the Millennium Fellowship, One Leap at a Time will strive to raise awareness regarding these topics as they tend to be left out of most discussions. This project aims to assess the legal, cultural, and economic frameworks Lebanese women must reckon with to advance gender equality in the workforce. Accordingly, One Leap at a Time hopes to formulate and advance potential practical proposals to challenge the existing barriers. We also aim to host diverse events on our campus - and potentially on a larger scale - that highlight the severity of the issue and call for collective action. Gender equality is key to a successfully developed community, and valuing the contribution of women in the workplace constitutes an indispensable component towards the fight for equal rights. Together we can make a change, one leap at a time.
About the Millennium Fellow
Perla Khaled is a motivated political science/international affairs student minoring in multimedia journalism and legal studies at the Lebanese American University. Perla’s interests include international law, media studies, female empowerment, and development studies. Throughout the past few years, she has enrolled in numerous programs and organizations that have allowed her to foster her leadership skills and philanthropic values.
Having been born and raised in Lebanon, she continuously aspires to fight for freedom, equality, and a better future. She is constantly seeking opportunities that would help her grow and create positive change in her community.