Edvick Jureidini Shayboub

She was born in Choueifat and attended The National College of Choueifat for her high school education.[1] Her maternal grandmother attended the American School for Girls around 80 years earlier and was one of the few women to receive an education above elementary school in the era.[2]

Jureidini was educated at the National College of Choueifat, which she graduated from in 1932. Faced with financial challenges and considered an excellent student, she was granted a partial scholarship for her tuition in the Beirut College and she enrolled in October 1932. She studied Arabic literature and social studies, as well as the Arabic language. She graduated with an A.A. degree from her sophomore class in June 1934.[3][4]

After earning her college degree, she took a teaching job in a secondary school in Basra, Iraq. Jureidini taught Arabic in Iraq for four years in Basra and three more in Baghdad (1934-1941).[3][5] While in Iraq, she met engineer Toufic Jureidini whom she married in 1940. He was killed in 1944, leaving behind two children, Sana and Sarmad. With the help of Shukri Chammas (her husband's boss at work) she founded a kindergarten in partnership with the Lebanese Women's University. After two years, she left to begin working in journalism.[3]

In 1941, Jureidini stopped teaching and got married to Toufic Jureidini, an engineer.[3] Jureidini was from Tripoli, which is where they settled and gave birth to a son, Sarmad (1942), and a daughter, Sana (1943).[3] However, in 1944 Jureidini was killed.[6]

All of Jureidini's academic and non-academic talents, coupled with her previous experiences, paved the way for her to pursue a career in radio and journalism, making her one of the female pioneers in this field. She began by tackling topics such as sociological problems and childcare with the governmental radio. Simultaneously, Jureidini wrote for "The Voice of Women" Saout El-Mar’a, which was the only women's magazine in Lebanon back in the time, and her accomplishments earned her the Secretary Editor position in 1948, amplifying the voice of women and inspiring many to follow into her footsteps in journalism.[7][8]

In 1949, Jureidini got a scholarship to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in Arabic and journalism at the American University of Beirut, which she graduated from in 1951 with distinction.[3][7][8]

Afterwards, she became Chief Editor of "Voice of Women" Saout El-Mar’a in 1951, which she headed up until 1956 when the magazine's ceased operation.[3][7][8][9][10]

She began working in journalism in 1947 where she presented the daily news, in addition to daily shows about women for 30 years.[3] After working with Radio Lebanon since 1947, she became a permanent worker in 1953. Her shows received international and local praise. At the same time, Jureidini was participating with the Near East Arab Broadcasting Station in giving talks, book reviews, and panel discussions.[11]

Ever since the foundation of the literary society Friends of the Book in 1950, Jureidini became an engaged associate. She was also part of the Children's Books Committee for Franklin Publications.[11][12]

In 1957, Jureidini stopped delivering the daily news and committed to the women's program "The Home World" Dunia Al-Bait, which she presented for fifteen minutes daily, tackling all sorts of topics related to women's sociology, health, education, beauty, love, and marriage, rendering it a very popular show.[11]

Moreover, Jureidini was also involved with the Voice of America and the British Broadcasting Corporation for which she regularly wrote programs, book criticisms, debates, and talks.[11]

All the more, in January 1960, Jureidini was allotted the position of Chief Editor for a phenomenal monthly Arabic women's magazine, "The World of Women" Dunia Al-Mar’a up until 1966. In the time of Jureidini, most magazines witnessed exemplary activism in fighting for women's rights, not only in Lebanon but also in other Arab regions.[9][11]

For a month, in 1962, she Hosted the British Women's Council and appeared in the London Times magazine as one of the most important figures to have visited Britain that year.[3]

In 1961, she took charge of the committee for radio and television of Lebanon in the International Council of Women.

In 1968, she was invited by the American government with the "Female Organization in Journalism and Television", where she spoke about Lebanon and the Lebanese women and society.[3]

After being an active participant in the Association of Lebanese Women University, Jureidini was appointed chairwomen of the Press Committee from 1958 to 1961, after which she represented the New Council for the National Council of Lebanese women.[3][13]

In 1966, Jureidini alongside five other delegates represented Lebanon and the Lebanese Council of Women in many global conferences, such as "International Council of Women" in Teheran.[7] Because of her wide journalistic presence, she represented the Committee for Radio and Television, Press and Public Relations. Then, she was elected for the board of the Lebanese Council of Women as a national correspondent for 9 consecutive years and as the vice president of the Committee for Radio and Television, Press, and Public Relations in the International Council of Women.[13]

Jureidini was additionally involved in several organizations, such as Alma Mater B.C.W to give educational discussions related to women's issues, especially regarding the younger generation.[13]

Doctor Charl Rizk, the general director of the Ministry of Journalism gave her a medal of honor in 1968 and said: "Edvick Jureidini, with her radio programs about women, has entered every home and she was a school".[3]

In 1969, Jureidini attained a master's degree in literature from the American University in Beirut, while her son graduated as a civil engineer in the same year and her daughter pursued interior design.[14][13]

Below is a list of Jureidini's activism roles and involvements before the year 1975:

• Responsible for media in the Lebanese Women's Council[19]
• Active member of the Association of Lebanese University Women[19]
• Chair of the press committee from 1958 to 1961[20]
• Member of Friends of the book, a literary society, since its establishment in 1950, and a member of the Children's Books Committee for Franklin publications[19]
• The head of the library committee of Najla Saab, which opened in 1974 in memory of the President of the Women's Council. The library is a reference for researchers on women's literature and women's movements around the world, in Arabic, French, and English.[7][14]
• President of the Association for the Promotion of Arts in Lebanon.[14]
• Head of the Sexual Education Committee at the Family Organization Association in Lebanon.[14]
• Public Relations Officer at Al Tadamun Education Foundation, which offered loans without interest for Lebanese university students.[14]
• Representative of the Family Organizing Association in Lebanon in the International Seminar on Sexology, which was held in Stockholm at the invitation of the Swedish Association for Sexual Education in 1981.[14]
• Represented the Lebanese Women's Council in the Tunisian Women's Union Conference in 1960.[14]
• Represented the Lebanese Women's Council at the seminar called by the Sudanese Women's Union in Khartoum in 1974.[7][14]
• Participated with the delegation of the Lebanese Women's Council to the conferences of the International Women's Council, including the conference held in Tehran 1966 and the conference held in Bangkok 1970, where she was elected Vice President of the Media Committee of the International Women's Council.[7][14]
• Alone from the Middle East, she was invited to the First International Conference on Women in Radio and Television, which was held in London in 1969.[14]

In recognition of her services of over 35 years, she was granted by the Lebanese government:

• The Golden Honorary Medal 1958.[9][14]
• The Gold Medal of the Cedars granted to her by the Lebanese government in recognition of her courageous work in the radio during the 1958 crisis in Lebanon.[7][14]
• Medal of Virtue and Honor – for her endurance on the radio amid the accidents of 1985.[14]
• Medal of the Cedar (Night rank) in 1968 in the era of Charles Helou, (Officer rank)1985 in the era of Amin Jamael, and (Commander rank) which was awarded in 2003 after her death.[9][14]
• The President's prize in 1984 in honor of her literary contributions.[14]