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The First Middle Eastern Mother selected for Mrs. Mounira El-Solh founder of The Al-Amal Institute for the Disabled pioneered the development of the mental health field in the Middle East. Simultaneously, she established herself as a leader in the Woman’s Liberation Movement in the 20th century, and she continues to be actively involved in this movement to date. Mrs. Solh was born in 1911 in Greater Syria and was educated at the Lebanese American University of Beirut (1933). She is a widow of Martyr Wahid El-Solh (1958) and the mother of Salim (born mentally handicapped), Sana and Nassib. The Al-Amal Institute, founded in 1959, was the first center in the Middle East for the mentally challenged. Later in 1961 Mrs. Solh succeeded in persuading the government to start the “Department of Mental Health” in the Ministry of Social Affairs. Moreover, she was the first woman in the Arab world to run for parliament elections (1960 , 64 & 68). She is the recipient of numerous, prestigious awards, both locally and internationally. The most revered award is “ The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Mother’s Leadership Award ” awarded recently on August 2, 2000. The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Mother’s Leadership Award 2000-2005: Presented to a mother of a child with mental retardation who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and long standing commitment to the development and improvement of services, advocacy ,or public policy on behalf of her son or daughter or others with mental retardation. Mounira El-Solh of Lebanon is a mother of a son with mental retardation. She has been a pioneer for over 50 years in Lebanon and the M.E in establishing specialized services for the mentally challenged. Furthermore, she has brought these individuals into public consciousness and has promoted their contribution to society. |