A Lebanese teen was awarded the Amal Clooney Scholarship, and will participate in a two-year international baccalaureate program in Armenia, Reuters reported.
Kamar Omary, 16, is the fourth Lebanese teen to receive the prestigious scholarship set up by Lebanese-British human rights attorney Amal Clooney.
The scholarship aims to promote cross-cultural education and social and philanthropic projects, according to a news release.
“This scholarship (gives) young women from Lebanon the opportunity of a lifetime,” Amal Clooney said. “Cross-cultural learning and studying abroad can be transformative.”
Omary will head to the UWC Dilijan College in Dilijan, Armenia for the two-year program. She told Reuters she wants to join in a nationwide effort to combat child marriage and marital rape in Lebanon.
“We need a minimum age for marriage and marital rape should be criminalized,” Omary told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “Sexism and abuse of women and children is still widespread. Women are stigmatized. They are generally seen as weaker than men and we need change.”
Omary also wants to follow in Clooney’s footsteps and help people in need, she added.
“Every single person deserves education, health and security, and most refugees don’t get that here. That is very unfair,” Omary said. “I want to connect with people and listen to them – that is how you trigger change and that is what Amal does. She listens to the people and defends them.”
The scholarship winner is chosen annually based on academic performance and interest in the promotion of human rights and international issues.