The October 17, 2019 “Revolution” changed everything in Lebanon. Even though the sectarian system is still in place and the political elites in power, the barrier of fear and blind allegiance has been broken. Most sectors of Lebanese society rose up in defiance of the status quo, from all religions, districts, and socio-economic backgrounds. And the women took the lead, from marching to barricading to mobilizing to activating. As the Lebanese called for reform, accountability, anti-corruption, and justice, issues related to women’s rights climbed to the fore. My presentation will focus on the role of a university in the Arab Middle East during times of social upheaval, and the critical importance of international funding to foreground gender equity in the strive for democratization in the region. The Lebanese American University has actively sought international funding over the years to strengthen educational, community engagement, internship and activism programming across Lebanon and the MENA region, programming that has specifically addressed and impacted the economic, political and social status of women. The MEPI Tomorrow’s Leaders Undergraduate and Graduate grants, for example, provide full scholarships for MENA students to pursue degrees in multiple programs, including Gender Studies. Each of the academic programs is required to include coursework, experiential learning and capstone projects that address gender issues. The USAID scholarship program (USP and HES) primarily for public school students, including refugees, has benefitted females at almost twice the rate of males. LAU’s Arab Institute for Women, AiW, actively seeks funding from UN Agencies, USAID, MEPI, foreign embassies and the EU to support gender-related projects in the region, including in women’s prisons, with domestic workers, and gender-based violence training for law enforcement personnel. Without international resources to amplify women’s agency, only a fraction of what has been achieved would have been possible. Moreover during these critical times when so many are rising up against religious patriarchy and sectarian elitism, the time is right to invest in the most pressing movement of our era, that of gender equity in the MENA region.