Anthony Keedi works as the masculinities technical adviser at Abaad MENA Centre for Gender Equality, an organization based in Beirut, Lebanon. His job consists of overseeing and running all of the offered programs, engaging men in gender equality, studying and researching masculinities, and running other development programs.
Anthony is currently receiving an education in gender studies because he says he feels a “proper feminist education and background” is essential. He is also considering furthering his education to a post-doctorate degree and continuing his research in feminism as he educates more individuals on this important topic. Anthony has been able to express his love for teaching through workshops that Abaad MENA hosts.
“I’m getting a second semester now in gender studies. While I was in the field, I loved it, and I learned so much, and I always felt— especially being the man in this — that I needed a proper feminist education and background. So, it was an awesome opportunity for me to go back and read texts that I had never read before. I’m almost done with that now, and then I’d honestly like to continue with a Ph.D. and continuing research. I love teaching, so our workshops and our training give me a lot of those opportunities. But I think doing that in universities might have more [of an] impact because, again, it would include more regular conversations [on feminism and gender equality],” Anthony said.
Anthony Keedi, Abaad MENA
Anthony’s interactions with indispensable people in his life have shaped him to be who he is today, as his family plays a significant role in his decision to pursue his activism.
“My father was a huge role model, [both] positive and negative because, on so many levels, he is a brilliant, loving man who escaped war here [in Lebanon] and wanted better for his family and to get away from the politics and the patriarchy here.” Anthony said, “At the same time, he was a product of his [own] upbringing in society. So, a lot of the upbringing that I had, in that negative sense, was also from him, but I don’t blame that on him, [since] he grew up in war.”
Anthony’s most admirable characteristics include his willingness to break down gender stereotypes and openness to reflecting on his own former toxic masculinity from his younger age.
“I learn how to not act in the ways I acted through self-control, introspection, being more patient, and forcing myself to be more emotionally expressive. It’s still very hard for me to cry — I’m trying to be strong for everyone. But that means realizing that [I am] being strong for everyone, and it’s okay to display emotion,” Anthony said.
Anthony’s personal experiences and education have inspired him to join Abaad MENA, where he, along with his peers and mentors, has been able to accomplish societal and systematic change.
“We did have a new domestic violence law that passed a few years ago — Lebanese penal code 393 — but there’s still a lot to be desired in the law itself, which doesn’t recognize marital rape,” Anthony stated.
Anthony’s passion has been noticed by many around him as he plays a crucial role in the monumental movement of female empowerment. Still, beyond his own work, he has pushed many others to change for the better.
“We have fatherhood training. We have youth training. We have different types of masculinities training. I love seeing them [asking] questions, some of them being the same questions that I used to have and some being different. I love being able to see that dialogue happen because, as I said, changes on a huge level take a lot of time,” Anthony said.
Finally, he offers one vital piece of advice to tackle the ongoing battle with sexist culture and toxic masculinity.
“[Recognizing] privilege is the hardest thing to do. I think if we could all do that, then we would see some real change, but it’s challenging; it’s almost our biggest enemies: ourselves and our own privilege and power. So, if we can find some way to bypass that, then we’ll see real change in that ideal sense.”