Dr. Leila Sharaf boasts a notable array of political achievements. She made history as Jordan’s inaugural Minister of Culture and Information in 1984, later becoming the first Jordanian Minister to resign in nearly three decades. Her resignation was a principled stand against restrictive press laws and the encroachment of tribalism in society. In 1989, she broke new ground as the first female member of the Jordanian Senate. Born in Beirut in 1940 to Jordanian-Lebanese heritage, Sharaf demonstrated a fervent commitment to her political ideals from an early age. Her career path included roles at Lebanon TV's News Department, and leadership positions at Philadelphia University and the Palestine International Institution. Notably, she has held esteemed positions such as the Board of Directors of the American Society for Public Education and Training in the Middle East and the Advisory Committee for Theater under the Ministry of Culture. Sharaf, a distinguished graduate of the American University of Beirut with both BA and MA degrees in Literature, also serves as President of the Islamic Cultural Society in New York and as a Founding Member of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation in Jordan.