The Journey of change - How first civil marriage happens in Lebanon. Kholoud Sukkarieh is an English teacher, mother and social activist works hard during her journey in Lebanon and Sweden to establish her independence physically and emotionally. She experienced social and traditional norms in her home country and broke them all to create new life style in her own area. she believes in humanity, gender equality and independence for women. She was active in several international organization activities like AMIDEAST, USAID, British Council and Public Achievement in the middle east to help women and empower them to stand up for themselves. She is the first woman in Lebanon who achieved first civil marriage, that becomes constitutional revolution in Lebanon and that’s why she moved to Sweden to be able to continue her activities. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx