Marie Hatem, PhD, is a full professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Montreal. She is dedicated to the cause of women's well-being (adult, adolescent, girl) and empowerment, their health care as a basic human right, as well as gender equality and the reduction and control of violence against women. She advocates for the development of human resources for health (HRH), programs and institutes concerned with women's welfare, as well as for the improvement of the quality of the continuum of reproductive and perinatal health services. She applies her knowledge of HRH management to make available, accessible, and acceptable qualified HRH to accompany women and their families through each stage of their reproductive lives. Her main focus is on the review, development and evaluation of HRH training and practice organization programs.

To contribute to the development of multidisciplinary HRH programs and institutes in French-speaking countries, she founded the Observatory "HYGEIA - Supporting the empowerment of francophone women in health" bringing together various international partners. Professor Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace Prize 2018, patron of HYGEIA invited her to direct ICART, the research center of his Panzi Foundation, which targets the cause of women victims of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Her experience has spanned several countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal, as well as several countries in the Middle East, notably Iraq and Lebanon. Throughout this journey, she touches on the vulnerability of women and female professions in the targeted regions.