Al-Marayati, who was one of five recipients of CSUN's Women's Studies Department's Phenomenal Woman Award last year, is giving CSUN's Fourth Phenomenal Woman Distinguished Lecture at 7 p.m. in the Grand Salon of the University Student Union on the east side of the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge.

"She is a medical doctor in Los Angeles and a champion of women's rights and peace in the Middle East," said Marta Lopez-Garza, chair of the Women's Studies Department, which conveys the Phenomenal Woman Award every two years. "When she spoke last year upon receiving her award, she had an uncanny ability to wrap all those issues together--the struggles in the Middle East as well as those of her patients here in L.A.--into a very powerful political and social message. I suspect her presentation later this month will be equally stimulating and thought provoking."

Every two years, the university recognizes five women for the marks they have left on the world with a "Phenomenal Woman Award." The award gets its name from Maya Angelou's poem, "Phenomenal Women," which points out the strengths, abilities and integrity of women. In the interim years, the Women's Studies Department invites some of the award winners to speak as part of its Phenomenal Woman Distinguished Lecture series.

Al-Marayati is director of obstetrics and gynecology for California Family Care at California Hospital Medical Center, a staff physician at Northeast Valley Health Center. A founder of the Muslim Women's League, she regularly writes and talks about issues of concern of Muslim women, including women's rights under Islam, reproductive health and sexuality, stereotyping and violence against women.

Her talk on Oct. 24 is free and open to the public. The public is also invited to a reception at 6 p.m., prior to her presentation, in the Grand Salon.