Outcome LBN_D_1.1

Enhanced protection for the most vulnerable.

In 2024, over 9,000 women, girls, and persons of diverse SOGIESC and others throughout Lebanon accessed protection services provided through programmes supported by UN Women. Much of these services were provided during the acute escalation of conflict and mass displacement of an estimated 1.2 million people in Lebanon. This support was delivered at a critical time, as women, girls and other marginalized populations face increased risk of violence and exploitation in times of conflict and displacement. These services were delivered prior to and throughout the acute escalation of the conflict that Lebanon witnessed in the last quarter of 2024. In partnership with Amel, Anti-Racist Movement, Arcenciel, Initiate, KAFA, LUPD, MOSAIC and other women-led organizations. UN Women delivered GBV awareness, psychosocial support, case management, psychosocial support, protection cash assistance, referrals to specialized service providers and dignity kits throughout Lebanon, including to Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian populations and other nationalities. The interventions reached marginalized populations at elevated risk of GBV and exploitation and abuse, including socially and economically vulnerable women, women survivors of GBV, women migrant domestic workers and LGBTIQ+ community. Furthermore, 454 staff and social workers (377 women, 77 men) of the Ministry of Social Affairs throughout Lebanon improved their gender responsiveness through training on gender equality, gender-based violence (GBV) and disability inclusion in the context of social work and the implementation of the National Poverty Targeting Programme (NPTP) , Lebanon's first poverty-targeted national social assistance cash programme supported by the World Food Programme (WFP). Self-measured knowledge of these topics increased by 36% (an average of the training subjects), and of the 303 participants who completed the post-training survey, 99% (or 301 respondents) stated the training content was relevant to their professional responsibilities. This training was conducted by UN Women in partnership with the Ministry of Social Affairs and World Food Programme (WFP) as a means to improve the gender and disability inclusion of the national social protection programme.

Enhanced protection for the most vulnerable.

UN Women progressed towards the goal of enhancing protection for the most vulnerable by strengthening political and civil society actors’ ability to advocate for gender equality and women’s empowerment, promoting gender mainstreaming in Lebanon’s national social protection programme, and increasing women and girls’ protection from gender-based violence, and providing channels to report violence against women in the public sphere. Reform of Lebanon’s legal and policy frameworks: UN Women supported Lebanon’s legal and policy frameworks to be more gender responsive by supporting civil society organizations and movements that advocate for gender equality and women’s empowerment, enhancing women’s political participation, and improving gender-responsiveness of national protection programmes. Despite challenges related to the political stalemate in the country, The Feminist Platform, a platform of civil society organizations and activists, enhanced its internal governance and visibility by issuing 11 statements and revising its internal strategy and structure with technical support from UN Women. In December 2023, ten MPs signed on a draft municipal elections law to institute a gender quota. Contributing to this, UN Women, UNDP and UNSCOL continued advocacy efforts for Temporary Special Measures (TSM) and a gender quota, at the level of the Parliament, municipal councils and in political parties. The Ministry of Social Affairs now also has the tools to improve the gender responsiveness and inclusivity of their national social protection programme through the recommendations that UN Women provided to update and gender-mainstream their standard operating procedures. Increasing women and girls’ protection from gender-based violence: In 2023, over 3,368 women throughout Lebanon accessed services to prevent and protect women from gender-based violence (GBV) through UN Women’s programming. The breakdown is as follows: A total of 431 survivors and women at-risk of GBV accessed case management services from UN Women’s protection partners Kafa and the Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering (RDFL). Women received tailored support including psychological therapy (96), legal advice (151), medical forensic reports (37), and protection in shelter (11). An additional 1,605 women increased their knowledge on GBV, PSEA and how to access services when in need through outreach and awareness activities conducted by UN Women’s protection partners. Of these women, 693 are participants in UN Women livelihood programmes. UN Women facilitated this by arranging for its protection partners to work with livelihoods partners to deliver this training to livelihood participants. This was arranged in recognition of the need for comprehensive support to women facing vulnerability, and an example of how UN Women links and networks local organizations working in different sectors with GBV prevention and protection actors. Establishing new channels to report violence against women in the public sphere: Separately, women who face violence in the public sphere are now able to access channels to report violence against women in politics (VAWP) quickly and discreetly through an online application and a hotline managed by partners Kafa and Maharat, through the support of UN Women. The “Nafas” application, which is a mobile-based application managed by Kafa that enables women to report and seek support in case of GBV, will be disseminated through a network of civil society organizations as part of an effort to coordinate and streamline referral channels. The Maharat hotline enables women to report incidents of online violence and threats of violence against women in the public sphere. The information on the prevalence of VAWP, once available, will be leveraged by UN Women to advocate for prevention of VAWP and call for greater accountability.