A Gender in Crisis Report by the National Coordinator of the global CAFI Project in Lebanon
Table of Contents
Objective of this Gender in Crisis Analysis
Lebanon: An Environment of Crisis
Gaps, Challenges & Priorities in GBV Response
WLO IN CRISIS: EXPERIENCES & CHALLENGES
Acknowledgements
This report was led by Himaya Daeem Aataa. We extend our sincere gratitude to all individuals and organizations whose contributions made this gender in gender crisis analysis report possible.
Special thanks to the consultants: Chantal BouAkl and Rita Chemaly. Their invaluable insights, expertise, and support have enriched this report and strengthened our understanding of gender dynamics in Lebanon Context. A special thanks for Holly Robinson from the Gender in Emergencies Group for her support and for taking care of the editing of the report.
A very special thanks to CARE Deutschland e.V. and the German Federal Foreign OfficeDE who provided the full support for this study as a part of CAFI II, which made this report possible.
Finally, extensive gratitude to all of the WLO from the CAFI II network for their time, inputs and support.
Crisis in Lebanon:
The Voices of Women-Led Organizations
INTRODUCTION
Since 2019, Lebanon has been experiencing a multi-faceted social, economic, institutional, political, and economic crisis that has severely impacted the lives of the population.
The economic crisis, characterized by currency devaluation, hyperinflation, widespread unemployment, and a massive flux of emigration of Lebanese youth, has been further exacerbated by the social and economic impacts of COVID-19, as well as the explosion in the Port of Beirut in 2020.
This multi-level crisis has decimated public services, exacerbated social inequalities, and has exponentially increased the risks and challenges facing marginalized and vulnerable populations. Women and girls, particularly those from marginalized groups, face heightened risks of gender-based violence (GBV) due to increased economic hardship, a lack of proper implementation of GBV protection public policies, a lack of accountability for perpetrators, and the lack of social support networks.
The socio-economic crisis has also worsened due to the political and institutional vacuum and void. This political instability and the proliferation of armed groups and the militarization of society further exacerbates the risk of violence against women and girls.
After the outbreak of conflict in Gaza in October 2023, the situation has further diminished in Lebanon, who hosts a very large refugee population (both Palestinian and Syrian, as well as from Iraq, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt). The southern regions bordering Gaza have been directly impacted and have also experienced high levels of displacement. The tepid growth that had been projected in the economy has since retracted, and there is significant direct impact in Southern Lebanon, compounding the pre-existing crises. [1] Various NGOs and CSOs, as well as UN and INGOs, have changed their plans according to the crisis, with various international and national monitors assessing “the impact of the current conflict and its spill over on Lebanon’s economy and its growth prospects amid a prolonged political and institutional vacuum”[2].
With the continuing conflict in Gaza, there is an important risk of an exacerbation or escalation of conflict between Lebanon and Israel. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 82,012 people have been displaced since the war began in October from South Lebanon.[3] The influx of displaced persons from southern regions will increase the risk of GBV for displaced women and girls due to the increase in overcrowded common shelters and a lack of access to basic resources. Additionally, the economic crisis that is impacting Lebanon is exponentially increasing pressure on families and communities, increasing GBV risks and all kinds of violence against women and girls.
Furthermore, recent movements around the Middle East demonstrate a broader trend of push-back against gender equality wins and a shift towards conservatism, extending into the formal ban of the use of the word “gender” in Iraq under a directive from the Communications and Media Commission. This backlash has ramifications for the work of activists, academics, NGOs, and WLOs, particularly those focused on gender-related programming, advocacy, and activism. It is a disturbing reflection of the very real threat to reversal of any progress towards gender equality in the region. The shrinking and increasingly small civil space and frequent violent threats to individuals and organizations working in the space make GBV response and prevention work, which is already fraught with challenges, considerably more precarious.
In this context, civil society organizations (CSO), particularly those active at the grassroots level, are playing an essential role to provide services to communities affected by the multi-layered socio-economic crisis. These services range from legal aid clinics, psychosocial support, shelters for GBV survivors, training and raising awareness, campaigns on human rights, and discrimination facing vulnerable and marginalized populations. These CSOs are also active in the fields of advocacy and lead awareness activities, capacity development, coordination, networking, and research. Women-Led Organizations (WLOs) and Women’s Rights Organizations (WROs) play a foundational role amongst CSO on the front-line of service response provision in the crisis.
Objective of this Gender in Crisis Analysis
This gender in crisis analysis focuses on presenting the perspectives of WLOs who form a part of the Call to Action Field Implementation II (CAFI II) project in Lebanon. The objective is to amplify the voices of WLOs addressing GBV in Lebanon amidst the current multifaceted crisis. This report captures their experiences, expertise, and priorities, identifying and highlighting the gaps and challenges not only in GBV response programming, but also faced by local WLOs in Lebanon during the implementation their work.
CAFI II
The Call to Action Field Implementation II (CAFI II) project seeks to catalyze the Call to Action on Protection from Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies on the ground. The project works with WLOs to drive change and foster GBV prevention, risk mitigation, and response in humanitarian emergencies. The CAFI network in Lebanon includes 17 partners, distributed between national and local NGOs, as well as an academic institution, with a scope of work across their portfolio that encompasses a variety of interventions, including humanitarian response, service provision for GBV survivors, legal aid, psychosocial support, access to healthcare, and provision of hygiene kits. Their activities also include advocacy and awareness on issues pertaining to women’s rights, women’s political participation, and legal services.
Methodology
This gender in crisis analysis used a participatory, inclusive and gender-sensitive approach to gather inputs from multiple stakeholders that are part of the CAFI II program, led by Himaya Daeem Aataa (HDA).
The findings and analysis from this report have been extracted from a larger review that was conducted by consultants Chantal BouAkl and Rita Chemaly as a part of CAFI II that was looking more broadly at gendered experiences and realities in Lebanon as shared through the voices of WLO.
The data collection phase was short[4], and included key informant interviews (KIIs) with 7 staff from 7 organizations who are a part of CAFI II.[5] Additionally, 2 Focus Group Discussions (FGD) took place with 16 participants from these same 7 organizations. The KIIs were conducted with various WLO representatives selected from all regions of Lebanon to ensure national coverage.
Following the data collection, analysis and drafting, the draft report was then shared with the entire CAFI II network, requesting their review, inputs, and response, to ensure the findings were reflective of the views and experiences of WLOs. Their additions, amendments and suggestions were then implemented into the final report.
Lebanon: An Environment of Crisis
An analysis of the challenges and experiences facing WLOs in Lebanon cannot be complete without an understanding of the political and socio-economic context within which they are working.
Began in 2019, Lebanon’s financial crisis represents one of the worst in the world, in which the Lebanese currency has lost over 98% of its value from pre-crisis.[6] This persistent and protracted economic crisis has had dramatic impact on the public service system such as health care, with extensive shortages on fuel and electricity, and severe disruptions in the supply across all domains of life including food, water, and transport.
The dysfunctional system, understood as the obstruction of the institutions, the stagnation of the legislation process, the lack of political vision at the governmental level, the failure to implement necessary reforms to protect, respect and implement human rights, in particular women’s and vulnerable population, has created a void that filled by CSO. The political void has resulted in a collapsed public service, leaving a huge vacuum for CSO to fill in the provision of services to a community with extensive need.
At the political level, the deterioration of public administration and the lack of public policies pertaining to women’s rights, GBV protection, and accountability of the perpetrators, has exacerbated the precariousness and risk of women’s situation at all levels.
At the socio-economic level, the society is facing a risk of disintegration with the erosion of social instability due to the economic crisis and the inability of the population (citizens and residents) to have access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and social protection, exacerbating vulnerabilities and deepening inequalities within the Lebanese society.
In addition to the socio-economic crisis, persistent Israeli attacks on Lebanon have displaced thousands of civilians, and there is no public action plan to ensure the safety of the displaced. In these conditions, violence against women and other vulnerable populations increases as a result of displacement in overcrowded shelters, and the increased strain on families and the community. In the absence of a clear and serious public intervention, CSOs are encouraged to work together to fill the gaps, and ensure a quick and efficient response.
CSOs in the Lebanese context face multiple challenges that affect their sustainability such as changing donor policies and support, problems related to sustaining their programs in certain regions or at the completion of funding, the current political and socio-economic crisis that affect them directly in the services they offer and their structure, and the lack of coordination amongst and with other organizations. All these challenges impact their capacity to be prepared and to respond effectively to emergencies.
In the following sections, the findings of the analysis will be presented. Firstly, an overview of some basic but critical gender data is offered to lay the foundations of the pre-existing and arising gendered dynamics, inequities and realities within Lebanon. Following this, some core messaging around the priorities and perspectives of WLOs on the gaps and challenges in GBV response programming will be shared. Finally, the challenges and experiences of WLO as critical first responders will be extrapolated on. In conclusion, a core set of recommendations, as devised by WLO, will be shared.
GENDER & GBV IN LEBANON
Gender dynamics in Lebanon are characterized by traditional, religious and patriarchal dynamics marked by extensive gender inequality. It ranks 145 out of 153 on the Global Gender Gap Report, reflective of the large disparity across the lives of men and women.
This inequality is rooted in a variety of complex, intermixed social, religious, cultural, and historical factors, including a history of sectarianism and conflict, through which the emphasis of a very patriarchal identity of masculinity is reinforced.
GBV remains a pervasive issue in Lebanon, which is exacerbated by the ongoing, multi-faceted economic and political crises, including intimate partner violence, sexual violence, child marriage, sexual exploitation, and harassment. Whilst this is a widespread problem across Lebanon, particular groups such as migrant workers, refugees, adolescent girls, and women and girls of various sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) face additional risks.
Whilst legal progress may have been seen in the domestic violence law (293/2014), the implementation of the law and its legal protections remains limited, and the 15 religion-based personal status laws which preside over personal status laws, determine the rights and privileges of men and women, often violating the rights of women.
Amidst the crisis, women are bearing the brunt of the impacts – including an increased burden of unpaid household labor, increasing economic restrictions and exclusions, greater levels of food insecurity and poverty, and the increased risks of violence and GBV.[7] This burden and risk increases when an intersectional approach is considered, taking into account the class, migrant status, ethnicity, education level, or nationality of women affected in Lebanon.
Gaps, Challenges & Priorities in GBV Response
According to WLOs working on the frontline of GBV response in Lebanon, the situation is dire, and the response is under extreme pressure.
Deep-rooted social norms and cultural attitudes perpetuate GBV and hinder prevention efforts. Barriers to reporting and accessing support services, such as fear of stigma, discrimination, or retaliation are strong, and potentially increasing under increasingly traditionalist leadership. There are weak legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable and ensure justice for survivors.
GBV survivors have limited access to comprehensive support services, including to healthcare, legal assistance, and counselling. There is insufficient data collection and analysis to understand the scope and impact of GBV, and an inadequate representation and participation of marginalized groups in GBV prevention and response efforts.
Intersectional discrimination is widespread, and there is a lack of tailored interventions for specific communities, such as LGBTQI+ individuals, migrants and refugees, the elderly, disabled, and indigenous populations.
Within the interviews, WLOs highlighted several areas of concern:
- Need for a more intersectional approach
WLOs report that GBV response is currently challenged to provide an intersectional response, particularly with being able to diversify and adapt programming and response to meet the specific needs of people living with a disability, the elderly, and the LGBTQI+ community. Due to backlash, and stigma, it is difficult to provide explicit services to people with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) due to the risks it poses.
- Increased need for services and support to the elderly
Several WLOs highlighted their interest in expanding their work to meet the specific needs of the elderly, who are one of the most affected by the compounded crises, and who are an increasingly larger proportion of the population. This group is often excluded due to a lack of digital familiarity and therefore access to online information, and a lack of access to affordable transport to access services provided by CSOs or NGOs. WLO shared their desire to prepare for the anticipated demographic shifts to be prepared to expand their work to be tailored to meet the specific needs of this vulnerable group.
- Lack of GBV services for people living with disabilities
WLOs also highlighted that there is a lack of specialized or accessible services for people with disabilities. However, without funding, despite recognizing the needs, WLOs are struggling to adapt or tailor their work to facilitate access. For example, one WLO shared: “We are limited in the services we offer for people with disabilities, even though they are the most vulnerable during emergencies, because the lack of electricity, and [therefore] elevators are not always working, hindering the access to the facilities and the services provided for people with disabilities”. This is also an issue that has also been identified at the national level.
- GBV services require mainstreaming
Mainstreaming GBV prevention, mitigation and response into the overall programming remains a challenge. Budget lines are not consistently included to ensure that GBV is included within programming, and it can often still be seen as an “add-on” rather than as the core, lifesaving, basic need that it is.
- Lack of Legal Protection from GBV & Challenges to Fund Legal Services
The religious diversity in Lebanon led, since the creation of the “Grand Liban”, to the adoption of 15 personal status laws. These laws, which govern the marriage and its consequences (e.g. annulment of marriage, divorce, custody, paternal authority) are implemented by 15 religious courts. Under these laws, women face systemic discrimination caused by discriminatory laws, gender stereotyping, the patriarchal culture that reinforces stereotyping images, discrimination and violence against women and failure to ensure that judicial mechanisms are physically, economically, socially, and culturally accessible to all women.[8]
The legal system in Lebanon, both at the civil and religious levels, discriminates against women. Many WLO partners in the CAFI project highlighted the laws impacting women and the lack of legal protection from GBV.
The deterioration of the national currency, inflation, and increases in taxes and judicial fees have also had a detrimental effect on women’s access to justice and the ability of NGOs/ WLOs to represent the defence of women before courts. According to KIIs, the main obstacle to justice for women survivors of GBV is the growing expense of judicial and para-judicial fees. This includes the associated inhibitive pricing of DNA tests and “stamps,” in addition to the fees imposed by both state and religious courts, exacerbated by the current crisis.
WLOs report that the legislation intended to support or protect women are not being implemented. For instance, the fund established by law 293/2014, intended to assist survivors of GBV, is ineffectual in its application, making it difficult for many GBV survivors to receive the support envisioned by the law. WLOs emphasized the crucial necessity of implementing current laws to be able to transform “the approach of addressing GBV within humanitarian response”.
- Services require localization
WLOs aimed to draw attention to the need for additional localization of service provision and implementation. It currently can remain out of reach for users, further hindered by the price of transportation and the absence of funding to help users to access services.
WLO IN CRISIS: EXPERIENCES & CHALLENGES
WLOs in Lebanon working at the frontline of GBV response and prevention are operating in a very difficult working environment. Facing limited resources and instable funding, these constraints are further exacerbated during crises, when the demand for their services increase, and yet the funding is often decreasing or overstretched. The system’s ability to meet the growing demands and needs, through the overall infrastructure, legal system, service provision and humanitarian response, is severely strained as a result. Due to increasing levels of GBV during crises, this causes additional strain on WLO’s capacity to provide support and services to survivors.
Within this difficult context, WLOs shared several issues defining their experience and ability to deliver on their mandates:
- Difficulties in preparation & inclusion
Supporting municipalities to be prepared to intervene and provide GBV response when crises emerge was a major difficulty that WLOs had in common. Whilst some WLOs were working to create social networks or safe spaces for women or youth to support participation and decision-making in political and decision-making processes, the collaboration with municipalities can be difficult. Social norms and patriarchal structures pose additional challenges to effective partnerships.
- Safety Risks
Women activists and leaders within WLOs are reporting facing heightened risks and concerns, feeling more vulnerable to security threats during the crisis. This includes threat of harassment and violence from various actors due to the focus of their work in being seen to threaten established ideas of power, and the backlash against ideas of gender, and movement towards increasing religious traditionalism.
- Access constraints
WLOs report facing constraints in access and coverage, largely reflective of a struggle to reach those in need to provide essential services due to the high costs of travel, and insufficient budget to support the expansion of their work.
- Lack of use of SADD and gendered analysis
Discussions in the research highlighted that sex and age disaggregated data (SADD) and gendered analysis is not used consistently to inform response. Whether in times of crisis or not, WLOs are providing services mainly to women and girls, without necessarily applying a gendered lens. As often all beneficiaries within their focus of work are female, further refinement of vulnerability criteria is not always applied. This is reported to be due to a lack of both capacity and resources (both financial and human resources). This gap has follow-on implications, whereby it contributes to a difficulty to secure funding because their design may lack contextualization or the required data to be eligible or competitive.[9]
- Limitations to expand work to vulnerable groups due to funding gaps
Due to financial limitations and a mostly project-based funding structure, WLOs face constraints in extending their services to meet the specific needs of vulnerable groups, even when such expansion has been identified as necessary (for example, as is the case with the elderly, as noted earlier). WLOs indicate they rarely have access to resources for adapting programming. This results in major gaps in addressing the specific needs of vulnerable and marginalized communities.
- Lack of sustainable, long-term funding
The most significant challenge in ensuring sustainable service provision to safeguard the security and well-being of beneficiaries and rights holders (such as in the case management process) was the lack of sustainable, long-term funding. This leads to the inability to maintain services over time, directly impacting WLOs ability to expand the coverage of their services to new and vulnerable communities.
- Funding for legal aid services
As was previously seen, obtaining legal justice for GBV survivors is riddled with challenge. WLOs expressly state difficulties in sourcing funding to support this work, including legal aid and representation costs.
- Lack of indirect costs
Smaller NGOs often face funding options with either no or an insignificant provision of indirect costs within budget allocations, which cannot support sustainability of either their structures, or their services and work – therefore impacting the sustainability overall of GBV response work.
- Barriers to Engagement and Representation in Humanitarian System
Despite the significant role that WLOs are playing in responding to the multifaceted crises in Lebanon, they report challenges in navigating complex coordination mechanisms and ensuring that the voices and priorities of women and marginalized groups are adequately represented and addressed.
This was shared to be largely due to a few core barriers: language barriers, a lack of clear and transparent communication leading to a lack of awareness around where and when to attend meetings.
They report that there have been promising changes and progress in the inclusion and engagement with WLOs, however barriers remain. This also includes the challenge of attending coordination meetings with minimal human resources due to a lack of funding.
As humanitarian funds are shrinking, smaller WLOs also report feeling pressure and additional barriers, as donors appear to prefer to consistently work with the same, often larger WLOs, who are increasingly absorbing larger proportions of funding. The due diligence requirements, which differ according to the funding organization, remain very burdensome on smaller organizations without human resources.
- Political and civil environment – shrinking civil space & increasingly conservative outlook
The political and religious discourse which negatively positions NGOs working on GBV has put WLOs working in this area in a particularly challenging working environment. The denigration of the social environment, increasing conservative culture, and increasing levels of social resistance against already vulnerable groups is placing WLOs in precarious positions whereby their work is becoming riskier, and their operating environments shrinking. This is furthermore seen in the shrinking of civic spaces and on individual liberties, with the population facing greater fear of backlash or social repercussions.
RECOMMENDATIONS
For the GBV Response
Allocate funds for GBV: Donors must be held accountable to funding GBV response, prevention, and mitigation. In the shrinking funding environment, GBV is often no longer considered a priority, reflecting a lack of understanding that GBV is a basic and life-saving emergency service provision, and must be funded accordingly. It must be integrated as a cross-cutting issue across clusters and sectors, understanding it to be central to all safe and effective programming.
Quality services: Due to the lack of and decrease in funding, and the highly pressurized economic environment, there is a very big gap in the quality of GBV service provision. This must be addressed by the increasing of funds allocated to GBV response work.
Inclusive services: GBV response services must adapt and extend their services to be inclusive for people with distinct and diverse needs, including people living with a disability, the elderly, and people with diverse SOGIESC. Given the challenges in funds and the increasingly conservative environment, awareness raising advocacy around the rights and needs of diverse groups must be elevated to ensure the protection and inclusion thereof within GBV services.
For Challenges facing WLOs
Capacity Strengthening: Continuing to strengthen the capacity of WLO staff remains a priority. This involves both training new staff on essential topics and providing refreshers and certifications for those previously trained. Key areas of focus include the use of SADD and gendered data (including RGA) and capacity building on using this data to inform programming design and response.
Enhanced Communication and Coordination: Effective communication is fundamental to achieving successful outcomes, and this must be extended to clear and inclusive communication around coordination so that WLOs are meaningfully included within coordination and decision-making.
Advocacy for WLOs’ Leadership Roles: Advocating for the increased participation of WLOs as co-leads in coordination mechanisms is crucial. This advocacy aims to enhance the representation and influence of WLOs in decision-making processes. This must include the provision of inclusive languages within coordination and decision-making bodies, as well as securing resources to support the dedicated staff time required.
Sustainable and inclusive funding: Funding mechanisms must recognise the specific challenges facing WLO and, as key actors in GBV response, seek to support their work. Multi-year funding that includes provision for indirect costs will support the staffing and sustainability issues that WLOs are facing to maintain their staff, structures and services, and will also facilitate the extension of services into different regions and with different groups at need.
Crisis Preparedness and Response Planning: Support WLOs in developing and implementing crisis preparedness and response plans that prioritize the safety and well-being of GBV survivors during emergencies. This could involve conducting risk assessments, establishing referral pathways, and strengthening coordination mechanisms with humanitarian actors.
Data Collection and Research: Encourage investment in comprehensive data collection and research initiatives to better understand the root causes of GBV, identify emerging trends, and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. This includes supporting WLOs in conducting localized research studies and participatory assessments to inform evidence-based programming.
[1] For a gender analysis of the impact of the crisis in the south, see: CARE & UN Women, ‘RGA: Gender, Conflict and Internal Displacement in and from South Lebanon’, March 2023. https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/rapid-gender-analysis-gender-conflict-and-internal-displacement-and-south-lebanon
[2] World Bank. ‘Lebanon Economic Monitor – Fall 2023: In the Grip of a New Crisis’ (English). Lebanon Economic Monitor, Washington D.C., World Bank Group. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099518112202340074/IDU1cbb9a9271d02b14f6a18d8c1cd99718adaaf
[3] Displaced Populations in Lebanon: Situation Report, 2024, https://dtm.iom.int/lebanon
[4] January 2024 – February 2024
[5] HDA, FeMale Spotlight, RDFL, I’mpossible, Auberge Beyti, and Farah Social Foundation.
[6] World Bank, ‘Lebanon Economic Monitor, Spring 2023: The Normalization of Crisis is No Road for Stabilization’, May 2023, https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/lebanon/publication/lebanon-economic-monitor-spring-2023-the-normalization-of-crisis-is-no-road-for-stabilization
[7] REACH & UN Women, ‘Multi-Sector Needs Assessment Gender and Social Inclusion Factsheet – Lebanese Households in Lebanon’, September 2023, https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/multi-sector-needs-assessment-gender-and-social-inclusion-factsheet-lebanese-households-lebanon#:~:text=Lebanon%20has%20one%20of%20the,brunt%20of%20the%20social%20and
[8] General Recommendation no 33 issued by the CEDAW committee on women’s access to justice (2015).
[9] Since this data was collected, there has been the roll-out of an initial training of 8 online sessions by the Lebanese American University, ‘Violence Counts’.