From Where I Stand: We’re working for women’s economic empowerment and sustainable development
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Dina Harake is the Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network Lebanon (GCNL). Alongside UN Women, the GCNL is partnering with The Blessing Foundation to support the initiative SheMinLebnen which supports women in Lebanon who are skilled in handcrafts to access opportunities to further refine those skills and provides a platform to market their products in Lebanon and internationally.
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“I am aware that women in Lebanon face many difficulties and that we need to improve the protection of their fundamental rights, including economic rights, but reality should not push us to despair. When I first met Dr. Dima Jamali, National Representative of the Global Compact Network Lebanon (who was elected to the Lebanese parliament in the national elections held earlier this year), I felt we shared a common vision of Lebanon and how to contribute to its sustainable development. I have built practical experience on the ground as a member of The Blessing Foundation, Tamanna Foundation and Beirut Marathon Association, and for me joining the GCNL provided the opportunity to reach more beneficiaries of development efforts, since the CGNL is an umbrella for projects involving associations, NGOs and mainly the private sector.
SheMinLebnen is an initiative aiming to encourage skilled women from all regions of Lebanon to let their voices be heard and their work recognized. Following the training with established designers, the beneficiaries will be able to access markets through an e-platform, and to contribute to a better and more inclusive society.
The GCNL maintains close cooperation with United Nations agencies and works to support achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 5: achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. To spearhead this work, the GCNL’s has established a Council of national leaders who work with partners to promote the implementation of the SGDs. The GCNL leader for SDG 5 is May Makhzoumi.
We appreciate our collaboration with UN Women, as the agency has a track record of successful implementation of projects in Lebanon. UN Women has data, specific know-how and relevant experience, including in building capacities. The GCNL’s partnership with UN Women will enable us to promote gender equality principles in the private sector.
SheMinLebnen gives each woman participating in the initiative an opportunity to meet and interact with people with acquired relevant knowledge. Each SheMinLebnen beneficiary already has the potential, and the programme will provide her with the best way to capitalize on that individual potential.
This initiative is a comprehensive and sustainable project that will grow. For the GCNL, it is about educating a group of women who will later on be able to educate other women. This approach is part of the GCNL’s social responsibility work in Lebanon, which emphasizes both the ultimate aim and the best approach to achieve that aim.
The SheMinLebnen initiative is just the beginning.
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Ms. Harake’s work with the GCNL provides opportunities for learning, policy dialogue, and partnership on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In particular, her work contributes to the implementation of SDG 5 on gender equality and women’s empowerment, SDG 8, which aims to achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, and to SDG 17 on Global Partnerships for the Goals.