Embassy of Australia and UN Women Lebanon sign a new Agreement to extend humanitarian assistance to more women and girls across Lebanon

Beirut, 7 March 2024 — On the occasion of International Women's Day, the Government of Australia renewed its commitment to gender equality in Lebanon through signature of a new agreement with UN Women Lebanon worth 1,500,000 Australian dollar to extend humanitarian assistance to over 4,300 women, girls, men and boys from diverse backgrounds across three governorates in Lebanon.

The project will directly impact around 3,200 women and 1,100 men from diverse communities in Beirut, Bekaa, and Saida through the provision of training and access to paid employment in food preparation, carpentry and production and distribution of menstrual pads. The targeted women will, in turn, support their communities through the provision and distribution of hot meals and menstrual hygiene pads as well as through conducting basic repairs of wooden furniture. Furthermore, over 30 women engaged in Cash for Work will receive specialized training on soft and technical skills as well as seed funding to start their own income-generating project to sustain their income beyond the project’s end date.

Photo: UN Women Lebanon / Mohammad Abu Ali

H.E. Australian Ambassador to Lebanon, Andrew Barnes, expressed, "Australia is committed to empowering women by improving access to livelihoods. Strong livelihoods enable women to realise their ambitions and achieve their aspirations. It is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. We are pleased to continue partnering with UN Women on this inclusive initiative".

"We thank the government and people of Australia for this partnership that aims to meet the immediate humanitarian needs of women and girls in Lebanon from diverse backgrounds while simultaneously addressing the root causes of their vulnerability" remarked Ms. Gielan El Messiri, Representative of UN Women in Lebanon.

Commencing in March 2024 until March 2025, the project will collaborate with three non-governmental organizations; namely, Lebanese Union for Persons with Physical Disabilities (LUPD), Arcenciel, and ACTED Lebanon.