Women at the Periphery Taking Center Stage

EQUAL NGO’s Fight for Dignity and Justice in Lebanon

In the heart of a collapsing Lebanon, where economic despair, political instability, and social fragmentation weigh heavily on daily life, women are enduring the heaviest burdens—yet quietly taking center stage in the fight for survival and dignity. In November 2022, EQUAL NGO presented a compelling snapshot of this struggle in its presentation, “Women at the Periphery Taking Center Stage,” spotlighting the compounded challenges women face and the vital role EQUAL plays in addressing them.

Lebanon has endured blow after blow in recent years: a catastrophic economic collapse, the devastating Beirut port blast, and an overwhelming sanitary crisis. These overlapping disasters have brought daily life to a halt and placed extreme pressure on families—especially on women, who are often the silent backbone of both households and communities.

According to a 2020 World Bank report, Lebanese women have lost 26% of their jobs since the beginning of the crisis. For many, this loss is not just economic—it represents a growing inability to provide even the most basic needs for their families. With education, healthcare, food, and clothing slipping beyond reach, women are forced to juggle telework, child-rearing, and domestic responsibilities in a space of growing psychological fatigue. Depression, insomnia, and frustration are common consequences.

The daily pressures women face have opened the door to more severe forms of exploitation. Verbal, physical, and sexual abuse have increased. Some women are being pushed into mendicancy, forced prostitution, or even human trafficking and modern slavery. These are not isolated incidents but growing trends in communities increasingly stripped of economic and social protections.

Amid this bleak reality, EQUAL stands as a beacon of hope. Founded in Lebanon on Franciscan values, the NGO is driven by a commitment to human dignity, equity, peace, and environmental stewardship. EQUAL’s mission is clear: to safeguard the basic rights of vulnerable populations through education, health, child protection, nutrition, livelihood programs, and psychosocial support—while also fostering social cohesion and environmental sustainability.

EQUAL’s interventions focus on both refugees and the Lebanese population. For refugees, programs cover essential needs such as education, marriage and family support, children’s protection, and mental health. Lebanese citizens receive support in employment access, health, and psychological resilience.

EQUAL also runs dedicated awareness programs aimed at empowering women by informing them of their rights, combating discrimination, and fostering social inclusion. These sessions are vital in rebuilding confidence, promoting equality, and supporting long-term personal and community development.

In a bold and forward-looking initiative, EQUAL has also launched youth exchange programs. These bring together young people from conflict-affected regions to engage in peacebuilding dialogue, intercultural exchange, and the collective reimagining of economies and social systems destroyed by war. The emphasis is on promoting active citizenship and the co-creation of peace-focused futures.

Although Lebanon ratified the CEDAW Convention (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) in 1997, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Discrimination, both structural and social, continues to hinder women’s participation, safety, and equality. EQUAL’s work aims to bridge this gap between policy and practice—between myth and reality.

Through its presentation, “Women at the Periphery Taking Center Stage,” EQUAL has laid bare the devastating impact of Lebanon’s crisis on women and highlighted the transformative power of community-driven, rights-based interventions. At a time when hope is in short supply, EQUAL’s programs are a powerful reminder that resilience, when nurtured through justice and compassion, can place even the most marginalized women at the heart of Lebanon’s recovery