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Women Preparing for Leadership in Lebanon with Association Najdeh (AN)

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Women Preparing for Leadership in Lebanon with Association Najdeh (AN) Women preparing for Leadership in Lebanon with Association Najdeh (AN) AN is one of CAFOD’s only partners working exclusively on women’s rights and empowerment, providing Palestinian refugee women in Lebanon with the necessary skills to become leaders and active agents of change within their own communities. AN works with both women and men to challenge power relationships, gender stereotypes and address the issue of violence against women. ‘IT’S IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE THIS TRAINING BECAUSE IT ALLOWS OUR WOMEN TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES; THEY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME LEADERS AND NOW AN IS PROVIDING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO JUST THAT…’ LEILA EL ALI, EXECUTIVE AN was established in 1978 and now runs 34 centres throughout the country reaching over 10,000 refugees directly every year. Staff consist primarily of women and members of the Palestinian refugee community. Between 2010 and 2013 CAFOD and AN secured European Commission (EC) funding, for the ‘Empowerment, employment and advocacy’ project which helped improve access to employment, increase women’s participation in local decision making committees, addressed issues around domestic violence and conducted high level advocacy in order to ensure the Lebanese Government lifted restrictions on adhering to international conventions on the elimination of violence against women. Whilst the EC funding has finished, CAFOD’s partnership with AN continues. Despite a challenging year in terms of strikes, conflict and insecurity as well as the lack of an effective government, in 2014/15 AN was able to: - Help secure employment for 37% of the graduates of the vocational training. - Coordinate the Right to Work Coalition. - Lead the preparation of the recommendations of the universal period review for the UN human rights council in addressing the economic and social rights of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. - Conduct a campaign against sexual harassment – the first of its kind which openly addressed this taboo subject. Ongoing challenges remain around a lack of support for the Palestinian cause from political parties in Lebanon, political rivalries which lead to violence and traditional patriarchal structures. “One hand cannot clap on its own; if both genders are brought together, they will form a solid union which will help solve many problems…” Ghinwa, AN beneficiary attended leadership workshops at AN centre. “I believe that women should have an education and go to work…there should be no difference between me and my sister. There must be equality between husband and wife. The husband should support his wife, not discriminate against her and parents should not discriminate against their daughters.” 17 year old Ahmad, studying accounting and informatics at one of the vocational training centres SCAN ME FOR VIDEO Have a smartphone but not a QR Code Reader? Search “QR Code Reader” in your mobile device’s app store and download for free now! Meet Nawal Hassan, Branch Coordinator at Nahr al-Bared for Association Najdeh (AN) Nawal Hassan has worked with AN since 1988, first as supervisor of AN’s technical training Nahr al-Bared centre in Nah al-Bared, refugee camp before becoming Branch Coordinator. She also represents AN on an advocacy committee, Established in 1949, Nahr el- one of several ‘popular Bared refugee camp is a Palestinian camp in Northern committees’ formed by Lebanon, approximately 16km and for Palestinian from Tripoli. Some 30,000 residents of the Nahr al- displaced Palestinians live in and Bared refugee camp. around the camp, named after Initially the advocacy the river that runs just south of it. committee only had five local NGO members, but thanks to her commitment and hard work the number has grown In 2007 the camp was at the to 38. There are only four women in the popular centre of fighting between the committees and she is one of them. Nawal is working to Lebanese Army and Fatah-al increase women’s participation in these groups and is Islam militants. It sustained proud of the role she is able to play in achieving this. She heavy shelling under siege, has become a significant political actor in the community, causing most of its inhabitants to flee and having a devastating has gained the respect of her male colleagues and is effect on the local economy. recognized as a local leader. Many people then returned to When asked how she perceives the situation between the outskirts of the camp in men and women in the camps she says there are two 2008, living in temporary scenarios. In some families women are subjected to shelters, hoping to be able to violence and in other cases husbands allow their wives to return to their former homes leave their homes for work. She believes it’s important after reconstruction. Today, the for women living in the camps to work and financially camp is still undergoing support the family. She also believes international reconstruction and many agencies should put pressure on the Lebanese Palestinians are still living on the government to provide Palestinians with better social and outskirts of the camp, waiting to economic rights to improve their situation. return. Nawal is proud of being a leader and working amongst her people without fear of discrimination. She is dedicated to her work and wants to provide the communities with what they need. Nawal feels grateful to AN for supporting her in becoming a local leader. When asked what her biggest dream is she says: ‘to one day return back to Palestine.’ .
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