Dialogues for equality: changing the future for women and girls in Lebanon

Above: Participants in the inter-gender dialogue. Photo: Plan International Lebanon

Growing up in communities where men and women don’t have equal opportunities, four young individuals—Amina, Ammar, Jana, and Doua—defied these norms, paving the way towards gender equality.

Expressing the struggles that she and other girls and young women face in her community, 16-year-old Amina said, “In our society, girls suffer greatly from early marriage, physical violence, community violence, and verbal abuse, which reflects a lack of respect and consideration for girls.” Her words highlight that girls and young women don’t have equal opportunities as boys and men, as they are deprived of their basic rights to education, protection, and a safe childhood.

“I was raised in a society where girls had few rights, particularly regarding freedom of choice, education, and future aspirations,” added 19-year-old Jana.

To bridge the gap between genders and encourage open dialogue, Plan International Lebanon introduced the Inter-Gender Dialogue Sessions to the Australian Humanitarian Partnership response in Lebanon, known locally as the AMANI project. These sessions are designed for adolescents and young men and women to engage in dynamic discussions based on Plan International's Champions of Change curriculum, fostering a secure space for sharing, learning, and mutual support towards achieving gender equality.

These sessions provided young women like Jana and Amina with an open space to share the struggles they face in a male-dominated society. The goal was to break down barriers and foster conversations to find solutions together to eliminate gender inequality. During the sessions, participants discussed topics such as the barriers and benefits of collaboration across gender differences, understanding dominant masculinity, the advantages of gender equality for all, assessing girls' empowerment, engaging men and boys in gender justice, and providing support and collective action against gender-based violence.

Above: Activities and discussion in the inter-gender dialogue. Photo: Plan International Lebanon

Fifteen-year-old Ammar, who used to be shy and had no friends to have meaningful conversations with, said: “Through these sessions, we successfully broke down communication barriers between males and females, fostering open discussion and the exchange of opinions. This has created a bridge connecting genders, facilitating the exchange of ideas.”

Above: Participants in the inter-gender dialogue. Photo: Plan International Lebanon

For many participants, it was the first time they found themselves in a space where young men and women sat together, conversing about important topics, especially in the traditionally conservative areas of Wadi Khaled, North Lebanon, and Saida, South Lebanon.

Feeling motivated to advocate for change in her society, Jana joined a peer-to-peer group after completing the Inter-Gender Dialogue Sessions, where she took on the responsibility of delivering awareness sessions to other girls and young women in her community.

“The inequality that I saw in my community motivated me to advocate for change. It's crucial for everyone in our society to understand that both boys and girls deserve equal rights today,” Jana said.

Change starts with the individual, if they are willing to take the knowledge and change their behavior, working towards gender equality. If they take this knowledge forward and try to change others, it will become a ripple effect, with more and more people committed to gender equality.

Doua, a 24-year-old mother of a young boy with another child on the way, is committed to instilling gender equality values within her family. She is working together with her husband to ensure that they are raising a family where equality is a main pillar.

“While my influence may be modest within my family, with my husband and children, in the future, my children will have their own children or friends, enabling them to spread the right mindset further,” Doua said. “This way, we can all strive for equality, eliminating inequality between girls and boys.”

The AHP response in Lebanon, supported by the Australian Government, focused on critical protection issues facing women, girls, men and boys during the country’s economic crisis.