Gender Alert – On the Frontlines: Women-Led Organizations Central to Lebanon’s Crisis Response

Driven by the intensifying conflict, the recent escalating humanitarian crisis in Lebanon, has taken a profound toll on people’s lives. On the frontlines of the crisis response, women-led organizations (WLOs) are delivering critical, life-saving humanitarian assistance to affected populations, including women and girls in need. Although the ceasefire has taken effect on 27 November 2024, the needs of the affected population persist and the involvement of WLOs remains critical. This gender alert draws the attention to the role of WLOs in Lebanon’s humanitarian response in the context of the current conflict and identify their role and challenges. Based on a rapid assessment survey with 50 WLOs, this alert shed light on their distinct and active role in delivering critical, life-saving assistance, namely through the provision of protection-related services as well as essential relief items and food assistance and their ability to reach the vulnerable groups of women and girls including refugees, migrant workers, young women, older women and women with disabilities. This Alert draws calls attention to the need for the full participation of WLOs in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all humanitarian services to ensure that response efforts during and after the conflict uphold core humanitarian principles and standards and address the needs of the most vulnerable women and girls within the crisis-affected population.