Ruwaida gradually lost her sight while growing up, becoming fully blind in her twenties. “My experience with visual disability has been very distinctive. It challenged me to enter life with a new spirit, strengthened by determination and the promise I made to myself not to be defeated.”

Bariaa, a teacher and school administrative professional from Douris, stepped beyond her role at school to support displaced families arriving in the Bekaa during the conflict. Alongside local volunteers and her two sons, she helped mobilize resources and reach more than 350 families, while paying particular attention to the emotional impact of displacement on women and children.

When Rima Sharara had to leave Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon during the 2026 war, she had little space in her car to carry belongings. But among the few things she made sure to take were the computer and hard drives of the Bint Jbeil Public Library. They contained years of photographs, records, and documentation of the library’s cultural and community activities, as well as an oral history archive preserving stories from across the region.

At 23, Nour Haidar has turned personal loss and displacement into a commitment to supporting others. Through humanitarian volunteering in Baalbek, she helps crisis-affected families while advocating for dignity, solidarity and the vital role of women and young people in rebuilding their communities.

Within weeks of the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon, hundreds of thousands of women and girls had been forced to flee their homes. Six months on, 175,000 women and girls remain displaced and Israeli airstrikes have killed and injured 3,154 women and children. Homes, schools, and hospitals have been destroyed. People have been left living in fear.

The Collective Kitchen is part of a cash-for-work programme under UN Women's Leadership, Empowerment, Access and Protection in Crisis (LEAP) project, implemented in partnership with INITIATE and the Union of Tyre Municipalities, with support from the Government of Australia. Through the project, UN Women supports crisis-affected women and girls with emergency livelihood opportunities, skills development and protection services tailored to their needs.

The recent crisis in Lebanon displaced thousands of families, placing immense pressure on both displaced and host communities in Saida and surrounding areas. In response, a women-led community kitchen, managed by Mouvement Social and supported by UN Women through the Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), was established to address the humanitarian needs of crisis-affected families while bringing together women from displaced and host communities.

For International Youth Day, Louna Yammine, 29, reflects on the power of young women to challenge barriers, advance disability rights and help build a Lebanon where everyone can participate equally.

At Montana Shelter in South Lebanon, five displaced women are rebuilding hope through a women-led bakery established by UN Women and Al Majmoua, with support from the Government of Japan, providing daily meals while restoring dignity, purpose and community.

Through its Women, Peace and Security programme, UN Women, with generous funding from the Governments of Canada and Norway, supports women-led initiatives that preserve collective memory, create spaces for dialogue, and strengthen social cohesion. Hkeeli Ya Jnoub is one example of how cultural initiatives can contribute to peacebuilding by bringing communities together, amplifying women's voices, and safeguarding histories that might otherwise be lost.

After years of hardship, Therese Hanna found renewed purpose through a UN Women-supported initiative that equips crisis-affected women with skills to produce menstrual hygiene products. Now a trainer, she is empowering other women to rebuild their lives while helping ensure women and girls have access to essential hygiene products.

UN Women Lebanon invites eligible civil society organizations (CSOs), women's rights organizations, and other qualified entities to submit proposals to strengthen the prevention of and response to violence against women and girls (VAWG) and advance women's access to justice in Lebanon.

UN Women Lebanon seeks to partner with a consortium of at least two organizations to establish and operationalize a Women in Leadership Academy. The Academy will service as a sustainable platform for capacity development, mentorship, networking and leadership advancement for diverse women leaders across the public, political, economic and peacebuilding spheres.

As a young peacebuilder, Nour Nasr from Kfarfaqoud in Lebanon’s Al Shouf region, believes peacebuilding begins in everyday life. “This is achieved through listening, acknowledging pain, and creating spaces where difficult conversations can happen safely and honestly,” she explains.

Rim, a mother from Bednayel, Bekaa, lost the family home she and her husband had built “with love” after it was destroyed in an Israeli strike on 3 March. Beyond the physical loss, the destruction shattered a shared dream and deeply affected her young daughter, who had been preparing her new room. While struggling with grief and uncertainty, Rim continues to stay strong for her family, reflecting the heavy emotional burdens many women carry during displacement and conflict.

Rajia Al Bitar is one of more than 500 women peacebuilders across Lebanon supported by UN Women. A social and nursing specialist, certified mediator from Saint Joseph University of Beirut, and director of the Rahbeh Development Services Center for Primary Healthcare, she has spent more than three decades serving her community in Bezbina, Akkar.

I am speaking to you from Lebanon, where I have witnessed the impact of the ongoing killing and displacement of women and girls under a fragile ceasefire. These are violations of the most basic rights and protections afforded to civilians under international law.

After 45 days of hostilities, a ceasefire announced on 16 April – which was extended for an additional 3 weeks - offered brief hope for displaced families in Lebanon. Some returned, only to find destruction, lack of services, and ongoing insecurity. While communities have been affected, women bear a disproportionate burden.

Since the 10-day ceasefire took effect in Lebanon on 16 April – later extended for an additional 3 weeks- following 45 days of intense hostilities, the already fragile health system remains under severe strain. Ongoing displacement, shortages of medical supplies, and deepening psychological distress continue to overwhelm services.

Across Lebanon, women and girls navigate continued displacement, loss, and returns home – often multiple times – as uncertainty remains part of daily life.