Collective Feminism in Action: UN Women–Najdeh Elevating Women’s Leadership in Palestinian Camps in Lebanon
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When 43-year-old Layla* first stepped into a support session at a Najdeh center in Tyre, she was searching for a safe space to express the despair she carried. “I felt invisible,” she recalls. “Even though I supported my family, I was sinking under the weight of neglect and frustration.”
Like many women living in Palestinian gatherings and camps across Lebanon, Layla had long navigated a reality shaped by displacement, discrimination and gender-based violence (GBV). But her story didn’t end in silence.
“The mental support I received changed my life,” she says. “I moved from being a frustrated woman to someone who could support others.”
Today, she hosts women in her own home and facilitates peer sessions. “That moment when women started referring to me for help, I felt powerful. It seems that the empowerment for one woman means empowerment for hundreds,” she adds.
Through art therapy, women in the neighbourhood found a regular space for joy and healing. (Photo: Association Najdeh)
Layla is one of more than 6,500 women and girls who have directly benefited from the women-led project implemented by the civil society organization Association Najdeh, with funding from the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) and technical support from UN Women. Operating across camps and gatherings in Tyre, Sidon, Beirut, Tripoli, the Beqaa and Chouf, the project sought to enhance safety, well-being and human rights for women and girls through a holistic approach merging awareness-raising, case management and community-based advocacy.
At the heart of Najdeh’s approach is the belief that survivors can become leaders.
Dana*, a 21-year-old mother of one, found in Najdeh not only a haven from judgment but also a launchpad for her future. “Being divorced at my age is painful, especially in a society that blames women for everything,” she says. “Najdeh became my safe zone. I felt seen and supported, and now I want to help other women find that strength too.”
Dana dreams of building her own business and of a Lebanon where marriage and divorce laws protect women equally. “What I want most is stability and justice,” she says. “Violence affects everyone, but women bear the brunt of it.”
In a context where poverty, war, and social conservatism intersect, Najdeh’s work is both urgent and transformative.
“The women we work with face multiple layers of violence, economic, social, physical,” explains Hiba Hajaj, GBV social worker and lead of Najdeh’s Women and Girls Rights Programme. “Some of our interventions are literally life-saving.”
Hiba Hajaj, GBV social worker at Najdeh in Tyre, supports Women Protection Networks that empower survivors to become community leaders. (Photo: Association Najdeh)
Since 2017, Najdeh has led the establishment of Women Protection Networks in multiple camps. These grass-roots coalitions bring together NGOs, local actors and survivors to coordinate services, advocate for legal reform and provide direct peer support. Under the WPHF-funded project, women survivors were trained on GBV, legal rights and community mobilization. Many now lead sessions themselves, supporting women in their neighbourhoods and shelters –including during the recent war, when these same women became first responders in United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) schools hosting displaced families.
“We’ve seen these women grow into leaders,” says Hajaj. “They speak out; they take initiative; and they’re now the backbone of the network.”
Social worker Hanan Al Jazaa, based in the Al Bas camp, agrees. “Through WPHF’s support, we’ve worked with hundreds of women and girls. Some of our survivors are now leading community sessions –that’s sustainability in action.”
Women in Ain El Helwi camp enjoy group activities that foster connection and support. (Photo: Association Najdeh)
Nevertheless, she says they still face systemic barriers: “We need more coordination among NGOs. Duplication hurts us all. We must work together and ensure women take the lead. We’re here to support, not to speak for them.”
Despite immense challenges, Najdeh’s model of survivor-led advocacy offers a clear path forward. As Hajaj puts it: “Women and girls can do miracles, if we just believe in them.”
*Names changed to ensure the safety and confidentiality of those featured.