“This is not just production. This is dignity. This is independence.”: Therese’s journey from crisis to leadership
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More than one million people have been displaced since the escalation resumed in March 2026, including 134,800 people currently living in collective shelters. While communities across Lebanon have been affected, women and girls often bear a disproportionate burden, navigating overcrowded conditions, limited privacy, inadequate sanitation, and increased caregiving responsibilities.
At a sanitary production facility in Beirut, Therese Hanna, 47, stands beside the production machine with quiet authority, guiding women through each step of the manufacturing process. A trainee just two years ago, she is now a trainer, helping other crisis-affected women build skills and income opportunities while producing essential menstrual hygiene products for women and girls affected by crisis.
“This is not just production,” she says. “This is dignity. This is independence”.
Therese, trainer in sanitary pad production, at the UN Women-supported production facility in Beirut. Photo: UN Women / Lauren Rooney
Therese is one of 30 women participating in a sanitary pad production initiative under the “Crisis-Affected Women in Lebanon – Leadership, Empowerment, Access and Protection (LEAP)” programme, implemented by UN Women in partnership with Nusaned and Al Moasat Association, with the generous support of the Government of Australia. Together, the women are helping produce an estimated 200,000 sanitary pads for distribution to collective shelters and vulnerable communities across Beirut and Mount Lebanon.
For Therese, the opportunity came after years of hardship. A mother of five living in Beirut, she says her life has long revolved around raising her children and caring for her family. But after the Beirut port explosion[RR1] damaged their home and deepened financial pressures, she realized she needed to find a way to support her family.
“We were living comfortably”, she recalls. “Suddenly, we found ourselves struggling. We were not used to asking for help, but the situation forced us to face a new reality”
When she first joined the initiative, Therese received psychological support alongside women from Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian, and Armenian communities. Like many of the participants, she was navigating the impacts of crisis and economic hardship following the Beirut Port explosion. “We came from different backgrounds, but we became like one family. We supported each other”.
As the production machines arrived, Therese’s determination stood out. “I was curious. I like challenges”, she says. “I stood beside the technicians while they repaired the machine. I paid attention to every detail. I wanted to understand how everything worked”.
Over time, she discovered abilities she did not know she had. Her dedication and attention helped her grow into a leadership role.
“Eventually, I became a trainer”.
Therese shares her knowledge with fellow participants, supporting women to develop new skills and livelihood opportunities. Photo: UN Women / Lauren Rooney
“Today, I teach other women how to use the machines, how to produce safely, and how to ensure quality. I guide them step by step. I want them to feel confident. I want them to trust themselves and their abilities”.
Beyond improving her financial situation, Therese believes the experience changed her sense of self “This work changed my life,” she says. “I discovered strength within myself. I discovered that I am capable”.
She hopes this project continues and expands: “Every home carries its own struggles. Every woman deserves a chance to rebuild her life. This opportunity gave me that chance.”
Period poverty in Lebanon has been driven by overlapping economic, financial and humanitarian crises, now compounded by recent hostilities and displacement. A UNFPA study estimated that around 927,693 women aged 15–49 in Lebanon were affected by poverty and at risk of period poverty. Earlier research cited in the study found that 66% of adolescent girls surveyed could not afford menstrual pads, while a 2021 national study by Fe-Male, in partnership with Plan International, found that price increases were the main barrier to accessing menstrual hygiene products for 76% of women and girls from Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian communities. In the current conflict context, displacement, collective shelter conditions, limited privacy, inadequate sanitation and increased economic pressures further heighten these risks.
The LEAP programme directly supports 4,800 crisis-affected women across Lebanon through emergency livelihoods, skills development, and protection interventions adapted to respond to the needs of women and girls affected by the conflict. Through the sanitary pad production initiative, 400 women are gaining technical experience and income while helping produce essential menstrual hygiene products for women and girls affected by crisis. By bringing together women from diverse communities through shared learning and mutual support, the programme strengthens social cohesion alongside economic resilience.
- Lebanon: Flash Update #34 - Escalation of hostilities in Lebanon (as of 11 June 2026)
- The Beirut port explosion in August 2020 killed 218 people. It wounded 7,000 people, of whom at least 150 acquired a physical disability; caused untold psychological harm; and damaged 77,000 apartments, displacing over 300,000 people.