Finland and UN Women Extend Partnership with EUR 1.2 Million to Advance the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Lebanon
Date:
Beirut, 17 March 2026
The Government of Finland, in partnership with UN Women, today announced a new phase of their strategic cooperation to advance the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in Lebanon. Finland will contribute EUR 1.2 million over three years, building on a long-standing collaboration with UN Women that began in 2019.
The renewed support will fund a new phase of UN Women’s programme, “She Builds Peace: Advancing the Participation and Leadership of Women and Girls in Peacebuilding, Security, Humanitarian Action and Early Recovery in Lebanon.” The initiative aims to strengthen the meaningful participation and leadership of women and girls in peacebuilding, humanitarian action, and recovery efforts, while reinforcing national systems to deliver more inclusive and effective responses that benefit women and girls in all their diversity.
The new phase comes at a critical moment for Lebanon. The country continues to face growing humanitarian needs and heightened uncertainty following the recent escalation of hostilities, while also navigating the compounded impacts of conflict and a prolonged economic crisis. Across Lebanon, women have been at the forefront of humanitarian response and community-level initiatives that promote dialogue, social cohesion, and stability. Yet despite their leadership at the community level, women remain significantly underrepresented in formal peace, security, and humanitarian decision-making and coordination mechanisms.
Even in times of crisis, advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda remains critical. Ongoing efforts toward Lebanon’s second National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, together with the work of the National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW), help reinforce national commitments to ensuring women’s participation and leadership in peace, security, and recovery efforts.
Through this renewed partnership, Finland and UN Women aim to build on the progress achieved since 2019 by supporting women peacebuilders, strengthening national institutions, and promoting more inclusive approaches to peace, security, humanitarian action, and recovery across Lebanon.
“The extension of this partnership reflects Finland’s long-standing commitment to gender equality and to supporting women’s leadership in peace and security,” said Anne Meskanen, Ambassador of Finland to Lebanon. “At a time when Lebanon faces renewed tensions and humanitarian pressures, placing women at the heart of peace and security efforts is more vital than ever.”
Advancing Finland’s commitment to gender equality and peace
This partnership aligns with Finland’s foreign, security, and development policy priorities, which place gender equality, the rights of women and girls, and women’s meaningful participation at the centre of efforts to promote peace, stability, and sustainable development. Through its support to UN Women, Finland reaffirms its commitment to advancing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and strengthening inclusive and accountable institutions in Lebanon.
Over the next three years, the programme will focus on two mutually reinforcing priorities. First, it will support the Government of Lebanon in implementing an inclusive, adequately resourced, and results-oriented National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. Second, it will strengthen national systems for crisis response and recovery to ensure they effectively reach and benefit women and girls, including those facing the greatest barriers. The programme will also support women and girls, in all their diversity, to participate and lead in community-level conflict prevention, peacebuilding, humanitarian action, and early recovery efforts.
Implemented by UN Women in close partnership with national institutions, including the National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW) and other state entities, as well as women’s rights organizations and organizations of persons with disabilities across the country, the programme will provide technical and financial support to women mediators and peacebuilders while strengthening the capacities of national and local institutions.
“This renewed support allows UN Women and its partners to build on years of investment in the localization of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in Lebanon,” said Gielan Elmessiri, UN Women Representative in Lebanon. “At this critical moment for the country, we will continue to support national efforts to ensure that women and girls are protected and are supported to lead efforts in peacebuilding, humanitarian action, and recovery”.
This renewed partnership between Finland and UN Women reaffirms a shared commitment to advancing women’s leadership and meaningful participation as a cornerstone of sustainable peace, resilience, and recovery in Lebanon.
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Roula Rached, Communications and Advocacy Specialist, UN Women Lebanon