WHO WE ARE
ABAAD is a non-profit, non-political, and non-confessional civil society organization focused on advancing women’s rights and eliminating violence against women and girls. ABAAD provides survivor-centered, holistic protection and support services, empowers women and girls economically and politically, and transforms harmful social norms by engaging local communities, including men and boys. ABAAD advocates for legal and policy reforms and strengthens civil society and public institutions to implement inclusive women’s empowerment programs.
As a regional resource center, ABAAD promotes innovation, knowledge sharing, and strategic partnerships to drive sustainable and transformative change.
In 2019, ABAAD’s Undress 522 Campaign was awarded the UN SDG Action Award for the most impactful campaign globally.
OUR MISSION
ABAAD is a non-profit, non-politically affiliated, and non- confessional civil society organization focused on advancing women’s rights and eliminating violence against women and girls. ABAAD provides survivor- centered, holistic protection and support services, empowers women and girls economically and politically, and transforms harmful social norms by engaging local communities, including men and boys. ABAAD advocates for legal and policy reforms and strengthens civil society and public institutions to implement inclusive women’s empowerment programs. As a regional resource center, ABAAD promotes innovation, knowledge sharing, and strategic partnerships to drive sustainable and transformative change.
OUR VISION
ABAAD envisions a just, inclusive, and peaceful world where women and girls live free from violence, discrimination, and fear, where they exercise full agency, leadership, and participation in all aspects of life, and where men and women are equal partners in shaping resilient, democratic, and prosperous societies. ABAAD aspires to be the leading regional resource center and authority on women’s rights and VAWG prevention and response, recognized for its expertise, integrity, and transformative impact.
OUR CORE PRINCIPLES
We put people and communities at the center of our work, reaching the most marginalized so that no woman is left behind. Our approach is survivor-centered, respecting each person’s dignity, privacy and confidentiality.
We believe every woman and girl should be free to choose her path, claim her rights and live without fear or violence.
We work with accountability, integrity and collaboration, and we believe lasting change is driven by communities themselves.
Our approach is rights-based, practical and focused on results, tackling the root causes of inequality and violence.
OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
To achieve its mission, ABAAD adopts 6 strategies:
Ending Violence Against Women and Girls
Strategy 1 – Goal
Reduce violence against women, girls and children through prevention, survivor-centered services, legal reform and community change, so that no woman or girl is left behind.
Policy Reform for Gender Justice
Strategy 2 – Goal
Achieve lasting legal and policy reforms that advance women’s rights, end discrimination and violence, and improve survivors’ access to justice.
Women’s Economic Empowerment
Strategy 3 – Goal
Give women and adolescent girls fair access to economic opportunities, resources and skills, so they can become financially independent and break cycles of violence and poverty.
Shifting Social Norms
Strategy 4 – Goal
Engage men, boys and community leaders as allies to challenge harmful norms and build communities where women and girls can claim their rights and live free from violence.
Women’s Leadership and Political Participation
Strategy 5 – Goal
Increase women’s influence and representation in decision-making at local and national level, and remove the barriers that keep them out of politics.
ABAAD as a Regional Resource Center
Strategy 6 – Goal
Make ABAAD a leading regional hub of expertise, sharing knowledge, building the capacity of partners and institutions, and shaping policy dialogue across the MENA region.
These priorities are at the heart of our Strategic Plan 2026–2029, which sets out how ABAAD will expand its impact for women and girls across Lebanon and the region while building a stronger, more resilient organization from within.
Publications
891 KB
ADVISORY BOARD
ABAAD’s Advisory Board brings together people from across the region and a range of professions, all committed to advancing gender equality and social justice. Members share their expertise, experience and networks, offering strategic guidance and fresh perspectives that help shape ABAAD’s direction and strengthen its work.
Jean Abou Kors
Jean Abou Kors is an international development expert and strategist with over 25 years of experience in civil society, human rights, gender equality and gender-based violence. His expertise covers strategic planning, social and behavior change, emergency response, protection, policy development and accountability. He has lectured at universities around the world, managed large development, relief and capacity-building programs, and advised many local and international governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Azza Charara Beydoun
Azza Charara Beydoun is a Lebanese researcher and activist for women’s and human rights. Her work focuses on women’s citizenship and their place in public life, challenging the limits placed on women by gender and religious community.
Reverend Riad Jarjour
Reverend Riad Jarjour is a Presbyterian clergyman and interfaith advocate who has worked on Muslim-Christian dialogue and peacebuilding in the Middle East since the 1970s. He served as General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches, founded the Arab Group for Muslim-Christian Dialogue, and established the Forum for Development, Culture and Dialogue (FDCD), which supports nonviolent conflict resolution and humanitarian work in areas affected by war.
Magda El-Sanousi
Magda El-Sanousi is a development expert with over 20 years of experience empowering women across the Arab region. She works at Sudan’s Higher Council for Peace, and previously led the Women’s Empowerment Section at the UN Support Mission in Libya and served as Oxfam GB’s Country Director in Lebanon. She was named Takreem’s Arab Woman of the Year in 2012 and holds two master’s degrees from the University of Sussex.
Anita Farah Nassar
Anita Farah Nassar is a gender-based violence specialist. She develops practical Arabic-language tools that help field workers support women and girls in Lebanon and across the MENA region. She has trained field workers in almost every region of Lebanon, building their skills to reach women and girls and help them become active, informed citizens.
Fatima Outaleb
Fatima Outaleb is a founding member and executive board member of the Union de l’Action Féminine (UAF) in Morocco, where she directs a shelter for women survivors of violence and represents UAF at ECOSOC. She has led or contributed to many national campaigns, including on early marriage, and works on human rights treaty follow-up and gender equality training. She holds a diploma in women’s rights from the Raoul Wallenberg Institute.
POLICIES AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Our work is guided by institutional policies and frameworks that uphold ethical conduct, good governance, safeguarding and operational excellence. They cover governance and accountability, safeguarding and child protection, financial management and compliance (including anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism), human resources, and program quality, data and partnerships. We review and update these policies regularly to reflect international standards and humanitarian principles.
Our policies are available upon request. For more information, please contact Internal.Control@abaadmena.org.
NETWORKS WE ARE PART OF
Global
- CIVICUS
- UN Global Compact
- International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA)
- Call to Action on Protection from Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies
- 16 days of Activism to End VAW
- Girls Not brides
- MenEngage Alliance
- Anna Lindh Foundation
- The Generation Equality Forum
- The Core Humanitarian Standard Alliance
National
- Lebanon Humanitarian and Development NGOs Forum (Steering Committee)
- Lebanon Humanitarian Fund/OCHA (Advisory Board)
- Lebanon Humanitarian Country Team (HCT)
- Protection Core Group (Elected as representative of Local NGOs)
- National coalition to End Child Marriage
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
The UN SDG Action Award 2019
Undress 522 Campaign Awarded The UN SDG Action Award for the Most Impactful Campaign -2019
UNHCR NGO Innovation Award 2019
UNHCR NGO Innovation Award 2019 - ''Connectivity'' Category. “Jina Al Dar” program was selected among the best ten innovative initiatives worldwide to advance the Sustainable Development Goals
Silver London International Award 2021
Thrilled and honored to be receiving a Silver London International Award with our #SafetyforSafekeepers campaign in the Social Awareness category!
Thank you @LIAawards #Creativity #Awareness #SocialChange #Advertising #Faith #Lebanon
Cannes Lions 2017
Undress 522 Campaign Awarded 2017 - Cannes Lions 2017 - Glass Lion. Undress 522 Campaign Awarded Two Lion Awards
WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU!
