Project Decreasing Women's Marginalization :: Khiam Rehabilitation Center

Project Decreasing Women's Marginalization

Grant Details

1. Title of Grant Project: Decreasing Women’s Marginalization
2. Grant Period: 3 years
3. Period Covered in this Report: 1 year (From Nov. 4, 2009 to Nov. 4, 2010)
4. Location of project: Deprived areas in Lebanon (Beirut, South and North Lebanon)
5. Was this project funded by more than one funder? If so, please list organization name, contact information of organization, and amount of funding.

NO, it was funded by one funder only.

Project Summary

Please provide a brief (200 words) summary description of your project.

“Decreasing Women’s Marginalization” project is to relieve the marginalization of Lebanese females, Palestinian, and Iraqi Refugees who are victims of torture and domestic violence. It aims at empowering their knowledge about their rights and let them create awareness and opposition to all types of inhumane activities.
It works with the target groups to compensate what they lost, as for their education, learn a profession, empower their skills, discover new potentials within them, get certificate and make finding job easier, plus all benefits they will get on psychological and social level when they get introduced again labor market, improve their economic situation and feel again that they can effective and productive women. Plus strengthening mechanisms that focus on their rights.
Also this project includes special training session according to females capacities and needs (hairdressing, computer courses, English courses, etc.), special sessions on International conventions and treaties against torture, training sessions and campaigns for advocacy and public awareness against torture, Torture in Lebanese Legislation , Statistics about torture and current social and economic situation of torture survivors in Lebanon, Needs of survivors of torture necessary skills for organizing campaigns against torture. Celebrating occasions: 8March, June 26 and December 10. Building the capacities of journalists through workshops. Communicate with the similar organizations to introduce raising awareness of youth to the right of women and women rights in general.

Narrative Report Questions

1) Specific Goals & Objectives
a) Please list the specific goals and objectives as outlined in your proposal for the reporting period listed above.

The human theme as designated by UN runs strong political and social awareness of women struggles worldwide and brought out and examined. For this issue, KRC plan to relieve the marginalization of Lebanese females who are victims of torture and domestic violence, migrant domestic workers who are dying at a rate of more than one every week where most deaths are from suicides or in botched escaped, Palestinian transactions and Iraqi Refugees. It’ll empower their knowledge towards their rights and let them participate in campaigns claiming their rights. It’ll create awareness and oppositions of arbitrary detention, domestic violence, extra-judicial arrests, torture and all kinds of inhumane activities.
It’ll help the target groups mentioned above to compensate what they lost, as for their education, learn profession, empower their skills, discover new potentials within them, get certificate and make finding job easier, plus all benefits they will get on psychological and social level when they get introduced again to labor market, improve their economic situation, and feel again that they can be effective and productive women. In addition to strengthening mechanisms that focus their rights.
Project’s activities include special training session according to females’ capacities and needs (Literacy, sewing and embroider, secretariat, handicrafts, hairdressing and computer literacy), public awareness sessions on International conventions and treaties against torture, training sessions for advocacy and public awareness against torture. Torture in Lebanese legislation, Statistics about torture and current social and economic situation of torture survivors in Lebanon, survivors’ needs, necessary skills for organizing campaigns against torture. Celebrating occasions: March 8 (International Women’s Day), June 26 (UN International Day in support of Victims of Torture) and December 10 (International Day for Human Rights)by activities all over the country-as each- year targeting the community public schools of girls, common events with other NGOs working for the “My Citizenship is a right for me and my family”. Media campaign for a continued focus on women’s rights. This will include the production of publicity materials such as posters and brochures on the issue, the creation f TV and radio public service announcements, and building the capacity of journalists through workshops and meeting aiming to introduce them to the problems’ aspects. The campaign will target the general population. Raise awareness of youth to the right to reject violence against women and women rights in general.

2) Methods
a) To what extent has this program accomplished the objectives described in the original proposal?

The program has greatly accomplished the objectives and all the activities were performed as planned and in a way to meet the project’s purpose. The skills of the target group were empowered, new potentials were discovered, the target group victim of torture and violence was supported socially and psychologically, and a better awareness of women rights and legislations against violence was promoted.

b) Have the original objectives and implementation plan/activities been revised? Were there any setbacks? Please specify.

Yes, they have been revised. No, there were no setbacks.

c) Did you collaborate with any other organizations?

Throughout the project, KRC collaborated with different organizations, social societies, and municipalities such as:
- Organizations: Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering, Development Services Centre, Kafa Organization, The International Organization for Migration (IOM), The Higher Council of Childhood, and Al Rased.
- Municipalities: Berghlieh Municipality, Hula Municipality
- Ministries: Ministry of Social Affairs
- Schools: Najah School, Thakafa School, and Judi Nursery

d) To what extent has this program reached its intended constituency, involved them in solutions that addressed their needs, and strengthened their capacity to do so?

All the program’s activities were addressed to marginalized and violated women in the most deprived areas in Lebanon who suffered from violence and torture directly (primary victim) or indirectly (secondary victim, such as a close family member). The beneficiaries were involved in the solutions in that they suggested the workshops’ subjects, the repetition of some workshops and their needs were taking into consideration. Additionally, some women volunteered with KRC and helped implementing its activities.

3) Results
a) Does the organization feel the project was a success? Why?

Yes, KRC feels that the project was a success because it reached marginalized women in the most deprived areas (violated women, women prisoners, and domestic worker migrants). It supported them psychologically and socially, spread awareness and empowered their skills. For many, the project was a U turns that put new potential to their social and productive life. True that not all of them got engaged in jobs or businesses (many were not seeking work in the first play), but they all benefited on the social and psychological level. Their knowledge about their rights and how to reach them got enhanced, there mental condition got improved and their self esteem was boosted. Besides, they got introduced to legislations and treaties against torture and they were not aware of.

It is necessary to add that in Lebanon the culture of shame and guilt dominate and control many behaviors in the society and in many areas, especially rural ones; people abide by strict traditions and conservative social values. For instance, even if a wife got beaten by her husband, it is a shame to object and turn for help. Therefore, this project clarified to its beneficiaries that there are people who are ready to assist them and that they should not feel afraid to ask for help.
Moreover, their individual improvement has positively affected their surroundings (family, children, and friends). This project presents a step forward towards the decrease of women marginalization in Lebanon.

b) Can you provide any specific short success stories that IWP may use in a newsletter or annual report?

A.J.: After the death of her father, Anoud, an Iraqi girl whose mother is Lebanese, lived with her father’s family where she was subject to physical and mental violence throughout her stay with them. Her mother, along with her step father, did not treat her a lot better. As they were only concerned with raising money, they forced her into child prostitution. When KRC’s team reached Anoud, they found a young girl suffering from depression and lack of self esteem.
KRC supported Anoud psychologically so she can overcome her past, gain her self-confidence, and learn how to communicate with her family which was full of problems. She attended vocational trainings where she learned hair dressing, then worked in a hairdressing salon and became productive.

F.B.: An 18 year old girl who witnessed her brother in law getting violent with her sister and ending up by murdering her. When KRC’s team met Fatima, they found a young lady who suffers from PTSD and perceives marriage as something awful and terrible. To her, all crimes against women are the consequences of men.
The team followed up on her case and offered her psychological support to help her stop generalizing and change her believes about men. Fatima started getting better and showed great cooperation. She was finally convinced that it’s true that some men are bad, aggressive, and violent, but many of them are good and could be wonderful husbands.
Today, although she still continues psychotherapy, Fatima is a married contented woman

W.Y: A married 33 year old woman who lives in a remote village in Tyr area. Her uncle used to sexually abuse her for many long years and threatened to kill her if she informed anyone. W. was afraid to turn for help and she ended up suffering from severe depression, guilt and lack of self esteem.
After several psychotherapy sessions, W. was able to overcome her past and the guilt feeling and regained her self confidence. She became independent and decided to adopt the hairdressing profession.

J.A: A married women who lives in Saida, South Lebanon. She is non-educated and does not lead a professional life. She has low self esteem and believes that she is useless and marginalized.
Ms. J. started attending the accessory making course that KRC was leading and proved to be creative and hard worker. After a period of time, she took part in an exhibition in Saida where she displayed and sold her creations. Now, she is getting ready to take part in another exhibition.

As mentioned in the activities, KRC carried out a play that illustrates the success stories of different victims of torture and violence. (Please find it enclosed on a CD)

c) Please comment on the project’s potential lasting impact, and how this is measured.
The potential impact of the project is to reduce the culture of violence in Lebanon. This can be measured through studies made in schools, among the beneficiaries and through information gathered from municipalities in the deprived areas. Moreover, there are many indicators to help measure this long term effect that they are mainly related to numbers (like numbers of project direct and indirect beneficiaries, number of victims who launched a new lucrative business, success stories, …). We state the following:
- Get statistics and/or studies from the government, municipalities and/or other official sources that monitor human rights issues.
- Observe the number and status of beneficiaries (check the activities’ impact on their professional, psychological and medical status).
- Monitor the outcomes of previous project that will eventually lead to a potential impact. For instance, KRC’s advocacy campaigns pushed the Lebanese government to recompense to 8000 victims of violence and torture, the capacity building programs resulted in the employment of 75 victims at OGERO (a Lebanese communication company), the assistance (medical, psychological, and social) provided to prisoners (men and women) helped alleviate the general conditions of prisoners in Lebanon. All the mentioned above outcomes decreased violence and torture examples improved human rights in Lebanon.

d) Are there specific plans for continuing work on this program? How will the organization fund these efforts? If desired, please include here a recommendation for IWP funding.

As its mission is to rehabilitate the victims of torture and violence, KRC has different defined plans to continue working on this project:
- Organize follow up training (to enforce the beneficiaries’ skills and help them overcome the implementations problems) addressed to the same group
- Pursue (to the same beneficiaries) the psychological and mental support of the victims of torture and pursue new victims
- Organize more workshops & awareness raising seminars on women rights and legislations against torture in different regions, including schools
- Empower the skills of KRC’s staff and increase its ability to cope with stress (especially that witnessing the different violence cases can be traumatic)

In order to continue its mission and achieve its goals & objectives, KRC seeks funding through the following:
- KRC looks forward to the OSI (IWP) funding renewal.
- KRC is always seeking new grants to fund potential projects that supports the victims of violence and torture, democracy and human rights (including IRCT)
- The Ministry of Health in Lebanon regularly provides KRC with medicines to support the health days and the medical activities that it leads to relief the torture & violence effect.
- KRC has a reliable group of volunteers that support its activities.

We recommend that IWP award more funding directed to vocational trainings and human rights public awareness in order to empower females who are subject to violence and torture; they need to know their rights in order to know what to expect and stand for themselves. Moreover, being deprived and marginalized, those victims need empowerment which helps them become financially independent and makes them stand for themselves and/or their families.

Moreover, Lebanon’s report that was submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council (OHCHR) in Geneva on November 10, 2010, during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), and that insisted on the reservations to some CEDAW articles, enforces the importance of fighting against violence of enhancing women’s rights in Lebanon.

Although Lebanon ratified the CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women) on April 21, 1997, it has made reservations to some CEDAW articles (kindly check http://cedaw.wordpress.com/2007/04/10/lebanon/ for further information).
The Lebanese nationality law still discriminates against women and the government still insists on the reservations on article 9 paragraph 2 of CEDAW. This reservation regards the right of the Lebanese women to grant the nationality to their children.

That critical situation and the government’s continuous refusal regarding the reservations put the Lebanese women in front of a bold challenge and long struggle for independence, and KRC is directly involved in the long struggle towards a society free of discrimination and violence against women.

Reflection
e) What, if anything, has been/is occurring in the field that has changed the climate for your organization?

Nothing

f) What did the organization learn from this project and how will that apply to future projects and activity?

During the implementation of this project, KRC learned the following:
- There is an increasing tendency towards a culture of violence in Lebanon especially in the deprived areas. Parents raise their kids in a way that boys are superior to girls and children are expected to act accordingly. Therefore, as to cover the different problems’ aspects and in order to achieve better results, future projects should include men and children in their activities, and not only women... Moreover, understanding the culture and social background of the targeted group is a necessity as it directly affects the project’s results.
- KRC has learned to value the importance of long term following up on the victims of torture and violence as a short period of support was proved inefficient, especially that beneficiaries suffer from a inter-connected group of problems (medical, psychological, social, and economical)
- The importance of honoring the victims of violence and torture and offering them moral support.
- The importance of leading advocacy campaign to support legislations against violence and torture, spreading women rights’ awareness, and empowering victims’ capacities.
- Working with victims can be stressful and traumatic (especially for the field workers who get involved with the victims lives and problems). Therefore, training sessions and workshops that empower the staff and help them cope with what they hear and see are highly recommended. Also, trainings that stress on communication, management and other essential skills are also recommended.
- KRC found that listening to beneficiaries’ problems and needs during the program’s implementation is crucial. Although the team carried out a need assessment before the project’s launching, many gaps, which were not foreseen before the project’s initiation, might arise.
- KRC will intensify the educational and skill related activities, psychodrama activities (theater), make celebrations to honor the victims of violence and torture to help them overcome their trauma and improve their self esteem.

g) What one piece of advice would you give to grant makers to help them serve their grantees more effectively?

- Encourage economic empowerment projects (micro-credit project) to support beneficiaries who completed their vocational and help them start out small businesses.
- As new facts and perspectives may possibly emerge during the project’s implementation, KRC suggests some flexibility regarding the changes that grantees may feel important to modify.
- Support advocacy campaigns and psychodrama.

4) Publications
Please provide one copy each of all publications: manuscripts, educational materials (course brochures and syllabi), videos, pamphlets, evaluation instruments, website materials, and press clippings that were published or printed directly resulting from this project. In addition, please provide a copy of the organization’s most recent annual report.

Budget (please use a separate Excel file)

1) Provide an income/expense statement for the grant period indicating the budget amount as originally submitted, and how funds have actually been used thus far, listing all income and expenses.

2) Please indicate if any OSI grant funds remain, and explain any substantial difference between income, expenses and projected budget that appears in your proposal vs. actual expenses.