UNFPA Lebanon and nine local partners celebrated the achievements of a three-year programme (2017-2019), whose aim was to empower women and young girls through promoting reproductive health and preventing gender-based violence, including combating early marriage, across Lebanon. The programme's beneficiaries were refugees and host communities.

The outdoor event at Deir Taanayel in the Bekaa brought together almost 600 individuals: peer educators, beneficiaries, community leaders, non-governmental organizations, to name a few. Partners displayed their successes and highlighted the programme’s outcomes through art, games, videos, personal testimonies, and publications, and guests enjoyed drawing and writing messages, taking instant photos, networking and sharing a meal together. A theater performance on gender equality was also performed by girl peer educators.

The programme and its results could not have been realized without the generous contrinution of the Government of Canada. Present at the event was Canada Ambassador to Lebanon, Her Excellency Ambassador Emmanuelle Lamoureux, who visited the booths, engaged with partners and participants, and spoke about the importance of reproductive health rights in order to empower women and girls, drawing on her personal experiences.

Over the last three years, 175,000 beneficiaries were reached with information on family planning and early marriage, 75 women were trained on financial management, and 7 reproductive health and gender-based violence manuals were developed, among many other achievements.