Mohanna: Women’s empowerment is a prerequisite for societal progress and stability

The Australian Ambassador to Lebanon, Andrew Barnes, accompanied by a delegation from the Embassy and a delegation from UN Women including Economic Empowerment Programme Officer Hasnaa Mansour, Programme Assistant Nour Abdel Reda, and Oum Kalthoum Ahmad, visited the Amel Association International health, social, and development center in Ain El Remmaneh to learn more about the Association’s programmes and its role in supporting and empowering women and girls.

The visit took place as part of the “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” campaign, in which Amel Association participates annually through a series of activities implemented across its centers.

The Ain El Remmaneh Center is one of Amel Association’s core centers. Established in 2009, it has continuously adapted its programmes to evolving community needs. The center later expanded to include a specialized primary healthcare unit on the first floor, providing quality medical services to residents of the area and surrounding neighborhoods. During the most recent war, the center served as a vital lifeline for the people of Ain El Remmaneh and nearby districts, ensuring the continuity of essential services despite extremely challenging conditions.

The visiting delegation toured the center’s departments and reviewed the health and humanitarian programmes delivered to thousands of rights holders, foremost among them the Women’s Empowerment Programme at both the social and economic levels through vocational training, psychosocial support, and awareness-raising activities, in addition to health, education, and elderly care programmes.

The center witnessed a significant expansion of its activities in 2019 as part of Amel Association’s response plan to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Beirut Port explosion, and the severe economic and social collapse, consolidating its role as one of the most active community centers providing uninterrupted daily services.

Dr. Kamel Mohanna welcomed the Australian Ambassador and the UN Women delegation, stressing that Amel Association, as a secular and non-sectarian civil organization, will continue its struggle for human dignity and the construction of a state founded on social justice, regardless of the severity of circumstances. He noted that the Association is deploying its maximum capacities on the ground through more than 40 health and development centers and mobile clinics, led by approximately 2,400 staff members and volunteers working with dedication and commitment to respond to the multidimensional crisis and to promote a transformative model for building a Lebanon based on citizenship and justice.

Mohanna further emphasized that investing in women and girls is a central pillar of Amel’s humanitarian mission, grounded in the protection of dignity and rights. He explained that the center provides a safe space that strengthens women’s capacities and equips them with tools to protect themselves from all forms of violence, including digital violence, which has become one of today’s most pressing challenges. He added that Amel’s centers embody an integrated approach that bridges relief, development, and empowerment, transforming spaces into laboratories of hope where stories of change are shaped day after day.

During the visit, the Ambassador and accompanying delegation attended an awareness and artistic creativity session organized as part of the 16 Days campaign. The session included an in-depth presentation on digital violence and ways to confront it, as well as an art workshop in which participants transformed their creative works into visual digital messages expressing strength and empowerment and highlighting the rights of women and girls in both physical and digital spaces. The delegation engaged in dialogue with women and girls about their experiences, daily challenges, concerns, and aspirations, listening to personal stories reflecting resilience and a strong desire for change.

For his part, Ambassador Andrew Barnes expressed his admiration for Amel Association’s work and the strong humanitarian spirit guiding its field programmes. He noted that the center’s ability to persevere through the most difficult circumstances, from war to successive crises, demonstrates the depth of the Association’s commitment to people. Barnes affirmed that Australia values partnerships that generate tangible impact on the ground and will continue to support initiatives that promote equality, protect women and girls, and strengthen community resilience.