Women's Program Association (WPA)

Women's Program Association (WPA) - Lebanon

Humanitarian and Civic Services - 2021

The Women’s Programs Association (WPA)’s mission is to build a generation of women and youth with equal rights and opportunities, who can assume an active role in the development of their community and increase their opportunities for a decent livelihood. WPA is a non-profit non-governmental organization, legally registered with the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities since 2008. Through a series of programs and activities under four sectors, Livelihood, Protection, Education, and Social Stability, generations of women are assisted in building their knowledge, capacity, and assets. Livelihood programs include credit lending for business and consumer loans and job employment in WPA’s business and production units like Soufra and food processing units. Protection programs include awareness-raising on a variety of topics like gender, gender-based violence, domestic violence, healthy childhood, good parenting, and others; and psycho-social support to refugee clients identified through WPA’s listening centers.  Education programs cover skill training for youth that enhances their employment opportunities, support lessons for school leavers and pre-school activities, and the social stability program includes activities relating to social cohesion and social integration. WPA’s approach is inclusive, participatory, responsive to evolving needs, and ensures synergy with other actors.  It operates in eight camps throughout Lebanon and has a team of over 100 of project and fixed term staff. Among its achievements, WPA has successfully established 11 women’s committees in nine camps. It developed the micro-loan program which helped many women build their family businesses or support their families with essential needs. In 2020, WPA mobilized all its resources to support the refugee’s community with the prevention of COVID-19 and in addressing the impact of COVID-19 on affected families. WPA has a large network of donors. It is diversified between UN agencies like UNRWA and ILO, international organizations like ANERA, GIZ, NORDIC Aid, Forum ZFD, Cuisines sans Frontières, Global Education, ALFANAR, and local organizations like Arab Collective Center (ARC) and individual philanthropists.