Arab NGO Network annual report: overview of risks to families, youth and women in Lebanon

The eleventh annual report on Arab NGOs was launched yesterday at Amel main office in Mussaytbeh in the presence of representatives of various NGOs and media people. The annual report is the outcome of collaboration between the Executive Director of the Arab NGO Network, Dr. Amani Qandil, who supervised its production and Amel International Association which prepared the Lebanon’s section entitled ‘Role of Civil Society Organizations in Addressing Risks Faced by Families in Lebanon : Empowerment for the purpose of Fortification’ under the supervision of Drs. Kamel Mohanna and Mustafa Hijazi.
Hijazi and Mohanna noted that the study the country developed around a central pole and against a background of marginalization of wide sectors of the population and huge risks faced by middle and popular class families. The social situation is largely characterized by family dysfunction that has a clear negative effect on women (more than on men) and thus affecting the health and development of the entire family. The study also indicated that the proportion of NGOs focusing their services on the family, women, youth and children represent 100 percent (i.e. all of the surveyed NGOs), those focusing on elderly (40%), on persons with disability (50%), on divorced women and widows (50%) while all associations (100 percent) provided health services and preventive programs.
In conclusion, Dr. Mohanna pointed out to the main risks faced by society from the NGO perspective namely: drug addiction (90%), exclusion of of women from public participation (30%), unemployment and livelihood problems (100%), youth unemployment (60%), security (80%), sectarian polarization (90%), housing of families and youth (70%).
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 12 July 2013