“Maha’s Story” photo booklet

ABAAD, in partnership with the International Medical Corps, developed the photo booklet “Maha’s Story.” This photo booklet is a resource that provides Syrian families living in Lebanon with basic legal information related to protection from violence against women and girls, especially sexual violence and trafficking. The booklet tells a story through photos, and is followed by clear and simplified information in the form of questions and answers.

“As we grow up…” Animation video

“As we grow…” is an animation video on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) adapted for Syrian Refugees. The cartoon targeted girls, adolescent girls, and their caretakers/parents. It addresses sexual and reproductive health and rights as well as personal protection issues.

“Violence is Not a Game” puppetry kit

Under the title “Violence is Not a Game,” ABAAD, in partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), developed puppetry kits to be used by animators working with children and adolescents. The kits were developed through a participatory approach, where ABAAD conducted two focus groups with two different groups of adolescent girls in order to identify the two main GBV issues the girls found of utmost importance. The two main identified topics were early marriage and sexual harassment.

Based on the groups’ feedback, ABBAD produced the puppetry kits, which comprise of seven puppets and an accompanying guide booklet, including two stories, one on early marriage, and another on sexual harassment. The puppetry kits assist frontline workers in organising interactive awareness-raising puppet shows on the two topics in local communities.

In 2014, ABAAD held puppet-making workshops for 35 Syrian refugee and Affected Lebanese young girls and adolescents (ages 9 – 17) to empower them to express their GBV-related struggles through puppetry.

At the beginning of each workshop, the girls were introduced to the different types of puppets, the techniques of puppet-making, and how to move puppets in theatrical manners to animate stories. This was followed by a discussion of the GBV-related challenges the girls are facing within their communities, with the prominent issues being verbal harassment in the streets, kidnapping and rape, parental refusal to allow the girls to spend time outside the house, as well as early marriage. The girls then crafted their puppets and formed them in a manner that portrayed the aforementioned issues. Following the puppet-making workshops, ABAAD organised two public exhibitions featuring the puppets created by the girls, one in Taanayel, Bekaa and the other in Wadi Khaled, North Lebanon.

The 250 attendees in Taanayel and the 400 in Wadi Khaled were given the opportunity to view the four different stands, each depicting a social issue the girls are facing: early marriage, violence, social cohesion, and harassment in public. The attendees visited each of the stands, asked questions, and had discussions with the IRC and ABAAD team members.

“Marriage is Not a Game” animation video

Within the framework of the European Union-funded project “Ending Gender-Based Violence: Towards Standardization and Strengthening of Services and Direct Response,” ABAAD, in partnership with UNICEF, produced “Marriage is Not a Game,” an animation video highlighting the risks associated with early marriage, including:

• Deprivation of rights to education;
• Decrease in the girl’s ability to protect herself and her children;
• Increased risks on the health of the girl and the fetus during pregnancy;
• Deprivation of the ability to access decent work in adulthood.

“How to Organise Support Group Sessions for Women and Adolescent Girls”

“How to Organise Support Group Sessions for Women and Adolescent Girls At-Risk or Survivors of GBV Using a Survivor-Centred Approach” is a manual developed in partnership with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), and a group of psychologists and humanitarian actors.

The manual aims at providing actors with the detailed steps of how to organise support group sessions. These support groups would ensure a safe space for self-expression, where women and girls who have survived GBV or are at risk of it receive direct psychosocial support. The objective of the sessions is to provide an opportunity to work on:

1. The individual level, and develop their self-awareness and self-help capacities;
2. The relational level, to build a supportive social network;
3. The broader coping level, to deal with the daily stressors.

Syrian Refugee Women: “Dignity, Care, Protection” – Leaflet

In partnership with the IMC and UNICEF, ABAAD developed “Dignity, Care, Protection,” a booklet for Syrian refugee women in Lebanon. Through illustrations, the booklet delivered key messages that affirm refugee women’s rights to dignity, care, and protection against all kinds of violence and exploitation, receiving humanitarian assistance at no cost, and being referred to specialized points offering medical, legal, and psychological services free of charge, and within their close surroundings. The booklets were distributed at different community centers throughout Lebanon providing services and support to Syrian refugees.