Lebanon is currently facing a severe crisis. COVID-19 and the Beirut Port Explosion have worsened years of political and economic mismanagement. The country is now in a financial downturn that the World Bank has described as “the worst since the mid-19th Century.”

As a result, many Lebanese and Syrian Refugee women are unable to find enough decent work to meet their basic needs. However, via important interventions such as Cash for Work programs development organizations are collaborating with the government to provide important funds to empower them and secure their futures. 

What Are the Issues in Lebanon?

Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8) calls for countries to “promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.” SDG 8 is crucial because through decent work governments can eradicate poverty and help address social issues like gender inequality. However, because of prevailing sociocultural norms that have been worsened by the crisis, many women in Lebanon suffer labor market marginalization and cannot access decent work to support their needs. For example, traditional gender norms dictate that women should be responsible for childcare and domestic work.

Syrian migrants and refugees also experience oppression, as many of them, under the oppressive kafala system, must live with their employers with no legal protections. As a result, they regularly suffer from exploitation and abuse. As indicated by the latest reports on SDG 8 in Lebanon, the unemployment rate among women could rise. This, in turn, puts an increasing number of women at risk of experiencing poverty.

Potential Solutions: Cash for Work

In recent years, the U.N. in partnership with NGOs and national governments has sought to address the work issues in Lebanon by advocating for economic empowerment. Economic empowerment is critical to achieving poverty reduction, gender equality and the country’s sustainable development goals more broadly. As part of economic empowerment, the central tool for making this happen is the idea of Cash for Work (CfW). CfW interventions play a crucial role. They create chances to enhance the economy by giving people short-term job opportunities. Moreover, these programs provide valuable on-the-job learning and skill development, improving one’s chances of finding employment in the future.

In times of crisis, these interventions are also effective at delivering humanitarian aid and supporting local authorities where they provide basic key services such as urban waste management and road maintenance. 

Why Are Cash-For-Work Programs Effective in Helping Women?

Specifically, cash-for-work programs are good at helping marginalized women in Lebanon because well-devised and gender-sensitive CfW interventions can provide a valuable opportunity to overcome the traditional sociocultural barriers to employment that many women face. For example, according to updates on SDG 8 in Lebanon from the Economic Development Policy Unit, many women have been excluded from the labor market because they are expected to take care of domestic tasks like childcare.

However, through flexible CfW programs, women work when it suits them and earn money based on their productive output rather than by a traditional hourly rate. Moreover, aside from providing them with vital entrepreneurial skills and useful business acumen, CfW can also empower them with a stable currency like the US Dollars. This can significantly boost a household’s income due to the devaluation of the Lebanese Pound. 

Efforts From Organizations

In updates on SDG 8 in Lebanon from UNICEF, the restaurant industry shows CfW in effect. UNICEF, in collaboration with the German Development Bank and the Government of Norway, is funding CfW programs in Lebanon. These initiatives are equipping young Lebanese women with professional cooking skills. These programs are essential as they provide these women with valuable skills, enhancing their employability and enabling them to earn income to meet their basic needs. For instance, Iman, a 21-year-old participant, shared that a CfW program at a local restaurant not only granted her access to employment in a traditionally male-dominated field but also equipped her with the knowledge and skills to prepare specialty Lebanese food items like Labneh and aged cheese. Importantly, this experience empowered her, giving her the freedom and knowledge to consider future self-employment or starting her own business.

Looking Ahead

Therefore, while the restoration of Lebanon’s economy looks to be a slow and painful one, updates on SDG 8 in Lebanon suggest there are reasons to be positive. As has been shown, newly formed partnerships between non-governmental organizations and national governments can provide the necessary training and cash benefits to ensure that vulnerable groups disproportionately affected by the ongoing crisis get the specialist support they require. It is through innovative CfW programs such as those in the Lebanese restaurant industry that women can obtain decent work and help the country progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 8.

– Cameron Mason
Photo: Unsplash