Localizing Efforts to Prevent Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Humanitarian Aid: Evolving Experiences of Power and Agency in Lebanon

The Empowered Aid initiative partnered with the Lebanese NGO URDA to address sexual exploitation and abuse by centering the lived expertise of Syrian refugee women and girls. By testing community-led recommendations, such as door-to-door distributions and female-led aid teams, the project significantly increased safety and satisfaction levels for female aid recipients. This feminist approach successfully shifted power to local organizations and affected communities, establishing a new model for accountability and knowledge production in humanitarian aid.