Three women's committees, formed during the project "For her dignity –health, food and protection from violence for women and girls in Lebanon" carried out three surveys on different types of violence in Lebanese society. The committees, which participated, among other things, in a training on the preparation and implementation of surveys, will use the results to organise awareness-raising campaigns against violence in their communities.

All three surveys were carried out by the women's committees with the help of young volunteers. During the preparation of the surveys, several focus groups were held with women, men and young people of different nationalities and from different social groups. For each survey, online questionnaires with around 30 questions were prepared and completed by around 300 participants.

The first survey addressed the online violence. According to the Lebanese police, the number of cases of online violence in the country is rising sharply, with 80% of victims being women and girls. Since online violence can have deep long term negative effects on victims and is becoming more often due to the time we spend online, the Women's Committee in Ein el Helweh decided to conduct a survey in this area. The prevalence of social networks, the boldness of the perpetrators, who are in most cases unknown, and the fact that they particularly target the most marginalised and vulnerable groups contributed to the choice of this topic.

The results of the focus groups and interviews confirmed that more than 50% of young men and girls are exposed to various types of online violence, such as harassment or bullying. Most of them find it difficult to admit or disclose that they were exposed to online violence. As a result of their exposure to online violence, they suffer from various symptoms such as loss of appetite, social withdrawal, psychological distress, thoughts of self-harm.

The survey also showed that 85% of participants do not know who to turn to if they are exposed to online violence. Respondents believe that there is a particular need to empower and raise awareness among parents on how to ensure safe use of the internet by their children and youth, how to recognise that their children are exposed to online violence and how to treat them in case of exposure to online violence.

Participants in the survey also stressed the importance of raising awareness among young people and families about the possibilities of making a complaint through the online crime department, about possibilities to obtain legal support offered by the relevant institutions and about the provision of psychosocial support to young people and families affected by cyber-violence. They also stressed the need to adopt a law on online violence and to increase fines, to adopt a national strategy to combat online violence, etc.

The second survey addressed verbal violence, as this is the most widespread, especially among young people. Since verbal violence cannot be prosecuted legally, it is perpetrated without accountability or control and regardless of the consequences it leaves for the victim. This is why the Women's Committee at Burg Hamoud in Beirut decided to investigate the issue of verbal violence and the extent to which economic, financial and personal problems cause the increase in verbal violence. At the same time, the study addressed its causes, forms and consequences, as well as mechanisms of protection against verbal violence.

The study showed that verbal violence is one of the most widespread forms of violence and is also linked to customs and traditions. Participants in the survey pointed out that verbal violence is not limited to the use of bad words and swearing, but also includes blaming others, insulting, making people feel inferior, and expressing disrespect towards people of other religions and ethnicities. The survey showed that verbal violence has become something common, something natural in Lebanon, and that this has been accelerated by the use of social media, which has no limits.

For most of the women and girls interviewed, verbal violence is also the most serious type of violence and the one they are most often exposed to, mainly because of the customs and traditions that legitimise the use of this type of violence at home, behind walls. They are also exposed to street bullying, verbal harassment, abusive comments, messages, etc.

Participants and respondents to the survey stressed the need to address verbal violence in various ways, namely by raising awareness throughout society about the harm caused by verbal violence and the importance of dialogue and tolerance in building a peaceful society, by including content on peace, tolerance and the fight against violence in school curricula, by strengthening legislation to combat verbal violence, and by increasing the fines for perpetrators.

The last, third survey, was carried out by the Sidon Women's Committee, which addressed the challenges faced by women and girls in the field of employment and economic independence. The participants of this survey were almost entirely women and girls and a large proportion of them (86.94%) were unemployed, indicating a major problem of female unemployment. According to 95.17% of the women respondents, the economic crisis in Lebanon is the main factor behind the lack of employment opportunities, followed by educational gaps and discrimination.

The most important challenges women face when looking for a job are the lack of secure job opportunities (37.88%), the lack of opportunities to strengthen their employability skills and the lack of opportunities to develop their own business projects (20.83%). One of the challenges highlighted is the limited access to quality education. Social discrimination is also a major obstacle for women in Sidon, where traditional social expectations limit their role in society and their participation in the workplace. Women are often seen as unqualified or unsuitable for many jobs, which reduces their chances of getting a good job.

To address some of these barriers, women participants highlighted the need to strengthen training programmes (44.36%) that focus on developing the skills needed in the labour market while considering also women's needs and interests. At the same time, they suggested support for starting small and medium-sized business projects (49.43%). They also emphasised the importance of initiatives that would encourage women to start their own businesses, and provision of financial and technical support that can provide them with new job opportunities and increase their economic independence.

The activities are part of the project "For her dignity –health, food and protection from violence for women and girls in Lebanon". The project is implemented in cooperation with our partner Developmental Action without Borders - Naba'a and with the financial support of the Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.