“Protecting Feminist Voices: An Urgent Response to Strengthen Digital Security and Civic Space in North Lebanon
With support from the Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism, Leading Hands Organization launched a vital six-month rapid protection initiative to address critical digital risks facing activists in North Lebanon. Through this project, we established the Feminist Rapid Response Network, connecting seven emerging grassroots collectives, including Women’s Platform to Lead (WPL), Nesma & Basma Association, Cedar Women’s Rising, Youth for Development Association, Learning Through Action, and Lebanese Women’s Assembly, into a unified, secure safety network. Over 35 feminist activists and staff members were equipped with specialized cybersecurity training, practical digital safety tools (including VPNs, encrypted storage, and password managers), dedicated website hosting, and hands-on IT incident support. By pairing technical capacity building with real-time threat monitoring. This initiative not only mitigated online harassment and surveillance but also built lasting cross-movement solidarity and collective resilience across North Lebanon. We extend our deepest thanks and gratitude to the Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism for their flexible, rapid support that made this essential protection work possible.