Impact report: Invest in Women for Lebanon (IWL) Programme

July 2025

4 min read

Report

Meem Foundation’s Invest in Women for Lebanon (IWL) programme empowers women through entrepreneurial guidance, skill-building and holistic wellbeing support, with insights drawn from participant experiences.

Why measure impact?

At Meem Foundation we prioritise data driven decision making to achieve our mission and promote greater transparency and accountability. As a field, we lack meaningful measurement and metrics to understand effective solutions to gender inequality. There is a need to produce relevant gender indicators to drive effective programmatic decision making and resource allocation.

Background

In 2021, Meem Foundation worked with a local partner in Lebanon to create the Invest in Women for Lebanon (IWL) Programme.

The IWL Programme is a strategic economic empowerment initiative supporting women across Lebanon. Over three years, Meem Foundation granted 10 coalitions comprising 20 diverse NGOs to impact over 1,300 women. The coalitions created programmes focused on small business development, technical and life skills training and legal rights awareness.

The programme operated primarily in rural areas, with 40% beneficiaries coming from refugee communities. IWL’s multifaceted approach encompassed entrepreneurship, food manufacturing, handicrafts and mental health support. This approach empowered individual women and also strengthened the network of organisations dedicated to women’s economic advancement in Lebanon.

IWL impact measurement study

In 2023, Meem Foundation engaged 60 Decibels, an independent impact measurement company, to gather detailed insights on the impact of the Invest in Women for Lebanon programme. Through phone interviews, 60 Decibels collected data on women’s economic empowerment, skill acquisition and improvements in quality of life. 60 Decibels spoke to 643 IWL beneficiaries in Lebanon.

Key findings

Programme overview

The IWL programme primarily serves middle aged women from male headed households, reaching individuals who previously lacked opportunities of similar support services.

Top motivation for joining IWL

Beneficiaries join IWL primarily seeking entrepreneurship and economic empowerment opportunities, demonstrating a strong focus on business development and financial independence.

Current wellbeing

On a scale of 0 to 10, beneficiaries report concerning high stress levels related to finances, despite positive self-confidence scores. However, they show low scores in handling unexpected expenses and planning for the future, highlighting gaps in financial resilience.

Quality of life improvements

The IWL programme demonstrates strong impact, with a majority reporting improved quality of life. Beneficiaries experiencing positive changes cite increased confidence, skill acquisition and enhanced social engagement as key outcomes. These benefits indicate the programme’s effectiveness in delivering personal and professional development.

Three most common self-reported outcomes for 81% of beneficiaries who say their quality of life improved

Impact on confidence and community

The IWL programme boosts beneficiaries’ self-confidence and enhances their community standing, with most reporting improvements in both personal abilities and social perception.

Beneficiaries’ voices

“My daily life has improved in terms of decision-making. I now feel more aware of my community and the laws; this allows me to act confidently and make any decision, even related to my daily purchases, with more confidence.” Women Social Uplift beneficiary, 40
“On a personal level, I gained more self-confidence and a push to open my own business, and it gave me the methodology to do so.” Noun Al Da’em beneficiary, 47
“My mom encouraged me to go to the training, and I was getting divorced; then I was motivated to learn a new skill that I could turn into a business.” Women Social Uplift beneficiary, 27
“Now I budget for everything, and I conduct quality control for all food. By increasing my income, I now feel independent and capable of facing any financial problem.” Women Social Uplift beneficiary, 41

Net Promoter Score™

The IWL programme achieves strong participant satisfaction, earning a Net Promoter Score™ of 66. Key drivers of satisfaction include trainer quality, programme content and practical skills development.

Programme content & looking ahead

The programme shows mixed results in terms of practical application and implementation of content into participants’ livelihoods. While the content was generally accessible to participants, financial barriers presented significant challenges to full implementation. Participants particularly valued the programme’s holistic approach, combining psychological support with practical skill development.