Throughout 2017, IWSAW has been advancing its innovative training program for officers in the Lebanese Internal Security Forces and General Security. Funded by the Dutch Embassy in Lebanon the program trained local law enforcement personnel on how to prevent and respond to cases of gender-based violence (GBV) and how to investigate GBV cases in a manner that is safe, ethical, and appropriate in order to protect survivors and to bring perpetrators to justice.

All the training material will be compiled into one training manual that will be distributed to newly recruited officers. It is anticipated that the ISF and GS directors will find the training material relevant and important and thus feel the need to integrate it into the ISF and GS training curriculum. This will lead to the formal integration of all inherent subjects, addressed during the training implemented, into the academic program of the ISF and GS members and officials. In addition, the unique Arabic designed curriculum can be shared with other Lebanese security agencies and the army. Eventually the material can also be dispersed to security institutions in other Arab countries with similar needs.

And finally, 35 officers graduated at the end of this month in a closing ceremony that was presided by the General Director of the Internal Security Forces along with senior administration of LAU and the Dutch Embassy. We’re looking forward to further engagement with the security forces as they discuss next steps and determine where we go from here!

The closing ceremony was followed by a two-day roundtable, where representatives from civil society organizations shared their training experiences with the security personnel. Several issues were also discussed during the roundtable, namely, lessons learned from the on-going trainings, sustainability of training projects, recommendations for future training projects, coordination between stakeholders regarding training projects.