Advancing health and well-being of sexual minority populations in Lebanon and the Middle East and North Africa: From youth to adulthood

The sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescents and young adults, particularly of sexual minority groups, are poorly understood and often under threat because of discrimination. Vulnerable segments of the population in particular are prone to physical and psychological abuse, especially in contexts where their legal identity and existence are not recognized.

In the Middle East and North Africa there is a worrying trend of appropriating the rights of minority communities, especially of those who belong to sexual and gender minority groups. These experiences, whether in schools, communities, online/digital spaces, or the workforce, can affect the health and wellbeing of vulnerable youth.

This project aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of the issues that face youth minority sexual groups and how bullying and harassment affect their health, wellbeing, and access to services. The project will map stakeholders and their capacities in research and evidence generation. This will form the basis for subsequent activities and for strengthening research capacity. Then, using an implementation research approach, an intervention will be rolled out to address discrimination/bullying in schools. This will serve as an entry point to talk about sexuality issues facing youth and adolescents. The research will also involve determining the cost of inaction to address sexual harassment in schools and workplaces. The knowledge that is generated will be disseminated through ongoing knowledge-sharing activities.