FEMALE

What FEMALE does

FEMALE (Feminist Collective) is a Lebanese non-governmental organization founded in 2013 and registered under number 867/2013 AD, headquartered in Ashrafiyeh, Beirut. The organization was established by fewer than ten young feminists and journalists and has scaled to roughly 90 staff operating across three community centers in Tripoli, Beirut, and Chouf, following the 2026 destruction of its South Lebanon site. Its programmatic surface spans direct service (a Support Hotline launched in 2019 and a free Legal Clinic launched in 2023), media (the Sharika wa Laken feminist platform, built on WordPress), advocacy (notably a joint UNFPA Lebanon campaign for a Cyber-Violence Law launched in November 2025), and humanitarian response (reaching 8,053 families and more than 10,607 women and girls across 165 shelters between March and May 2026). Leadership consists of Executive Director Hayat Mirshad and Co-Director Alia Awada.

FEMALE's core "products" are non-commercial in nature: community-center programming, hotline-based case support, legal-aid clinics, multimedia content through Sharika wa Laken, and policy advocacy on women's rights and digital gender-based violence. The technical footprint is modest and centered on web publishing (WordPress) and standard web analytics (Google Analytics); there is no disclosed platform architecture beyond these tools. Service delivery is human-led and field-based, with programmatic IP residing in curriculums, advocacy playbooks, and the editorial voice of Sharika wa Laken rather than in software.

The business model is a non-profit, grant-funded operating model. FEMALE generates no commercial revenue; all funding comes from institutional donors and foundation grants, including UNFPA, UNICEF, the Malala Fund, CARE, Oxfam, and Terre des Hommes Germany, plus the 2026 Ghazal Foundation and Fondation de France Peace & Conflict Prevention Prize. Customer segments, in the donor sense, are international institutional funders and UN agencies; in the beneficiary sense, FEMALE serves women and girls across Lebanese communities, refugees, and displaced populations. There is no pricing model or transactional revenue stream, and growth is a function of donor pipeline expansion, programmatic diversification, and geographic footprint rather than commercial sales.

Name

FEMALE

Legal name

FEMALE (Feminist Collective)

Website

https://fe-male.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

FEMALE is a Lebanese feminist non-governmental organization founded in 2013 that runs community centers, a Support Hotline, a free Legal Clinic, and the Sharika wa Laken media platform to deliver legal, humanitarian, and advocacy services for women and girls across Lebanon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Feminist Advocacy and Gender-Based Violence Support Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF)

Keywords

• Feminist advocacy services
• Gender-based violence support
• Community safe spaces
• Reproductive health rights
• Feminist media platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Beirut

HQ country

Lebanon

HQ region

Middle East

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Donor Funding: FEMALE operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through grants and financial support from international institutional donors, UN agencies, governments, and foundations. The organization does not generate commercial revenue; its activities are funded by partners such as UNFPA, UNICEF, Malala Fund, CARE International, Oxfam, TDH Germany, and others who provide project-based and core funding.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

FEMALE is a grassroots feminist non-governmental organization that delivers community-based programs and direct services to women, girls, non-binary, and marginalized individuals across Lebanon. Its core offerings include safe spaces through three community centers (Tripoli, Beirut, Chouf), a survivor support hotline, a legal department providing consultation and case management, emergency humanitarian relief, the Sharika wa Laken feminist media platform, and advocacy for policy reform including Lebanon's first Digital Safety Law.

Product overview

FEMALE is a community-based non-profit grassroots feminist organization (not a technology company) that offers a portfolio of advocacy programs, safe spaces, and support services rather than a traditional software product. Its primary offerings include: (1) Sharika wa Laken, an independent regional feminist news platform featuring journalism, podcasts, and multimedia storytelling; (2) FEMALE Centers/Safe Spaces in Tripoli, Beirut, and Chouf providing psychosocial support and community organizing; (3) a Support Hotline and Legal Department offering survivor-centered services; and (4) various advocacy initiatives including the Digital Safety Law campaign. The organization does not operate a software-as-a-service product or platform with technical integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sharika wa Laken: Feminist Media Initiative launched in 2015 as the first online feminist platform in the Middle East, promoting feminism, gender equality and ensuring that girls, women, and LGBTQI+ community have access to resources, information and protection. Started as a feminist radio show on local Lebanese radio station Sawt El Shaab from May 2012 to September 2014.

Products and services

• Sharika wa Laken Feminist Media Platform Independent regional feminist news platform featuring feminist journalism, investigative reporting, podcasts (including '2osas Hayat'), and multimedia storytelling documenting gender-based violence, women's access to justice, personal status laws, reproductive rights, and other forms of legal and institutional discrimination across the SWANA region.
• FEMALE Community Centers / Safe Spaces Community centers operating in Tripoli, Beirut, and Chouf that provide safe spaces for women, girls, non-binary, and marginalized individuals to meet, network, learn, access resources, and organize. The centers serve as feminist hubs for psychosocial support, case management, and community empowerment. A fourth center in South Lebanon was destroyed during the 2026 war escalation, and a new Chouf safe space was opened in 2025.
• Women Survivors Support Hotline Dedicated support line for survivors of violence against women and girls, providing confidential, survivor-centered support including psychosocial support, legal consultation, referrals, and continuous case management. The hotline is complemented by a WhatsApp feedback line (+961 71426870).
• Legal Department Services Provides legal consultations, supports survivors in understanding their rights, assists in preparing complaints and legal documents, and accompanies survivors throughout legal and administrative procedures for gender-based violence cases in Lebanon.
• 2osas Hayat Podcast Podcast series under Sharika wa Laken that documents the lived experiences of women confronting domestic violence, custody injustice, religious court discrimination, and cross-border child abduction, amplifying survivor voices through storytelling and analysis.
• Digital Safety Law Initiative Initiative to develop and advocate for Lebanon's first Digital Safety Law for Women and Girls, designed to strengthen legal protections and accountability mechanisms in response to technology-facilitated gender-based violence. FEMALE and UNFPA Lebanon launched a joint campaign for the law under the 16 Days of Activism (November 2025).
• Masarouna Project (SRHR Program) Regional program (2022–2025) working with local partners and young people on influencing and strengthening civic space, addressing legislation, and transforming social norms around sexual and reproductive health and rights in the MENA region. Funded by Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oxfam Novib, SMEX, and RNW Media.
• Girls Leading the Change Project Project addressing barriers to girls' education and movement building in Lebanon by accelerating organizational and leadership skills and ensuring access to resources and support networks for young women and girl-led groups. Supported by the Malala Fund.
• Feminist Interventions and Safe Spaces Program Nationwide psychosocial support and well-being program responding to urgent needs of women and adolescent girls, including art, self-defense, football, and basketball sessions for adolescent girls aged 13 to 17. With TDH Germany support, the program has reached more than 1,000 women and girls.
• Legal Clinic Project Joint initiative with LOYAC Lebanon cultivating a new generation of legal professionals committed to advancing justice for women and children in Lebanon through workshops, training sessions, mentorship, and advocacy. Over four cycles, more than 60 legal professionals have been trained since 2023.
• Emergency Humanitarian Response Program Humanitarian response operations providing menstrual hygiene kits, rapid response kits, mattresses, food parcels, hot meals, emergency cash assistance, and subsidized services to displaced women and girls during the Israeli war on Lebanon. Between March and May 2026, the response reached 8,053 families and over 10,607 women and girls across 165 shelters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Emergency response reached 8,053 families and 10,607+ women and girls across 165 shelters between March and May 2026
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

27 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• UNFPA LebanoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNFPA Lebanon partnered with FEMALE on emergency humanitarian response and joint advocacy campaigns, including the launch of a campaign for Lebanon's first cyber-violence law (November 2025) under the 16 Days of Activism. UNFPA also supported FEMALE's emergency response in 2026.
• UNICEF LebanoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNICEF Lebanon supported FEMALE's emergency humanitarian response reaching women and girls across 165 shelters in 2026.
• CARE International in LebanonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCARE International in Lebanon partnered with FEMALE in the emergency response effort (2026), supporting distributions and humanitarian aid to displaced families across Lebanon.
• Oxfam LebanonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOxfam Lebanon partnered with FEMALE in the 2026 emergency response effort, supporting humanitarian distributions to displaced families.
• EquipopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquipop supported FEMALE's 2026 emergency response effort.
• Oxfam InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOxfam International supports FEMALE through various projects including Masarouna (SRHR) and emergency response, and is a 2024 partner.
• SMEXmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMEX is a partner in the Masarouna project (2022-2025), contributing to civic space and SRHR advocacy in MENA.
• RNW MediamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRNW Media partners on the Masarouna project (2022-2025) supporting young people's engagement in SRHR advocacy in MENA.
• British Council LebanonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBritish Council Lebanon is a 2024 partner working on cultural and educational programs alongside FEMALE.
• The Rafto FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Rafto Foundation for Human Rights is a 2023 partner supporting human rights advocacy.
• Thomson Reuters FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThomson Reuters Foundation is a 2023 partner supporting legal and media initiatives related to gender justice.
• Plan InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlan International is a 2022 partner, notably collaborating on a national study on period poverty in Lebanon (with 76% of women/girls affected by difficulty accessing menstrual products) and related campaigns.
• Save the ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSave the Children is a 2018-2019 and 2022 partner, notably on the 'Young Voices Challenging Inequalities' project (2018-2021) alongside UN Women, targeting gender equality in rural areas of Lebanon.
• UN WomencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN Women is a 2022 partner and was a key donor for the 'Young Voices Challenging Inequalities' project (2018-2021) targeting gender equality and youth engagement in rural Lebanon.
• ICNL (International Center for Not-for-Profit Law)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICNL is a 2022 partner supporting legal frameworks for civil society organizations.
• InternewsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternews is a 2022 partner working to keep media independent and supporting gender-sensitive media coverage.
• PurposefulmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPurposeful is a 2021 partner supporting feminist movement building and advocacy.
• ABAADcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABAAD (Resource Center for Gender Equality) is a long-standing partner from 2018-2019 and collaborated on GBV prevention projects with Syrian refugees and host communities, co-funded by MOFA of the Netherlands.
• OHCHRmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOHCHR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights) is a 2018-2019 partner supporting human rights frameworks.
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO is a 2018-2019 partner supporting FEMALE's work on gender equality in media and film industry advocacy, including the online directory of female film professionals in the Maghreb-Mashreq region.
• International Labour Organization (ILO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILO partnered on the 'My Fair Home' campaign (2018-2019) to transform attitudes towards migrant domestic workers in Arab states, addressing the Kafala system.
• EuroMed Feminist InitiativemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuroMed Feminist Initiative is a 2018-2019 partner supporting feminist media projects for women refugees.
• World March of WomenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld March of Women is a 2012-2017 partner representing a global feminist movement.
• RDFL (Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRDFL is a 2012-2017 partner collaborating on women's rights and democratic participation in Lebanon.
• LOYAC LebanoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOYAC Lebanon is a joint initiative partner on the Legal Clinic project (since 2023), cultivating a new generation of legal professionals committed to advancing justice for women and children in Lebanon. Over 4 cycles, more than 60 legal professionals have been trained.
• SukuamismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSukuamis co-organized the South-South Feminist Solidarity Meeting in São Paulo (January 2025) with FEMALE and Oxfam regional teams, gathering 35 feminist activists from SWANA and LAC.
• Oxfam Regional Teams (Brazil, SWANA, LAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOxfam's regional teams in Brazil, SWANA, and LAC co-organized the South-South Feminist Solidarity Meeting in São Paulo (January 2025) alongside FEMALE and Sukuamis, rooted in decolonial feminist practice.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Oxfam in Lebanon: International INGO operating emergency response, WASH, and gender programs in Lebanon. Partner of FEMALE on Masarouna and 2026 emergency response; broader incumbent with overlapping gender and humanitarian mandates.
• CARE International in Lebanon: Global humanitarian and gender-equality INGO with active Lebanon portfolio. Partnered with FEMALE in the 2026 emergency response; broader incumbent with overlapping humanitarian and women's empowerment programs.
• Save the Children Lebanon: International INGO with women's and girls' rights programs in Lebanon. Joint implementation partner with FEMALE on the Young Voices Challenging Inequalities (2018–2021) project; broader incumbent in the same donor ecosystem.
• UN Women Lebanon: UN agency advancing gender equality globally and in Lebanon, and a previous FEMALE donor/partner on the Young Voices project. Comparable as a regional gender-equality actor but operates at vastly greater scale and as a multilateral body.
• Plan International Lebanon: International NGO focused on girls' rights and gender equality. Partner of FEMALE on period poverty research and campaigns in Lebanon; broader incumbent with global reach but overlapping thematic focus.

Direct peers

• RDFL – Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering: Long-standing Lebanese women's rights organization focused on democratic participation and legal reform. Direct peer of FEMALE on women's rights advocacy, also a historical partner (2012–2017) and co-nominee for the 2026 Ghazal prize.
• KAFA (Enough Violence and Exploitation): One of Lebanon's oldest feminist NGOs working on GBV, women's legal protection, and child custody reform. Direct peer of FEMALE in feminist advocacy and survivor services, and co-nominee for the 2026 Ghazal prize.
• SMEX: Lebanese/MENA digital rights organization focused on internet freedom, online harassment, and digital safety — a direct partner of FEMALE on the Masarouna SRHR project and an aligned actor on the cyber-violence law campaign.
• ABAAD – Resource Center for Gender Equality: Long-standing Lebanese gender-equality NGO focused on GBV prevention, policy reform, and engagement with Syrian refugees and host communities. Direct peer of FEMALE — they co-implement GBV projects funded by MOFA of the Netherlands and were shortlisted together for the 2026 Ghazal prize.
• LECORVAW: Lebanese Coalition for the Abolition of the Death Penalty and advocacy on women's rights/GBV. Direct peer of FEMALE in Lebanon's feminist NGO ecosystem and co-nominee for the 2026 Ghazal prize.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FeMaleComms
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FeMalecomms/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/FeMaleComms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fe-malecomms
• Instagraminstagram.com/femalecomms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FEMALE