Anamilouna – Women Empowerment Center is a handicraft center aimed at improving the livelihoods of impoverished women and their families, and at the same time promoting and preserving the rich Lebanese handicrafts that reflect the rich history of the country inspired by the many ancient and contemporary cultures the country has passed through. 

Hariri Foundation launched the women empowerment center in 2001 and equipped it to promote the economic empowerment of women through the acquisition of traditional, skills, capacity building, job creation and career development.  Through a range of activities and services, from educational, economic and legal advice, to psycho-social counseling and support, the center strives to create permanent sources of income, targeting women between the ages of 17-70.

The center builds on existing traditional activities that women are engaged in and which represent an important source of income to them. Women used to sell their outputs through local shops, exhibitions, and seasonal bazaars. However, the returns are generally low because of poor marketing channels and incompatibility with consumers’ tastes. Women also lacked the power and bargaining skills to demand a fair price for the product. Anamilouna trains women on modern and creative handicrafts by providing them with professional advice on new lines of production. Women have been trained on weaving, embroidery, sewing, and other methods of handicrafts. The indirect impact of this project would be empowering and building the capacity of women through a series of diverse informative lectures on women rights, health-related lectures, basic computer skills, languages and design.