Overview
On 29 January 2026, Advancing Civil Society - GLOCA held two days of physical focus group discussions in Aleppo titled “The Reality of Gender and Access to Services in the Local Community,” in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The sessions were delivered by Reem Al-Jabi and facilitated by Wasim Alhaj, with the participation of 20 women, men, young women, and young men.

Activity Focus
The discussions examined the lived realities of different community groups, with a focus on gender dynamics, access to services and resources, decision-making within families and communities, and protection and safety pathways available to women, men, and youth.

Key Themes

• The realities of women, men, young women, and young men in the local community.

• Fair access to services and essential resources.

• Decision-making patterns within families and community structures.

• Safety and protection needs for different groups.

• Gender-related gaps in service response.

• Community participation in evidence-based solutions.

Key Outputs
The sessions generated qualitative insights on gender roles, access barriers, protection concerns, and community needs. They also helped identify gaps in service delivery and produced practical recommendations to support more responsive, gender-sensitive programming.

Impact
The activity strengthened community participation in identifying real needs and highlighted the importance of safe dialogue, inclusive analysis, and evidence-based planning in designing future interventions that respond to local realities.

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