Open to opportunities

Dounia Abbas

@douniaabbas

I build humanitarian communication and behavior change initiatives that advance protection, inclusion, and gender equality.

Lebanon

Message

What I'm looking for

I'm looking for humanitarian or development work where I can lead strategic communication, social and behaviour change, knowledge management, and gender-responsive initiatives that strengthen community engagement and demonstrate impact.

I've led humanitarian communication and social and behaviour change work with UNICEF Syria, Magenta Consulting, and Black Star Strategies, turning field implementation into knowledge products, strategies, campaigns, and donor-ready evidence.

At Magenta Consulting, I co-led Lebanon's national SBCC QUDWA Strategy addressing child labor, child marriage, and violence against women and children. I've also delivered UNICEF and Mercy Corps projects spanning soap opera television, social cohesion, immunisation, vaccine uptake, caregiver tools, and multimedia education.

My work is grounded in gender equality, GBV prevention, psychosocial support, and community engagement. I've coordinated multi-sector projects, managed social media for more than 20 accounts, produced over 30 communication products, and supported teams and partners through technical guidance, training, and facilitation.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Social Media & Humanitarian Communications Consultant

Current

Black Star Strategies

Jan 2018 - Present (8 years 8 months)

Managed all social media operations within the agency, overseeing strategy development, content creation, publishing, audience growth, and performance optimization for over 20 accounts. Led development of over 30 communication products including awareness videos, campaigns, and SBC materials.

Social Media Management Content Creation Strategy Development Audience Growth Performance Optimization SBCs Humanitarian Communication

Lead Local Coordinator/Communication Specialist

Magenta Consulting

Jan 2020 - Dec 2026 (6 years 11 months)

Represented Magenta Consulting in Lebanon, leading local coordination and delivery of multi-sector humanitarian and SBC projects. Managed end-to-end project implementation including financial oversight, reporting, research, and strategic communications.

Project Management Financial Oversight Strategic Communications SBCs Proposal Writing Capacity Building Stakeholder Management

SBC Knowledge Management Consultant

UNICEF Syria

Mar 2025 - Dec 2025 (9 months)

Led design and implementation of a comprehensive SBC Knowledge Management system to strengthen institutional memory, field visibility, and evidence-based donor reporting. Conducted participatory consultations and developed SOPs, templates, and guidance tools.

Knowledge Management SOP Development Documentation Stakeholder Engagement Multisectoral Coordination SBCs

Gender and Inclusion Technical Expert

EXIGO Research & Communication

Jul 2022 - Aug 2022 (1 month)

Provided technical gender and inclusion expertise to ensure PCA tools and reports reflected protection and inclusion standards. Contributed to methodology development, analysis, and report writing through technical review and remote interviews.

Gender analysis Inclusión Protection Report Writing Methodology Development

GBV Expert

International Alert

Oct 2020 - Mar 2021 (5 months)

Developed content of awareness curriculum and reviewed gender dynamics assessment and literature on gender transformative approaches. Designed safety self-assessment and implemented 16 GBV online awareness sessions.

GBV Curriculum Development Gender analysis Video Content Online Facilitation Safety assessment

Independent Story Collector

UNICEF Lebanon

Jul 2020 - Jan 2021 (6 months)

Consultant for the rolling of the 'Most Significant Change' methodology within the UNICEF Child Protection program. Coordinated with 15 implementing partner organizations to collect, review, document, and analyze stories.

Story Collection Most Significant Change Coordination Documentation Analysis

Masculinities Program Coordinator

ABAAD- Resource Center for Gender Equality

Sep 2018 - Feb 2019 (5 months)

Coordinated and oversaw masculinities programming aimed at transforming harmful gender norms and promoting gender equality and non-violence. Managed implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting across multiple projects.

Program Coordination Gender Equality M&E Budget Management Donor Reporting Partnership Management

Psychosocial Support Supervisor

ABAAD- Resource Center for Gender Equality

Aug 2017 - Sep 2018 (1 year 1 month)

Managed and provided technical supervision for psychosocial support activities implemented by PSS teams across 8 areas of coverage. Strengthened gender mainstreaming and team capacity, and led evaluations and budget monitoring.

Psychosocial Support Supervision Gender Mainstreaming MHPSS Evaluation Budget Monitoring

Women and Girls Safe Spaces Coordinator

ABAAD- Resource Center for Gender Equality

Sep 2016 - Jul 2017 (10 months)

Provided ongoing technical support and guidance to all WPE program staff in Choweifat and the SDC team. Established and coached a community-based committee to support WGSS activities and monitored quality of implementation.

Technical Support Program Implementation Community Engagement Monitoring Reporting

Program Support Officer

International Relief and Development

May 2016 - Sep 2016 (4 months)

Supported capacity-building events, research, and donor reporting for civil society programmes. Contributed to program monitoring, documentation, and proposal development efforts.

Capacity Building Research Donor Reporting Monitoring Documentation Proposal Development

Women Protection and Empowerment Senior Officer

International Rescue Committee

Mar 2015 - Dec 2015 (9 months)

Supported the establishment and scale-up of WPE programming across 21 sites. Supervised and built capacity of WPE field teams delivering psychosocial support and GBV services.

WPE GBV Psychosocial Support Team Supervision Community Engagement Data Analysis M&E

Women Protection and Empowerment Caseworker

International Rescue Committee

Dec 2014 - Feb 2015 (2 months)

Provided GBV case management and psychosocial support to women and girls in emergency settings. Contributed to rapid response interventions and confidential case documentation.

GBV Case Management Psychosocial Support Emergency Response Documentation