Amid the escalating crisis triggered by the massive influx of Syrian refugees into Yarmouk—a region bordering Syria and Jordan—urgent environmental and health demands necessitated a practical, impactful response. Rising to the challenge, five elected women leaders from the municipal council of Yarmouk al-Jadida in Jordan launched a pioneering initiative in the education sector, empowering girls through democracy and civic engagement programs in local schools. Central to its success was a robust network uniting municipal women leaders, mothers, local women, and school administrations—creating a collaborative, grassroots model for inclusive change. The initiative began in a single school, engaging over 500 female students aged 12 to 17. Due to its success and growing demand, the program expanded significantly, eventually reaching nine schools as participation increased. Multiple stakeholders and activists were involved in the action, including the municipality, the Ministry of Agriculture, a donor organization, the school administrations, teachers, mothers, students, and workers.

Between 2017 and 2019, the initiative progressed through five key phases:

• Revitalizing school parliaments through open elections that ensured participation of girls from diverse backgrounds in selecting student representatives.
• Refocusing youth programs on implementing impactful model activities, particularly in environmental and agricultural development.
• Identifying projects through a stakeholder consultation process involving meetings and collaborative decision-making.
• Scaling implementation from a pilot school to multiple schools via a competitive selection process.
• Assessing outcomes through comprehensive evaluation of the initiative's results and impact.

Women’s leadership in municipalities can drive crucial change at multiple levels, by creating a new dynamic in the municipal performance and fostering a strong relationship with the local community. The initiative succeeded by building strategic alliances across sectors—engaging schools, municipal authorities, ministries, donors, and parents. This collaborative model ensured both grassroots participation and institutional support, enabling scalability. Despite initial resistance from male-dominated municipal structures, the women leaders leveraged persistence, official backing (e.g. the governor’s support), and community advocacy to shift attitudes. The mayor’s eventual endorsement highlights how perseverance and demonstrable impact can dismantle biases against women’s leadership. The initiative’s success in Jordan and its later replication in Lebanon underscores its potential as a blueprint for other communities facing similar challenges, particularly in post-conflict or refugee-affected regions. This initiative exemplifies how women’s leadership, combined with participatory democracy and cross-sector collaboration, can address complex socio-environmental issues.

Its legacy lies not only in cleaner schools but in a proven framework for inclusive, resilient community development. It contributed in changing mentalities to respect women’s leadership and paved the way for young girls to engage in the democratic process from an early age by encouraging them to participate as leaders in public life.