UNICEF

United Nations Children’s Fund

Item ID
{99E41543-71F7-47D4-AB85-616C5B6C5463}
UNAgency ID
{3F6E1CDD-A339-49A5-A713-A87452ECA02B}
Policy Framework

UNICEF is guided by the Mid-Term Strategic Plan 2006-2009, extended until the end of 2011, which prioritizes promotion of gender equality and programming to protect children from violence.

Background

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) is mandated to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and strives to establish children's rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children.

Resources
Child Protection Sections Milestones and Resources:
 
2016
2017
UASC Tool Kit(Guidance/tool)
 
 
Gender Section Resources:
 
THE MULTI-COUNTRY STUDY ON THE DRIVERS OF VIOLENCE AFFECTING CHILDREN. A CROSS-COUNTRY SNAPSHOT OF FINDINGS
 
Pathways between Childhood trauma, intimate partner violence, and harsh parenting: findings from the UN Multi-Country Study on Men and Violence in Asia and the Pacific
 
Understand the linkages between violence against women and violence against children
 
Guidelines and tools:
 
 
 
Gender-based Violence Against Children and Youth with Disabilities Toolkit, Women’s Refugee Commission, ChildFund International, 2016
Mail Address

3 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017. USA

Areas of Work

UNICEF works on different manifestations of gender-based violence, depending on the particular country or context. These include: female genital mutilation/cutting, early marriage, trafficking, sexual exploitation, sexual violence, domestic violence, and violence in schools. UNICEF has been particularly focused on violence against women and girls in armed conflict. UNICEF engages in capacity building and development of holistic strategies to end gender-based violence, as well as the training of staff and partners. UNICEF’s strategy to end gender-based violence includes continuous support to the strengthening of law enforcement on violence, sexual exploitation and trafficking of children; work with judicial systems to prevent re-victimization of children and adolescents victims; strengthening of child protection systems at national and local levels to prevent, protect and care for children victims of violence, abuse and exploitation and work with education and health sectors to raise awareness on how to detect and report violence, exploitation and abuse of children.

Agency Type
Title
United Nations Children’s Fund
Icon
UNICEF

Feb 2019 - Feb 2020 | UNICEF

Protection, Support and Services for Victims/Survivors Under the Spotlight Initiative, UNICEF worked on Outcome 4 (Services) in 8 African countries and 3 Latin American countries. The capacity development of service providers such as multisectoral service organisations, police, judiciary, social workers, schools and health was the major feature of UNICEF’s engagement.

Feb 2019 - Feb 2020 | UNICEF

Prevention, Including Awareness-Raising and Advocacy Under the Spotlight Initiative, UNICEF worked on Outcome 3 (Prevention) in 8 African countries and 3 Latin American countries. Community engagement was the main activity. Social norm change was also promoted through education-related activities and media advocacy. Youth engagement was carried out through U-report too.

Feb 2019 - Feb 2020 | UNICEF

Support for Legislative Development Under the Spotlight Initiative, UNICEF worked on Outcome 1 (law and policy) in 5 African countries and 1 Latin American country. For instance, UNICEF Zimbabwe provided technical support for the review of key legislations such as penal code and domestication of protocols. 

Apr 2016 - Jan 2017 | UN Women;
OHCHR;
UNDP;
UNICEF;
UNFPA;
ECLAC;
WFP

The UNiTE Group for the Americas and the Caribbean, including 9 agencies -PAHO, UNDP, OHCHR, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNHCR, ECLAC, WFP and UN Women- and the IDB and the OAS, developed 12 Key Messages to Eradicate Violence Against Women and Girls in Latin America and the Caribbean. This unprecedented effort led by UN Women, systematized the lessons learned from all the publications and knowledge produced in the context of the UNiTE Campaign in the last 7 years.

Apr 2016 - Jan 2017 | UNFPA;
UN Women;
UNICEF

As part of UN Women’s collaboration with Phase II of the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on FGM/C, to strengthen the inter-linkages between VAWG and harmful practices such as FGM/C, and address the root causes of such form of violence, UN Women has finalized and published the policy paper titled “Female genital mutilation/cutting and violence against women and girls: Strengthening the policy linkages between different forms of violence”, with the support of a technical advisory group in February 2017.

Mar 2014 - Mar 2016 | UN Women;
UNFPA;
UNICEF

As part of the Phase II of the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on FGM/C, to strengthen the inter-linkages between VAWG and harmful practices such as FGM/C, and address the root causes of such violence, UN Women has developed is developing policy document on essential elements to end FGM/C as a form of VAWG, in addition to a training module on gender and FGM/C, to accompany the UNFPA-UNICEF Manual on Social Norms and Change.

Mar 2014 - Mar 2016 | UNFPA;
IOM;
UNICEF

In Belarus, in partnership with UNFPA, UNICEF and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, IOM provided tools and technical assistance to NGOs to improve national capacity to counteract and prevent domestic violence, especially against women and children. This project launched a Pilot Seminar on the relationship between domestic violence and trafficking in women and children. Counter-trafficking NGOs, judges, prosecutors, law-enforcement officials and representatives of the border troops of Belarus participated in this event.

Mar 2014 - Mar 2016 | UNICEF

In 2014, UNICEF developed a multi-year initiative with national authorities and the travel and tourism sector to support policy measures to prevent child sexual exploitation among adolescent boys and girls living in poverty. This resulted in improved local capacity to protect victims and prosecute crimes. UNICEF continues to invest in advancing girls’ education in communities at risk or in remote areas.