UNV

United Nations Volunteers
Item ID
{F78E81D8-EB81-4D31-92D3-92629C002CBC}
UNAgency ID
{6F304F18-C0DA-4EF7-BF75-BF3BE76A2619}
Policy Framework
UNV works within the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) framework for Empowerment and Equality (UNDP, 2008) which is based on the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (as well as other human rights treaties) to promote equality, peace and development.
Background

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme was established by the UN General Assembly in 1970 and is administered by UNDP. Free will, commitment, engagement and solidarity are the foundation of volunteerism. Volunteerism serves the cause of peace and development by enhancing opportunities for participation by all, particularly women. Since the start of its operations, UNV has supported the UN system by mobilizing volunteers for peace and development all over the world. More than 6.500 UN Volunteers served in 2017. In its resolution 70/129 of December 2015, the UN General Assembly reaffirmed that volunteerism can be a powerful and cross-cutting means of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

URL
http://www.unv.org/
Mail Address
UN Campus. Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1. 53113 Bonn, Germany
Areas of Work

In partnership with governments, civil society organizations and UN agencies, funds and programmes, UNV contributes to gender equality by raising awareness as well as the prevention and elimination of violence against women through advocacy, integration and mobilization of volunteers.

Agency Type
OTHERS
Title
United Nations Volunteers

Oct 2010 - Feb 2011 | UN Women;
UNDP;
UNFPA;
UNV

In Asia-Pacific, the work of the inter-agency initiative “Partners for Prevention” (P4P) was ongoing. Engagingmen.net (www.engagingmen.net) is a website where practitioners can share resources and learn about training opportunities. “Partners for Prevention” (P4P) organized several training sessions to support national social media campaigns in China, India, and Indonesia. Demand Media, a leading online media company and expert in developing social media platforms, provides pro bono support for the national campaigns.

Mar 2013 - Feb 2014 | UN Women;
UNDP;
UNFPA;
UNV

Applying Social Media Tools for the Prevention of Gender-based Violence: Lessons learned from social media communication campaigns to prevent gender-based violence in India, China and Viet Nam’; was launched and disseminated by P4P in 2013. This resource consolidates learning from the P4P initiative ‘Engaging Young Men through Social Media for the Prevention of Violence against Women’. “Let’s Talk Men 2.0” film series7 launched in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka with accompanying tools for discussion facilitators.

Mar 2011 - Feb 2012 | UNV

Through support for local organisations in India and Pakistan, UNV engaged boys and men to prevent gender-based violence (GBV) through a network of local and UN Volunteers. The project “Hamqadam – male involvement initiative to address GBV” initiated and sustained behavioural and attitudinal change in boys and men and sensitized them to violence against children and women.

Mar 2011 - Feb 2012 | UNV

The Interagency Gender Group (IGG) organized and facilitated a workshop on “masculinities and men responsibilities towards ending violence against women” for 70 participants who were UN volunteers from universities and civil society currently collaborating with the UNV office.

Mar 2011 - Feb 2012 | UNV

The UNV-run Takalm project in Jordan supported women’s empowerment and tackled gender based violence through a community radio shows in the Zarqa region advocating for women’s legal rights. Specific concerns were identified by a women’s community development committee aiming to foster civic engagement in local development while drawing the attention of decision makers to the challenges faced by marginalized groups including women.

Mar 2011 - Feb 2012 | UNV

During the 16 Days of Activism Campaign, UN Volunteers carried out a series of initiatives in Bangladesh refugee camps, a reproductive health assistance was set up and worked with medical teams from partner organizations; in Cambodia, more than 28 UN Volunteers have been trained to be able to carry out activities during the campaign; in Sudan, UNV collaborated with UNFPA, civil society organizations, universities, governments and volunteers and joined efforts to fight gender-based violence (GBV).

Mar 2010 - Sept 2010 | UN Women;
UNDP;
UNFPA;
UNV

In Asia Pacific, the Partners for Prevention (P4P) - an inter-agency initiative of UNDP, UNFPA, UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, and UNVs- which works with men and boys to prevent gender-based violence– has developed a comprehensive set of research tools on gender-based violence, including questionnaires, research protocols, and training manuals for the “Gender-based Violence Prevention and Masculinities” Collaborative Research Project for Asia and the Pacific. These tools have been shared with partners in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

Mar 2009 - Sept 2009 | UNV

In Egypt, UNV is working with the UN system and the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) to delineate the role of volunteerism in the FGM-Free Village initiative. National UNV volunteers are involved as youth leaders at the village level to raise awareness about the health related consequences of female genital mutilation (FGM), and to advocate against the social pressure on young girls and women.

Jul 2007 | UNV

The Liberia National Youth Volunteer Service has 67 national volunteers working in health centres, hospitals and schools to promote reconciliation, peace education, gender equity in schools and awareness-raising of it in the health sectors. In one district, the local women’s organization has found major supporters in male national UNV Volunteers (NUNVs); in another, the NUNVs have supported a local programme (“men and women as partners to end violence against women”), and community members report that the occurrence of gender-based violence and rape has significantly decreased.

Jul 2007 | UNV;
UNFPA

Through the joint project, Partners for Prevention: Working with Boys and Men to Prevent Gender-Based Violence in Asia-Pacific, UNV and UNFPA, together with their partners, are mobilizing boys and men as allies for ending violence and discrimination against women and girls as well as advancing gender equality. Women’s advocates and women empowerment groups are further strengthened in their participatory capacities and leadership skills to enhance the effectiveness of their efforts.
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