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Throughout 2008, UNDP-supported community conversation sessions were organized by village facilitators in Cambodia, in order to promote the communities’ understanding of social and legal issues related to domestic violence. Hide

From its Say NO to Violence against Women Campaign, UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, delivered over 5 million signatures, including from Heads of State and Ministers from 60 governments and more than 600 Parliamentarians from over 70 countries to the UN Secretary-General, on 25 November 2008, in support of his Campaign UNiTE to End Violence Against Women. Hide

On 17 November 2008, the Secretary-General appointed Academy Award-winning actress Charlize Theron as United Nations Messenger of Peace, tasked with promoting efforts to end violence against women. DPI facilitated a press conference in New York to announce the appointment, in which Ms. Theron participated. The event had extensive media coverage. DPI also undertook activities to promote the campaign on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Hide

The World Congress III against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, which took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in November 2008, was organized jointly by UNICEF, the Government of Brazil, ECPAT and the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child., resulting in the “Rio de Janeiro Pact to Prevent and Stop Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents”.UNICEF continued to support social mobilization efforts at all levels to change attitudes and behaviour on violence against women and girls, including sexual violence and exploitation, trafficking and female genital mutilation. Hide

UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, established funds for community-based organizations working to prevent and respond to violence against women in Afghanistan, the Pacific and Haiti.UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, established formal partnerships in preventing violence against women, including MenEngage and Religions for Peace and continued to provide technical and other support in the context of joint United Nations efforts in the Asia-Pacific region, engaging men and boys to prevent violence against women. ESCWA is part of the steering committee of the OXFAM-UNIFEM joint project on “Strategies and approaches of working with men and boys to promote gender equality”. Hide

In Timor Leste, IOM published a brochure on internally displaced women's rights and responsibilities regarding the return and resettlement options under this National Recovery Strategy. It included information on health services, security and protection mechanisms upon return for victims of violence and was distributed in all IDP camps and Return Communities. Hide

In Zimbabwe, IOM supported two community-based events during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, including information materials. Hide

Issue # 2 of Words to Action, DAW’s (now part of UN Women) quarterly newsletter on violence against women, was produced with a feature article on legislation. Hide

UNHCR organized a regional workshop on masculinities in South Africa, in cooperation with Sonke Gender Justice and the Refugee Women’s Commission, to promote the positive involvement of men and boys in addressing sexual and gender-based violence. Multifunctional teams from nine countries in the Great Lakes, Eastern and Southern Africa regions participated, and the event resulted in the development of country-level work plans. As a follow up, three trainings for men and boys were conducted in Kenya, also for the police. Two digital stories were developed on the involvement of men and boys in addressing sexual and gender-based violence. Hide

ESCWA participated in a meeting entitled “The effect of violence on women and family“, organized by the Doha International Institute on Family Studies and Development, in November 2008. Hide