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A number of stories on violence against women, such as violence against albinos in Tanzania and violence against female domestic workers in Brazil, were posted during the Durban Review Conference, held in April in Geneva, on both the OHCHR and the Conference sites. Another story focused on the side event “Double Odds: Women Overcoming Multiple Discrimination” including a presentation by the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences. Other stories were posted in 2009 in relation to human trafficking.In March 2009, the OHCHR Women’s Rights and Gender Unit co-organized a side event on “Honour Killings” during the Human Rights Council. On the occasion of the 12th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, UNHCR and OHCHR organized a side event entitled “A Modern day "Crucible" - Witchcraft accusations against women and children in the 21st Century” to draw attention to witchcraft accusations, often targeting marginalized groups, including refugees and IDPs.OHCHR participated in the organization of an awareness-raising workshop on human rights and national laws related to women's rights in May 2009 for an Arab settlement in Zeina, in Sudan. OHCHR’s Regional Office in Central Asia produced leaflets, in Kyrgyz and Russian languages, with information on the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, including the template individual communications form.In order to celebrate International Women’s Day and the anniversaries of the adoption of the CEDAW Convention and its Optional Protocol in 2009, the OHCHR in Uganda featured an article in Uganda’s main daily newspaper, calling for speedy enactment of pending bills, including the ones on domestic relations, sexual offences and domestic violence.. OHCHR’s country office in Uganda, in cooperation with Pader NGO Forum and the Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC), sensitized internally displaced persons (IDP) community leaders on the human rights of women, focusing on ending sexual and gender-based violence, forced and early marriages, and promoting inheritance and property rights. In February and July 2009, in Kitgum District/Uganda, the Office facilitated sessions on sexual, gender-based violence and human rights. The Country office also gave a presentation on the role of international organizations and civil society organizations in preventing sexual and gender-based violence during activities organized by the Refugee Law Project.In February 2009, the OHCHR Regional Office for Eastern Africa commemorated the International Day of Zero Tolerance of Female Genital Mutilation through a range of activities. In March 2009, it participated in the launch of the “Leave No Woman Behind Project”, implemented by the Ethiopian and Spanish Governments and UNFPA, including also elements on ending violence against women.OHCHR supported financially awareness-raising and advocacy programs implemented by the human rights components of various United Nations Peacekeeping Missions. On International Women’s Day 2009, the human rights component in the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire organized training and sensitization sessions through its nine regional offices, in close cooperation with other UNOCI components, the UN Country Team and a wide range of stakeholders. The mission has focused on raising awareness of gender-based violence in Côte d’Ivoire, such as rape and female genital mutilation, early and/or forced marriages, as well as of the legal provisions contained in the Ivorian Penal Code. The Human Rights and Protection Section of the United Nations Mission in Liberia, in collaboration with County Gender Coordinators and women’s organisations, continued to raise awareness of women’s rights, female genital mutilation and sexual and gender-based violence, targeting also traditional leaders. Hide

OHCHR arranged trainings of media professionals with regard to gender-based violence. Within the framework of the “Defending and Protecting Women’s Human Rights in Mexico” project, OHCHR organised in Mexico a training programme for journalists on “Human Rights and the Violence against Women in the Media” from 18 to 20 February 2009. In Uganda, OHCHR Teso Region (Soroti) organized a training of media professionals on how to conduct respectful interviews of victims/survivors of gender-based violence and their role to educate communities on gender-based violence as a serious human rights issue. Hide

OHCHR’s country offices in Bolivia, Colombia, Russia and Uganda were part of UN Inter-Agency Groups, working on gender issues in support of national and local authorities, the judiciary and civil society to develop projects proposals, policies and strategies, on combating sexual and gender-based violence.OHCHR’s country office in Guatemala assisted State institutions and, in coordination with the Interagency Group on Women’s Rights, provided technical advice to State officials for the elaboration of policies based on international and national human rights standards in order to accelerate and strengthen the implementation of the Law against femicide and other forms of violence. Hide

On 30 March 2009, OHCHR’s country office in Uganda carried out an investigation into cases of SGBV and other crimes in Moroto district (Karamoja), including the alleged rape of women by armed Karimojong civilians and physical assault of five other persons. Human rights components in United Nations Peace Missions in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone continued to monitor human rights violations with a special focus on gender-based violence including rape, female genital mutilation and domestic violence. Hide

OHCHR in Guatemala supported the Gender Unit of the Police to strengthen the abilities of law enforcement personnel to address violence against women. OHCHR country offices continued capacity-building for the monitoring and investigation of cases of violence against women. OHCHR Uganda (Lira) organized on 28 May 2009 a training on human rights and gender-based violence for members of the Unit Disciplinary Committee (the UDC is the lowest court in the hierarchy of the administration of justice in the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF)). Hide

OHCHR’s country offices in Bolivia, Colombia, Russia and Uganda were part of UN Inter-Agency Groups working on gender issues in support of national and local authorities, the judiciary and civil society to develop legal frameworks, on combating sexual and gender-based violence.OHCHR’s country office in Guatemala assisted State institutions and, in coordination with the Interagency Group on Women’s Rights, provided technical advice to State officials to reform the law to prevent domestic violence. In Sudan, OHCHR worked with the human rights component of UNMIS to propose amendments to existing rape laws. In the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), OHCHR participated in a special session of the legal Working Group of the Palestinian Legislative Council during which a draft decree-law against honour killings was discussed and was subsequently approved. Hide

OHCHR’s country office in Uganda spearheaded discussions with regard to reviewing the current policy in relation to the Police Form 3 (PF3). The law requires “a competent/qualified health professional” to collect and document evidence of sexual violence as per PF3. This has generally been interpreted to mean that only a doctor can carry out this process, while doctors are scarce in most health centers and districts. Hide

OHCHR participated in Northern Uganda and Karamoja in the IASC GBV Sub cluster (Protection), where the IASC clusters were beginning to hand over their work to the Government. In this context, OHCHR Kitgum and Gulu participated in the drafting of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for programmes targeting Gender Based Violence in August 2009. Hide

An OHCHR consultant is implementing the pilot country gender strategy aimed at mainstreaming a gender approach in all of the Office’s programming and activities, including ways to identify and analyze cases of gender-based violence and women’s rights violations. Hide

OHCHR offices allocated small grants to groups of women and human rights NGOs to provide legal aid for victims of domestic violence. OHCHR Colombia financially supported the follow-up to the 2008 Constitutional Court’s order on assistance to female internally displaced persons who are victims; investigations of sexual violence, and prevention of sexual violence; and the reformulation of the Government’s and Attorney General’s Office’s programmes for the protection of victims and witnesses. OHCHR’s Regional Office in Central Asia, based in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan funded a 10-month project on legal aid to victims of domestic violence, through the allocation of a small grant to the Association of Crisis Centers of Kyrgyzstan. The Regional Office also funded an NGO project on legal aid to victims of domestic violence in Tajikistan, including awareness-raising among government officials and general public and the opening of a telephone hotline for victims of violence. Hide