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In response to the UN Secretary General’s Campaign for ending violence against women, UNDP country offices organized a series of awareness raising events, such as webinars and discussions, as well as publishing Op-Eds.

UNDP with other UN agencies actively participated in the global campaign for the ’16 Days of Activism against violence against women and girls’ 2020. A video and thematic sheets were produced to raise awareness against violence against women and girls.  The thematic sheets covered the impact of COVID-19 on violence, childhood, migration, refugees, health, rural women and access to employment.

Under the lead of UN Women and in partnership with other UN agencies, UNDP participated in the celebration of International Women's Day 2021. A number of inspiring women were interviewed to share their journeys and success stories while raising awareness on a number of issues, including gender-based violence.

Under the UN/EU Spotlight initiatives, UNDP in partnership with local governments and communities have strengthened national programmes and increased policy coordination and multi-stakeholder cooperation to address violence against women and girls.

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UN Women continued to actively participate in the UN system-wide SEA Working Group PSEA WG, which is being coordinated by the Office of the Special Coordinator on improving the UN response to SEA. Using its technical expertise and experience, UN Women provided input to all WG deliverables, which inter-alia include the Fact sheet on the Secretary-General's initiatives to prevent and respond to SEA, the Secretary-General's Report on Special measures for PSEA, the annual PSEA action plan, and the annual PSEA survey.

Together with UNFPA, IOM, and UNICEF, UN Women co-lead the inter-agency PSEA focal point training, held in March 2021 for the Senegal inter-agency PSEA network.

UN Women actively engaged in the development of the key performance indicators for the prevention of sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse for the monitoring framework of the 2020 QCPR.

With UN partners including OHCHR, DPPA, UNDP and DCO, UN Women advocated for UN key messages about Violence against Women in politics for the UN system, endorsed by the Executive Committee in 2020 and available to inform UN Leaders' advocacy efforts on this issue.

Almost all the countries in the ESA region have functional GBV Working Groups led by UNFPA and the PSEA Task Forces led by UN Women and the UNRCO.

To bring the global commitments to the field and to create an enabling safe, secure and equitable environment in line with the UN Secretary-Generals guidance, a Training of Trainers program on "Gender Parity" and "Prevention of Sexual Harassment, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)" was organized in partnership with UN Women HQ with participation by 42 participants from 12 countries in the region representing UN Women, UNPFA, UNHCR, IOM, ICAO and UNDSS in Mombasa, Kenya. Following the training at least 5 countries have replicated the training in their countries and also took initiatives to establish and strengthen the PSEA task forces.

In Burundi, UN Women supported the development of UNCT gender strategy which serves as a frame of reference for in planning process within UNS in Burundi.

To support Secretary-General's Campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women, UN Women (ROAP) organised and supported multiple regional events including Regional Curated Dialogue (link) organised in the form a TV style talk show, multi country study on Online Violence against Women in Asia (link), study on the linkages between violence against women and violence against children jointly produced with UNICEF and UNFPA (link) , Guidelines on Responsible Representation and Reporting of Violence Against Women and Children also jointly produced with UNICEF and UNFPA (link), 16 stories from frontline service providers, and social media campaigns (link) and a virtual event with the World Design Organization showcasing innovation and youth-focused approaches to prevent VAWG. The estimated reach of the 16 days of campaign events and messaging was around 94,250 with 65,273 direct engagement through likes, comments, and shares.

Generation Equality and 2020 Information Note

The year 2020 is a pivotal year for advancing gender equality worldwide, as the global community takes stock of progress made for women's rights since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action. This information note explores UN Women's upcoming actions throughout 2020 including its multigenerational campaign: “Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights for an Equal Future”, Generation Equality Forums and Action Coalitions.

https://eca.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/02/generation-equality-and-2020-information-note

Trough GTG (Gender Thematic Group), UN Women Moldova CO a) lead the joint UN effort in supporting the government to implement the existing normative commitments (implementation of CEDAW CO, UPR, Beijing +25 national report); b) strengthen joint advocacy for improved normative framework and ratification of the Istanbul Convention on VAW as per CEDAW Committee Recommendations and of ILO Convention no. 190 on Violence and sexual harassment at the workplace; d) use corporate tools such as SWAP Gender Scorecard recommendations and CCA updates to strengthen GEWE as well as UN Women Moldova is co-chairing the PSEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) Task Force.

In 2020, UN Women Kosovo collaborated with UNFPA and UNDP to conduct two Rapid Socio-Economic Impact Assessments (SEIAs) of the impact of the pandemic on health, financial and emotional well-being of people, including the impact on women. Findings showed that 59% of the respondents felt that domestic violence had increased since the begin of the pandemic and that gender progress may be stalling. The Security and Gender Group chaired by UN Women Kosovo allowed quick mobilization of UN family and International Community to respond to COVID's differentiated as impact on women and this was well recognized by international community in Kosovo Several joint statements and activities including more than 100 activities during 16 days were coordinated and organized aiming to call on government to adopt measures to address the economics effect of the COVID19 pandemic on women and girls and on ending violence against women. Efforts continued also in 2021, through regular meetings of the SGG and GTG.

 

In Tajikistan, UN Women chairs GTG and coordinates work of UNCT, partners (government, national and international) in implementation of the UNiTE campaign since its launch. UN Women oversights implementation of UN TF projects and serves as the technical advisor to the PSEA interagency team. UN Women is a member of REACT Humanitarian Response team and internal UNCT Humanitarian Team. UN Women is the technical coherence lead at the Spotlight Programme Tajikistan. In Albania UN Women CO:

 

1- Conducted a Gender Responsive mapping of the linkages between social inclusion and vulnerabilities at local level, in the framework of the Global SDG Fund-supported UNJP on Improving Municipal Social Protection, implemented jointly with UNDP, UNICEF, and WHO. This sets the foundation for identifying and piloting social services for vulnerable women in existing municipalities through existing social care plants and in coordination with the Social Fund administered by the MoHSP.

 

2- Within the framework of Leave No One Behind UNJP with UNDP, UNICEF, and UNFPA, gender responsive budgeting processes were strengthened at the local level, prioritising interventions that combat violence against women and girls, in conjunction with the EVAW JP. As a result, main municipalities in Albania are increasing their capacities in: (i) applying gender responsive budgeting (GRB) within Medium Term Budget Programme (MTBP 2021-2023) ensuring that needs of vulnerable women and girls, including survivors of violence are incorporated in policies and related budgets associated with municipal social care services; and (ii) developing socio-economic schemes/plans for reintegration of women survivors of violence.

 

3- Led and coordinated with other UN agencies in Albania towards a successful 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, which saw engagement and direct contribution of the private sector towards women survivors, as well as increased visibility through awareness raising efforts.

 

4- On International Day of the Girl (11 October) UN Women partnered with UNFPA and UNICEF under the global theme "My voice, our equal future" and invited everyone to write a short inspirational letter to a GIRL under 18 years old. 13 letters were received, and later snapshots of main message and quotes were shared through infographics on social media. An activity around the initiative was organized in 'Mersin Duqi' high school in Ibe village. Students shared the letters they had prepared and discussed gender equality and girl's rights.

 

5- Advocated for a standalone gender outcome in the new UNSDCF. UN Women's leadership on the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) System-Wide Action Plan (SWAP) Gender Equality Scorecard conducted in 2019 and the Country Gender Equality Brief supported solid gender analysis in the new Common Country Analysis (CCA) and resulted in positioning a stand-alone gender equality outcome level result in the development of the new UNSDCF. UN Women ensured knowledge sharing among Gender Theme Results Group (GTRG) members about best approaches to strengthen gender mainstreaming in the programming cycle and actively engaged in UNCT discussions on strategic priorities and comparative advantages.

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DPO continued to strengthen coordination and coherence on the prevention and response to conflict-related sexual violence across the UN system through active participation in the UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict network and its activities. Most specifically, since November 2020, DPO has notably been leading on an activity to assess the operationalization of the Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Arrangements on CRSV (MARA) in coordination with OHCHR, OSRSG-SVC, DPPA, UNFPA and UNICEF. The MARA serves as the evidence base for all prevention and response activities, both at country level and at the level of the Security Council. This evaluation will notably lead to the update of existing guidance on the MARA with a view to strengthen its implementation and impact.

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UNODC is the permanent coordinator and secretariat of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Trafficking in Persons (ICAT), established by the General Assembly. The principles of gender equality and the empowerment of women underpin the work of ICAT. For instance, in 2019, ICAT published a brief on the gender dimensions of human trafficking and UNODC coordinated the development of the ICAT submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to support the development of a general recommendation on trafficking in women and girls in the context of global migration. 

UNODC is part of the UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict (UN Action) and has implemented projects funded by the UN Action Multi-Partner Trust Fund.

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The United Nations Trust Fund in support of actions to eliminate violence against women is a global, multilateral grant-making mechanism that supports efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls. The Trust Fund, which was established in 1996 by the General Assembly in its resolution 50/166, is administered by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) on behalf of the United Nations system. With the strong institutional support of UN Women and its regional, multi-country and country offices, and working closely with the rest of the United Nations system through its inter-agency Programme Advisory Committee, the Trust Fund plays a vital role in driving forward collective efforts to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls.

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In 2013, the UN Trust Fund received 2,410 applications from 145 countries, the majority of them from civil society organizations, with total funding requests of over $1.1 billion. In its 17th grant cycle, the UN Trust Fund continued engaging its inter-agency Programme Advisory Committee, at the global level, and sub-regional programme advisory committees and through its competitive process, awarded $8 million for 17 grants, covering 18 countries and territories. Sixteen civil society organizations and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda received grants that are expected to reach 2.3 million beneficiaries by 2017. In line with the UN Trust Fund’s Thematic Window on preventing and addressing violence against adolescent girls, five of these grants will focus on their specific needs.UN Trust Fund programmes are mobilizing communities in order to change beliefs, attitudes and practices that perpetuate and normalize violence. These initiatives are opening up safe spaces for girls in which they can thrive and develop their potential. They are promoting strategies to end impunity for gender-based violence in conflict situations, including by gathering evidence, strengthening prosecution systems and establishing non-judicial, truth-telling mechanisms. Through the Trust Fund’s support, grantees have made great advances in enabling the implementation of legislation that addresses all forms of violence against women and girls. In 2013 alone, the Trust Fund supported programmes that reached more than 3 million women, men, girls and boys around the world, including more than 30,000 survivors of violence. The work of the Trust Fund remains vital in closing the gap between promises and action.Given the promising results of community-based approaches and the central role of social mobilization to enact change, in the 18th grant cycle the UN Trust Fund will specifically and strategically invest in grass-roots women’s organizations and youth-led organizations, in addition to well-established civil society organizations, Governments and United Nations country teams. Programmes that engage groups facing discrimination and exclusion, such as internally displaced persons, refugees, women and girls living in conflict, post-conflict and transitional settings as well as women with disabilities, will also receive special consideration. Hide

Demand for UN Trust Fund support remained steady in 2012. The UN Trust Fund completed its 16th grant making cycle, which involved the review of 2,210 applications by 105 reviewers at the global and field level. The participation of 18 UN agencies in the extensive review process demonstrated the Fund’s ability to bring together different agencies to address violence against women, and ‘Deliver as One’ in action. The UN Trust Fund awarded US$ 8.4 million in new grants to 12 initiatives in 19 countries. The new grants are expected to reach nearly 2 million beneficiaries by 2015. By the end of 2012, the UN Trust Fund’s active portfolio included 95 programmes, covering 85 countries and territories, for a total value of over US$ 63.5 million.The UN Trust Fund continued its support of global learning initiatives through its Special Thematic Windows. The Special Window under the 16th grant-making focused on addressing violence against women in conflict, post-conflict and transitional settings. The UN Trust Fund awarded close to US$ 3.5 million to four new programmes working on this issue, including its first ever grants to Libya. Grantees will scale-up proven approaches to service delivery for gender-based violence in humanitarian contexts, address the urgent matter of accountability for gender-based crimes in these settings and work to ensure transitional justice mechanisms are designed in ways to better address the specific needs of survivors of violence.As part of the UN Trust Fund’s US$ 9.6 million Special Thematic Window addressing the intersection of HIV/AIDS and violence against women, grantees are working to access critical services for marginalized groups such as street-involved and homeless women, sex workers and women living with HIV/AIDS. In 2012, the UN Trust Fund produced a policy paper, Effective Approaches to Addressing the Intersection of Violence against women and HIV/AIDS, based on lessons learned from its programmes addressing the twin pandemics. The paper, presented at the International AIDS Conference in Washington D.C. in July, reinforced the message that investing in long-term interventions and challenging discrimination and harmful norms against women and girls is investing in a future with zero violence and zero HIV/AIDS.Given that exposure to violence at a young age has devastating and potentially life-long physical and mental health consequences, the 17th cycle Call for Proposals, launched in Iceland on 17th November 2012, includes a special focus area on addressing violence against adolescent and young girls. The special focus capitalizes on the first ever International Day of the Girl Child celebrated on the 10th October 2012 in order to seize the momentum and reinforce the commitment to respect, protect and realize the human rights of girls.The UN Trust Fund also continued its efforts to develop the capacities of grantees to conduct effective monitoring and evaluation and enhance its overall processes for capturing and disseminating knowledge. It held a five-day capacity building workshop in Mexico City that brought together 14 organizations from across the globe to ascertain how their evidence-informed approaches can be strengthened. Close monitoring and collaboration will continue with these partners throughout programme implementation.In June 2012, the President of the 66th Session of the General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, hosted a cultural event in the General Assembly Hall with the aim of boosting support for the UN Trust Fund and celebrating UN Women. Through this event the General Assembly reaffirmed its commitment to the cause of ending violence against women and the mandate of the UN Trust Fund to take action on behalf of the UN system. The increasing commitment and partnership was illustrated by first time donor contributions from countries across Africa, Latin America, Asia and Arab States that followed this special event. Hide

The UN Trust Fund adopted a new strategic plan, guiding its grant‐making for 2010-2015. Implementation of the strategic plan will be aided by a high-level steering committee bringing together heads of UN agencies and representatives of Member States.In response to its 15th Call for Proposals, the UN Trust Fund received a record number of 2,574 applications (51 come from UN Country Teams) for total value of $1.2 billion, signifying an increase of 56% in the number of applications and 40% in the amount of funds requested from the previous year, numbers which indicate an unmet demand for resources to address violence against women on the ground.One third of the UN Trust Fund’s 80 active grantees are focusing on primary prevention. Nearly half of UN Trust Fund grantees engage men and boys as change agents to promote healthy, non-violent models of masculinity. In December 2010, the first White Ribbon Campaign was launched in the Middle East to mobilize men and boys to advocate for legislation on domestic violence. Male university students took the lead in crafting messages for a public sensitization campaign that garnered the support of 128 MPs for a bill on the Protection of Women from Family Violence prior to parliamentary debates on this legislation.One third of the UN Trust Fund’s active grants employ strategies to provide services to women and girls survivors of violence, including marginalized and hard‐to‐reach populations. For example in the Kandal Province of Cambodia, the UN Trust Fund supports a model of community-based support for sexual assault survivors, through increasing survivors’ access to coordinated health, counselling, and legal services. In the region of Puno in Peru, where the indigenous population suffers from the highest rates of intra‐family violence in the country, the UN Trust Fund supports capacity-building for health, justice and law enforcement sectors to respond to the needs of women and girls. Local officials have convened an inter‐agency task force to strengthen cross‐sectoral coordination, supported by the Ministries of Health and Women, resulting in an increase of referral rates and reporting rates of domestic violence.17 percent of UN Trust Fund grantees work to respond to the needs of women survivors of violence living in conflict, post‐conflict and unstable situations: it supported the development of a mobile care model to assist survivors of sexual violence from Central African Republic living as refugees in northern Cameroon. In just one year, the mobile clinics brought a fourfold increase to the rate of sexual violence survivors receiving medical care and counselling; in Sierra Leone, it supports national reparations programmes that respond to the needs of 3,600 women survivors of sexual violence in conflict; Women’s organizations conducted surveys with women survivors of violence across the country to assess their marketable skills and recommended skills training and income‐generation programmes.As part of the official observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and in partnership with UNiTE campaign, the UN Trust Fund launched a fundraising effort to achieve the campaign’s goal of $100M by 2015 for the annual grant giving. By texting the word UNITE to 27722, people in the U.S. could donate $10 to the UN Trust Fund for programmes and services on the ground and online donations can be made through the UN Foundation. Hide