Mar 2011 - Jan 2012

In 2011, together with UN Women, OHCHR supported the preparation of a study on reparations for victims of conflict-related sexual violence, which will inform a guidance note on this issue to be finalized in 2012.

UN Women organized for community-led programming at the country level, such as in Liberia with its continued support to women’s peace huts, where women volunteers refer survivors of gender-based violence to medical, psychosocial and justice services, carry out grassroots mediation to prevent conflict, and have even investigated cases of sexual violence and referred them to police stations; the development of referral pathways for survivors in Timor-Leste, in collaboration with other UN entities, local women’s organizations, and local succo chiefs; and the organization of neighborhood safety pa

In May 2011, UNICEF and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) jointly published “Advancing the Field: Caring for Child Survivors of Sexual Abuse in Emergency Settings, A Review of Promising Practices to Improve Case Management, Psychosocial & Mental Health Interventions, and Clinical Care for Child Survivors of Sexual Abuse.”

The Joint Human Rights Office of MONUSCO (Democratic Republic of Congo - DRC) issued special reports on sexual violence notably in the DRC. It is also implementing a program to increase access to justice for victims and witnesses, including through technical and financial assistance to local non-governmental organizations to enable them to provide free legal advice to victims of sexual violence, as well as support to prosecutors and judicial investigators.

UNICEF developed in partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) a 5-day curriculum “Protecting Women and Child Survivors of Gender Based Violence in Emergencies through Improved Coordination.” This course is unique in its attention to the gender-based violence (GBV) coordinators’ role in effectively prioritizing specialized response for children, and its consideration of how GBV coordinators can effectively work with other clusters, especially Child Protection Working Groups, to mitigate risk to women and girls in diverse emergency response settings.

UNICEF and WHO, supported by UN Action funds, organized a technical meeting on Responding to the Psychosocial and Mental Health Needs of Sexual Violence Survivors in Conflict-Affected Settings from 28 to 30 November 2011.

In South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the World Bank supports a program providing medical, psychological, and legal assistance to survivors of gender based violence (GBV) and their families, as well as community-led prevention activities. A similar project in Cote d’Ivoire is expected to run until March 2012. Both projects incorporate impact evaluation to measure the effectiveness of the interventions.

In March 2011, UNODA’s Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) organised a seminar on “UN Regional Best and Promising Practices on Armed Violence Reduction and Prevention for South and Southeast Asia”. A full session of the seminar analyzed, discussed and assessed the interrelations between armed violence and gender. In cooperation with civil society organisations, UNRCPD identified best practices in mainstreaming gender issues and in armed violence reduction programming.

In Somalia, UNHCR is working with UNDP on several programmes to improve security and prevent sexual violence. Neighbourhood watch scheme were set up, and cooperation with the police was strengthened to prevent and respond to sexual violence in IDP camps. In Colombia, UNHCR established partnerships with government agencies and civil society organizations to address sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) at national, regional and local levels, to ensure implementation of prevention and response strategies at all levels.

In post-earthquake Haiti, a project funded by the Rapid Social Response Multi-Donor Trust Fund provides technical assistance to promote women and girls’ safety and addresses sexual violence through community-based interventions. The project has the following components: 1) public education to promote awareness and prevention of GBV; 2) institutional strengthening to enhance resources and outreach for GBV; 3) knowledge sharing and exchange of experiences on GBV in post-disaster or post-conflict settings; and 4) project coordination and monitoring and evaluation.