Mar 2011 - Jan 2012

UNICEF and OCHA completed phase 1 of a joint project to prevent use of sexual violence by armed groups. In October 2011, UNODA New York provided expertise to a meeting of the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) on ‘Why Women? Effective Engagement for Small Arms Control’ that launched a report on why it is important to include women in small arms control and disarmament initiatives.

In June 2011, the United Nations Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) co-organised a workshop on Gun Violence in Nepal that brought together political leaders, government officials and media representatives, with significant women’s participation, to raise awareness on gender-based violence.

Three films on gender-based violence and the impacts of war on women were made in Afghanistan, Guatemala and Iraq and the films were broadcasted globally via various TV channels. UNFPA interventions in these countries on addressing the issue were focused on in each film.

DPI’s UN Radio produced a variety of programmes in the six UN official languages plus Kiswahili and Portuguese on violence against women, including features on abuses suffered by women in conflict and post-conflict situations.

In November 2011, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) carried out radio and television awareness-raising programmes on the prevention and elimination of violence against women in cooperation with the Togolese Ministry for Women.

As a member of the “Gender is my agenda campaign” (GIMAC), the ECA co-hosted the 19th Pre-Summit Consultative Meeting, in partnership with Femmes Afrique Solidarité and The Mary Robinson Foundation–Climate Justice, in January 2012. Participants recognized the need to intensify measures to end violence against women and girls, especially in the areas of sexual violence in conflict.

In October 2011, UNODA’s Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) organised a workshop, with the UN Togo country team, to draft and support the adoption of a National Action Plan for Togo to implement UNSC Resolution 1325 (2000). Furthermore, UNREC assisted in the creation of REPSFECO-TOGO, the Togo branch of ECOWAS’ Women’s Network Working for Peace.

OHCHR supported the organization of a full-day discussion on women’s rights at the 17th session of the Human Rights Council, which focused on the prevention of violence against women and conflict-related violence against women and girls.

In Senegal, OHCHR was part of the national steering committee supporting the Ministry of Gender in the formulation of a national action plan on Security Council Resolution 1325.

Following UNFPA’s technical and funding support to the Nepalese government, the National Action Plan on SCR 1325 was publicly released during the 2011 CSW in New York.