Mar 2012 - Feb 2013

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the ILO, in collaboration with the UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA, UN Women and the NGOs IBFAN-GIFA, launched the “Maternity Protection Resource Package. From Inspiration to Reality for All”. The package provides information, inspiration and tools to help organizations and individuals everywhere to strengthen and extend maternity protection to women in all types of economic activity.

The interagency initiative Together for Girls and UNAIDS co-hosted an event to commemorate World AIDS Day and the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, focusing on the progress made toward addressing gender-based violence and the interface with HIV and on the leadership within the HIV and gender communities to raise awareness and increase access to prevention and care services. UNAIDS also supported Lesotho to use the Campaign on 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence to raise public awareness.

Almost all UN agencies commemorated the International Women’s Day and the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence by organizing events to raise awareness on violence against women. ESCAP and UN Women co-organized the 2012 Asia-Pacific Regional Commemoration of International Women’s Day under the theme, “Youth voices UNiTE to End Violence Against Women and Girls”, an interactive event that enabled discussions among nearly 200 youths and other stakeholders.

UN Women supported new local or national action plans to end violence against women in Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, FYR Macedonia (second generation strategy 2012-2015), Indonesia, Timor Leste (together with UNDP, UNFPA, IOM and UNICEF), and the Maldives (through a multi-sectoral group convened by the SG Campaign). In addition, the Family Protection Authority was established in the Maldives to oversee the implementation of the new action plan.

In Latin America, OHCHR and UN Women, together with the Spanish Federation of Human Rights Organizations and the Carlos IIII University of Madrid supported the formulation of a regional Protocol for the investigation of Femicide. The protocol will assist in strengthening national capacities to investigate, prosecute, punish and redress femicide. The Protocol will be promoted through, inter alia, regional and international human rights mechanisms. In Kosovo, OHCHR supported the development of a national action plan on Security Council resolution 1325.

In 2012, UNICEF commissioned the production of a handbook on Birth Registration for use by UNICEF staff; produced a technical guidance note on age assessment procedures in English, French and Spanish; assisted 38 countries (21 from sub-Saharan Africa) to complete a mapping of their child protection systems; developed together with an NGO working group on children without parental care, ‘Moving Forward: Implementing the ‘Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children’, an implementation handbook; and made available the child-friendly and staff-friendly versions of the Guidelines for the Altern

UNDP is supporting the development of national plans, including: Sectorial Regional Gender Actions Plans in line with the National Gender Strategy (2012-2020) in Kyrgyzstan; a new National Action Plan on Violence against Women, accounting for the recommendations from the Feasibility Study for One Stop Service Center (OSSC) for Survivors of Violence against Women together with the GBV sub-committee of the gender technical working group in Cambodia; and a a Five Year Plan (FY 2012-2016) against Gender Based Violence in Nepal being implemented with the support of gender desks that have been estab

In Guatemala, UNAIDS, with the government and civil society, jointly developed the National Action Framework with a focus on gender-based violence, which has been further incorporated into the operational plan of Guatemala’s National HIV Strategy.

Under the “UNAIDS Action for Results: Outcomes Framework “ (2009-2011), UNFPA, UNDP, UN WOMEN, WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR and the MenEngage Alliance (Sonke Gender Justice and the Athena Network), also in close collaboration with the Interagency Working Group on Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV – supported countries to address the linkages between GBV and HIV/AIDS in National Strategic Plans; building effective partnerships to achieve this; and strengthening capacity to engage men and boys for promoting and addressing gender equality.

UN Women supported new or amended anti-violence legislation in India, Maldives, Mexico, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Viet Nam - on a range of forms, including sexual harassment in the workplace, domestic violence, femicide, acid violence, and sexual offences. In both Viet Nam and Uganda, elements of anti-violence legislation have been incorporated into larger Family Development and Justice, Law and Order strategies, respectively.