Improving access for women and girls to essential, specialist, safe and adequate multisectoral services is a core strategic priority of the UN Trust Fund, and one of the three outcome areas in its Strategic Plan 2021-2025.
Between 2021 and 2024, an average of 70% of initiatives supported by the UN Trust Fund per year included strategies to prevent violence against women.
Inadequate public investments in essential services and care infrastructure continue to impede women’s ability to fully participate in the economy, access justice and social protection, and live free from violence. With support from UN-Women, over nine and a half million women, across 79 countries, including many survivors of violence and internally - displaced women and refugees, accessed information, goods, resources and/or services.
UNFPA enforces a survivor-centred approach by investing in partnerships, human capacity, and infrastructure to ensure survivors have access to high-quality case management and multi-sectoral services tailored to their needs.
UN Action has supported over 60 joint catalytic projects across 18 conflict-affected countries focused on providing holistic, comprehensive support to survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, and addressing the root causes of sexual violence. UN Action is currently funded through the Conflict-related Sexual Violence – Multi-Partner Trust Fund (CRSV-MPTF), which was set up in 2020. The CRSV-MPTF has since supported projects in: Somalia, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan DRC, Mali, Ukraine, South Sudan, and Sudan.
In Egypt, the UNODC established the first secure area for female victims of violence at the East Alexandria Court.
In the State of Palestine, UNODC supported the HAYA Joint Programme, providing comprehensive care for survivors, including psychological counselling and legal assistance.
Amid the increasing reports of violence against women and girls and the critical need for services that support survivors' recovery, IOM has developed the Survivor’s Support Package to strengthen the second pillar of its institutional framework for addressing GBV in crises (GBViC framework), which aims at addressing the consequences of gender-based violence.
Access to survivor-centred, rights-based essential services is fundamental to addressing gender-based violence and breaking cycles of harm. Quality services not only provide immediate support to survivors but also reinforce prevention, protection, and justice mechanisms. The Initiative has worked to improve the availability, accessibility, and responsiveness of essential services, ensuring that women and girls–particularly those from marginalized communities–receive the support they need.
With the support of a psychologist, OHCHR prepared training material on trauma informed interviewing, with a specific focus on survivors of sexual violence, to respond to a growing demand from field colleagues.
With the support and advice from Senior/Women’s Protection Advisers, personnel in peacekeeping operations facilitate victims/survivors’ access to protection and support services notably through information-sharing about services, referrals and special assistance projects.
UNDP has implemented various actions to improve access to justice for women who suffered violence especially during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
The Tunisian office supported coordination between the designated emergency “hotline” and specialized police units responding to alerts of domestic violence and provided the specialized units with adequate protection gear and training.