Responses and Services

In November 2010, the United Nations launched the "United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children" that has been established by General Assembly resolution on the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons. The Fund will be administered by UNODC, as the designated Fund Manager.

UNRWA continues its collaboration with UNICEF in Jordan to address violence in schools against girls and boys and to establish mechanisms in the health centres to address child abuse. During 2010 UNRWA focused on building referral systems. In Syria, UNRWA has identified its mechanism of referral in Yarmouk and Deraa camps, and worked to enhance staff capacities for detection of gender-based violence victims. In West Bank, UNRWA has collaborated with various stakeholders to develop its referral system, based on a community participation approach, and to organise trainings for medical staff.

The OHCHR supported the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences in participating in the 2010 General Assembly, including convening a side event on reparations for women who have been subjected to violence.

The FAO regional project “Eastern Africa regional response to food insecurity, HIV and GBV” supports victims/survivors of gender-based violence to rebuild their livelihoods, improve their technical and practical knowledge in farming leading to increased self esteem and their reintegration in their communities and households (see http://www.disasterriskreduction.net).

WHO Guidelines for the health sector response to intimate partner and sexual violence are under development, with a final draft of the Guidelines being available at the end of 2011.

Advocacy and assistance by former UNIFEM now part of UN Women contributed to: improved policies and service delivery for women survivors of violence in Kazakhstan, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Haiti, Pakistan; increased access to legal assistance in Algeria, Kenya, Morocco, FYR Macedonia, Colombia, Argentina and Thailand; and economic empowerment initiatives for women survivors of violence in Morocco and Georgia.

With the Sexual Violence Research Initiative, WHO is supporting capacity building of health services to respond to the consequences of sexual violence in sub-Saharan Africa.

UNRWA carried out a number of activities to build referral systems to improve victims’ access to services. The Lebanon Field Office began the implementation of their referral system in the Tyr Area and the Gaza Field Office drafted a referral system based on the services offered by the different programs. The West Bank Field Office is developing a family protection referral system and held several workshops to discuss principles and standards, also in 4 refugees camps (Dheisheh, Fawwar, Jalazon and Qalandia) in order to establish the referral system.

UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, contributed to government funds for Tajikistan’s Girls’ Support Centre and supported advocacy and survivor support networks in Algeria, Argentina, Morocco and Uruguay.

UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, continued to provide technical and other support, in the context of joint United Nations efforts, to service provision initiatives.