Measures

DAW, now part of UN Women, prepared reports of the Secretary-General to the sixty-fourth session of the General Assembly on intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women (A/64/151) and violence against women migrant workers (A/64/152).In its General Recommendation No. 26 on Women Migrant Workers, adopted at the forty-second session, the Committee on the Elimination of Violence against Women (CEDAW) urged States parties to closely monitor recruiting agencies and prosecute them for acts of violence, coercion, ptiodecen or exploitation (article 2 (e)). Hide

In collaboration with the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), DAW, now part of UN Women, organized an expert group meeting on legislation on harmful practices, which took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 26 to 28 May 2009. The report of the meeting will supplement the model framework for legislation with specific recommendations and commentaries in relation to legislation on the forms of violence against women referred to as “harmful practices”, including child and forced marriage, female genital mutilation, and so-called “honour” crimes.DAW released the Handbook for legislation on violence against women (2009). The Handbook, intends to provide all stakeholders with detailed guidance to support the adoption and effective implementation of legislation which prevents violence against women, punishes perpetrators, and ensures the rights of survivors everywhere. It is hoped that the Handbook will be of use to government officials, parliamentarians, civil society, staff of United Nations entities and other actors in their efforts at ensuring that a solid legal basis is in place for tackling the scourge of violence against women. DAW also uploaded three videos on its website containing discussions on legislation on violence against women.On 4 March 2009, during the fifty-third session of the Commission on the Status of Women, DAW organized a joint dialogue of the Commission on the Status of Women and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice on “Addressing violence against women through legal reform”. Hide

UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, continued to support the use of gender-responsive budgeting to secure budget lines for violence prevention, survivor assistance and access to justice in Mexico City and Burundi. Hide

In support of the Secretary-General’s Campaign, UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, coordinated inter-agency efforts towards the launch of the UNiTE in Africa and UNiTE Latin America and the Caribbean regional components of the Campaign. It organized with OSAGI and the Center for Women's Global Leadership a civil society consultation in relation to the Campaign. Hide

UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, continued to support the incorporation of violence against women in the National Development Plan of Cape Verde (within the UN programme); the development of specific national action plans on violence against women in Pakistan, in collaboration with Pakistan’ s Ministry of Women’s Development, and in Mozambique, through an inter-agency programme with national partners; the development of a strategy on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Burundi, in collaboration with the Government of Burundi; the drafting of a Declaration on Sexual Violence against Women in Huehuetenango, Guatemala; the inclusion of a regional Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target on addressing gender-based violence by the Carribean Community Secretariat. Hide

UNICEF undertook in-depth research into the social dynamics of abandonment of harmful practices and social norms, in collaboration with partners. This research provided new insights and increased the understanding of social norms in perpetuating different forms of harmful traditional practices, including Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C), child marriage, household violence and other forms of violence, such as sexual exploitation and trafficking. Hide

The research study supported by UNFPA and conducted by the International Center for Research on Women on “Costing Intimate Partner Violence in 3 identified countries” was finalized and a colloquium was organised in Washington DC, in May 2009, at the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW) to make the findings of the study public. Hide

In Romania, UNFPA and the National Agency for Family Protection (NAFP) assisted the East European Institute for Reproductive Health (EEIRH) to develop centralized data collection – the Integrated Information System (IIS) - which allows confidential access to gender-based violence services for survivors. Hide

UNFPA – via its Country Offices - was involved in implementing various components of Security Council resolutions 1325 and 1820 in humanitarian settings, including programming to address the needs of survivors of gender-based violence. Hide

UNFPA participated in the March 2009 Rio Global Symposium on Engaging Men and Boys in Achieving Gender Equality; developed a toolkit on Engaging Men and Boys in Gender Equality and sexual and reproductive health (with Instituto Promundo); developed case studies of Engaging Men and Boys in Gender, Sexuality and reproductive health in Asia and Africa (with ICOMP); and, documented good practices on Engaging Men and Boys in Gender Equality and HIV and AIDS. UNFPA represented the UN Team in the drafting committee of the Rio Call to Action and continues the collaboration with the “Men Engage Alliance” as well as respective partners.UNFPA continued its advocacy work on elimination of violence, abuse and discrimination against women and girls, with a special focus on vulnerable and marginalized groups of women and girls. It collaborated with Help Age International, the Global Action on Aging and the NGO Committee on Ageing in advocating for the implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, and contributed to UNAIDS’s guidance note on HIV and sex work. Other instances of work with such groups includes the new UNFPA-AECID Latin America initiative - “Strengthening Indigenous Women’s Organizations and Health Systems to Promote Maternal Health, with an Intercultural and Human Rights-Based Approach”. In Jamaica, in partnership with the government, UNFPA support the launching of the campaign “Sister to Sister”, using popular icons and messages.During the Commission on the Status of Women, UNFPA hosted various events on the inter-sectionality of HIV/AIDS and violence against women. Hide