Measures

UNHCR published a Guidance Note on Refugee Claims relating to Female Genital Mutilation. The note affirms that Female Genital Mutilation is a form of gender-based persecution and can constitute grounds for asylum according to the 1951 Refugee Convention. The guidance will be used by states and UNHCR to facilitate asylum. Hide

In Liberia, UNHCR, the government and other partners, was involved in drafting the Sexual Assault and Abuse Prosecution Handbook for the Criminal Court in Monrovia, which has concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute sexual and gender-based violence cases throughout the country. UNHCR also assisted with the establishment of a Sex Crimes Unit at the Ministry of Justice and sponsored a training for its staff and prosecutors in Liberia. Hide

The Women’s Refugee Commission and UNHCR hosted a workshop for NGOs and UN agencies on the guidance produced by the IASC Task Force on Safe Access to Alternative Fuel and Firewood. The guidance has also been disseminated to field operations where access to firewood is a protection concern for women and girls. Hide

In September 2009, UNHCR conducted workshops to promote the engagement of men and boys in the prevention of SGBV in the East and Horn of Africa. The participants of the workshop developed country level action plans for 2010 and contributed to a collection of good practices.In September 2009, UNHCR undertook a pilot training in Uganda on the e-learning Guide on Safe Schools and Learning Environment to build the capacity of UNHCR staff and partners to prevent and respond to violence, including SGBV, in and around schools. Hide

UNHCR, in a joint endeavor with UNODC and IOM and in close co-operation with the Serbian Government, has developed a comprehensive and multi-year anti-human trafficking project in Serbia.Four community-based films have been produced which encapsulate key issues addressed in the UNHCR’s Handbook for the Protection of Women and Girls. Hide

In July 2009, UNHCR held a seminar with the CEDAW Committee on promoting the use of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women to protect women affected by forced displacement and statelessness, focusing on sexual violence and discrimination against displaced women and girls. Hide

In Serbia, a report on “Domestic Violence - Protection and Prevention” was presented by UNHCR in March 2009, providing an analysis of the legislative framework and a recommendation for the adoption of a Law on Domestic Violence, ensuring a coordinated and effective response to instances of domestic violence. Hide

In March 2009, the UN Trust Fund issued its fourteenth Call for Proposals to support the implementation of laws, policies and action plans on ending violence against women and girls.While the UN Trust Fund has been able to rely on the support of its leading donors in 2009, the global financial crisis has reduced the resources available for grant-making to less than half of the US$22 million granted last year. In an effort to secure adequate funds for grant-making in 2009, the UN Trust Fund and UNIFEM, in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, have reached out to private foundations and philanthropic leaders. An Urgent Alert was launched in July, in the context of the Framework for Action of the Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign, which has set a target of an annual contribution to the UN Trust Fund of US$100 million by 2015.The UN Trust Fund partnered with the International Centre for Research on Women to develop a capacity development programme to enhance the skills and knowledge of grantees to conduct quality, evidence-based programming and M&E.An external and independent evaluation to assess the overall implementation and effectiveness of the UN Trust Fund 2005-08 Strategy took place the first half of 2009. Four field missions to eight countries and a desk review of 21 projects gathered data for in-depth assessment. A broad range of stakeholders were consulted through interviews, focus groups and online surveys. Hide

UNESCO is involved in several research projects related to violence against women as a member of UNAIDS, including a research project to consolidate existing evidence from the peer-reviewed literature on the intersections between gender-based violence and AIDS epidemic (led by UNFPA in cooperation with the Harvard School of Public Health); and a research project, led by WHO, which focuses on the relation between HIV and intimate partner violence, as well as sexual violence against women. Hide

UNESCO’s Regional Office in Santiago was involved in the development of the baseline assessment conducted in Chile as part of the UN joint programming pilot initiative. Hide