United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

The UN Gender Theme Group for the Pacific, co-chaired by UN Women and UNFPA, revised its Terms of Reference to include responses to gender-based violence in emergencies, including the development of Surge Capacity for immediate response in humanitarian emergencies, as well as the development of government-NGO Communities of Practice on gender-based to facilitate capacity-building and prepraredness. Hide

In 2012 UN Women supported data collection efforts in Uruguay, Lao PDR, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mexico, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Timor Leste, and Viet Nam – looking at causes, prevalence, and specific types of violence that require tailored interventions. For example, in Bosnia and Herzegovina UN Women, UNFPA, the Gender Equality Agency and BiH Statistics Agency conducted a first ever Prevalence Survey on domestic violence and violence against women. In Mexico, the study Femicide Violence: Characteristics, Trends and New Expressions at the state level 1985-2010, in collaboration with INMUJERES, the Congress and Academia was produced. In Viet Nam, UN Women commissioned a costing study estimating the economic impact of domestic violence against women at the household and macroeconomic levels and a report on Masculinities and GBV in collaboration with UNFPA. In Nepal, UN Women with UNFPA and the Enabling State Programme/ Department for International Development (ESP/ DFID) commissioned a study to track GBV cases to gain a better understanding of how the country’s systems respond to reported cases. Hide

The Violence Against Children Survey part of the Together for Girls Initiative (including UNICEF, UN Women, UNFPA, UNAIDS and WHO as partners) has collected prevalence of and circumstances surrounding violence, targeting females and males aged 13-24, and has already been completed in Kenya, Haiti and Zimbambwe. Results were released in Zimbabwe and Kenya, in May and Novemer 2012, respectively. The results will be released in Haiti, in early 2013. Hide

WHO, PEPFAR, UNFPA, UN Women and the University of British Columbia convened a panel on “GBV and HIV linkages: Taking stock of the evidence and setting an implementation research agenda” at the International AIDS Conference in Washington DC in July 2012. Hide

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. Hide

UN Women has provided an array of support to implement laws and policies and improve access to services. Such support has included: formalization of multi-sectoral mechanisms with 13 departments led by the Ministry of Justice in Morocco; One-stop centres and shelters for survivors of violence in Afghanistan, Burundi, Ethiopia, DRC, Guatemala, Mozambique, OPT, Solomon Islands, Tanzania, Tunisia; increased police capacities to respond in Ethiopia, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominican Republic, Kenya, Thailand; and access to justice to end impunity in Argentina, Brazil, India, Kosovo, Lao PDR, Tanzania, Zimbabwe; institutionalization of national standards for sheltering services, sustainability of the Mehwar Centre and establishment of the comprehensive service centre -Al Hayat Centre in the State of Palestine; legal aid services in Zimbabwe; joint support with UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and PAHO to the Domestic Violence Office of the Supreme Court of Justice in Argentina; and at the request of the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization, facilitated a capacity assessment for the deployment of female officers to the borders, support for an equal treatment and equal opportunity policy and together with the Liberia National Police developed a Gender Sensitive Basic Curriculum for Recruits. In Nepal, UN Women supported dissemination of standard operating procedures on violence against women for distric level police and supported the establishment of POURAKHI (an organisation of women migrant workers, now functional in 15 districts) who assist migrant workers who have faced abuse. Hide

The priority theme of the 57th Commission on the Status of Women CSW (2013) is Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls. Several UN agencies have undertaken initiatives to mobilise on the topic, with UN Women leading the CSW process. UN Women, UNFPA, UNDP, UNICEF and WHO co-organized a first-ever Expert Group Meeting hosted in Bangkok with the support of ESCAP on prevention of violence against women in lead up to CSW. An on-line discussion on CSW 57th Session priority theme was organized from the 23rd July to the 3rd August 2012, with multiple stakeholders; and an Inter-agency consultation process for ongoing preparations for CSW 57th Session was established with UNDP, UN ESCAP, UNICEF, UNFPA, OHCHR, UNODC, ILO, WHO to ensure a coordinated UN System approach. Hide

In Nepal, UN Women in close collaboration with the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction, supported the activation of 28 District Coordination Committees (DCCs) in the five development regions of the country to implement the NAP on 1325 and 1820. UN Women also supports proposal submissions to the Nepal Peace Trust Fund for implementation of the NAP on 1325 and 1820. Hide

UNICEF and UNMIL collaborated with Ministry of Gender and Development in Liberia to convene a retreat on Child rape in October 2012. Also in Liberia, UNFPA supported the Ministry of Gender and Development to collaborate with civil society groups to launch and build capacity of the GBV observatory to help raise awareness of the referral pathway and issues rlated to teenage pregnancy, early marriage and rape. Several advocacy initiatives were undertaken by THINK and CEP (UNFPA funded partners) to address the issue of SGBV, including strengthening of six networks and four community outreach sessions. Dialogue was initiated with traditional leaders and men’s and women’s groups to address harmful Traditional Practices, resulting in the Ministry of Internal Affair’s announcement that FGM is prohibited and prosecutable. UN Women continues to expand the Peace Huts, emphasizing the role of women as peace builders and recognizes their key role in engaging with local authorities for prevention, increasing women’s voice and supporting them in engaging with authorities to improve access to justice, and provide active accompaniment of women and girls who are survivors of violence. Hide

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 Nepal, UN Women provided technical expertise and support to engender the Foreign Employment Policy including protection and promotion of human rights for women migrant workers at country of origin, transit country or destination country to avoid harassment and discrimination.UN Women is also working to support the inclusion of voices of the most excluded groups such as youth, indigenous, ethnic minorities, rural women and others in public policy formulation in relation to ending violence against women. For example, in Ecuador, the entity responsible for the restructuring of the System of Justice Administration has included the priorities of the indigenous women’s organization’s agenda in its formal restructuring process. In Bolivia, indigenous women have now secured agreements for their involvement in Rights and Justice oversight committees at municipal levels. Work with women from indigenous Guaraní and Ayoreao communities in the Brazil-Paraguay border focused on empowering young women and girls to register and report cases of rights violations, including trafficking. In Mexico, UN Women has supported the development of a care model for violence against women that also provide sexual and reproductive health service, implemented through Indigenous Women’s Houses (CAMIs). In 2012, the number of CAMIs increased to 19, operating in 12 states – with government funding and indigenous women responsible for administering the centres. The CAMIs have been acknowledged as a best practice in the Permanent Forum for Indigenous Peoples. Hide