Prevention, Including Awareness Raising and Advocacy

UN-Habitat emphasizes programmes and strategies aimed at preventing violence against women and, to that end, promotes partnerships between all concerned stakeholders. It encourages the consultation and participation of women at each phase of a project or activity.Through the Safer Cities Programme, women safety audits and exploratory walks aim at an urban environment safer for all its inhabitants. Participants, mainly women, identify areas where the potential for crime is high or where women or other persons may feel unsafe. Based on the Canadian experience, safety audits were adapted to the reality of many cities in Africa, Latin America and Asia and the Pacific. At the national level, UN-Habitat has developed tools for, and implemented, women’s safety audits in several cities, as well as partnerships to enhance women’s safety. The Safer Cities Programme promotes the documentation and exchange of practices and lessons learnt; and the Women City networks at the regional and international level and between regions. Examples include: seminars and international conferences organized in Frankfurt, Naples, Nairobi, Antananarivo, Johannesburg, Montreal and Kampala; and the replication of tools and training sessions carried out in Johannesburg, Frankfurt, Montreal, Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam.UN-Habitat co-organized the first international conference on “Women’s Safety: Making the links” (Montreal, 2002). Direct outcomes of this conference were the development of networks on women and cities and the Women's Safety Awards.In the Eastern Africa Region, Safer Cities collaborated with the non-governmental organization Raising Voices to co-organize a regional dialogue in 2003, which brought together representatives of non-governmental organizations and local authorities to discuss several aspects of prevention of violence against women. Hide

Department of Political Affairs (DPA) collaborates with other UN entities and local NGOs and women’s groups to raise awareness of and advocate for the elimination of violence against women, also at the national level. DPA does not have projects or programmes on violence against women but supports NGOs in their sensitization programmes. The human rights sections of field missions monitor and report on cases of human rights abuses, which may include violence against women. Hide

DPKO Gender units/advisers implement, or support measures to raise awareness about gender-based violence, including campaigns, workshops, meetings and conferences on violence against women, both within mission personnel and the societies where the mission is stationed, such as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kosovo, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Sudan; they are actively working in a number of missions with civilian police advisers to enhance attention by local police to gender-based violence against women; and they have put in place information sharing strategies to enhance knowledge about the status of women and better coordinate support to women, as is the case in Burundi and Cote d’Ivoire, also in collaboration with non-governmental organizations. DPKO Police advisers in missions study crime trends and assist in creating awareness of the local police and societies through seminars, workshops and targeted training. Hide

The United Nations Peace-building Support Office in Guinea-Bissau’s (UNOGBIS) human rights section has regular meetings with local NGOs and women’s groups, such as the informal forum with the national network fighting against gender and child violence, to discuss violence and other forms of abuse against women, UNOGBIS also participated in the first national conference on violence against women organized by this Network. The aim of the conference was to sensitize national authorities and the population on social values and violence against women, its causes and and how to eliminate it in the local communities. Hide

ECLAC’s awareness-raising activities on violence against women include presentation of papers and provision of training as requested by Member States. UNFPA advocates for the elimination of violence against women with parliamentarians and women’s networks. Hide

ESCAP disseminates information about prevention of violence against women and trafficking, and encourages stakeholder participation in such efforts. It organizes panel discussions, film festivals and screenings to increase awareness among different stakeholders. For example, ESCAP has facilitated the production and screening of a short film, called Young Men Speak Out. Hide

On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2007, the United Nations system celebrated with a panel presentation and discussion, exhibition, and film screening on the global theme of ‘Ending impunity for violence against women’. The Executive Secretary of ESCAP and Executive Director of UNAIDS called for universal respect for women’s human rights and an end to all forms of violence against women and impunity. Copies of the Secretary-General’s study were widely distributed. Hide

At the third session of UNESCAP’s Committee on Emerging Social Issues, 12 to 14 December 2006, the Executive Secretary called attention to the Secretary-General’s in-depth study on all forms of violence against women. Copies of the study were circulated to all Member States and Observers. The Committee considered the document entitled “Emerging issues and challenges related to gender and development” (E/ESCAP/CESI (3)/3) which covered the key findings of and recommendations of the Secretary-General’s study. Hide

As the secretariat for the Humanitarian Coordinator at field level, OCHA ensures attention to gender-based violence and facilitates the implementation of appropriate solutions. When appropriate, OCHA acts as co-chair of the coordinating agencies in regard to prevention of and response to gender-based violence. Hide

As one of its key action areas, the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS advocates for strategies to halt violence against women and to address the linkages between violence and HIV transmission and access to services; promotes the right of women to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality, free of coercion, discrimination and violence; and calls for greater action to address gender-based and sexual violence, including in conflict and post-conflict settings. The link between violence against women and HIV has been featured as an important part of UNAIDS advocacy messages and was the subject of the November 2005 Issues Brief for use with policy makers. Hide