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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

In March 2012, the Asia-Pacific Regional Coordination Mechanism Thematic Working Group on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (TWG-GEEW), co-chaired by ESCAP and UN WOMEN, established a Working Group on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). The Working Group strengthens interagency cooperation and collaboration in support of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the region and provides a forum to address issues related to this agenda, including sexual violence in conflict situations. ESCAP and UN Women provide a joint secretariat for the Working Group, which also supports the Regional Advisory Group in implementing its workplan to advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the Asia-Pacific region. Hide

UNDP, UN WOMEN and UNICEF have collaborated on a number of initiatives, including: development of “Integrated Responses to Gender-Based Violence in Serbia" to be implemented in 2013-2014 with funding from UN Trust Fund to end Violence against Women; the joint programme “Every Safe Home: Supporting Thailand towards Effective Implementation of Protection of Domestic Violence Victims” aimed at strengthening coordination, capacity-building and public awareness to end violence against women in public and private spaces; and integration of GBV in the security sector reform process of Guinea. Hide

In partnership with DPKO and the Office of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, UN Women developed scenario-based pre-deployment training for military peacekeepers to prevent and respond to sexual violence, which were tested in several troop contributing countries, such as Nepal where 466 army personnel were trained. Both the Security Council, in resolution 1960, and the Secretary-General, in his annual report on conflict-related sexual violence, have encouraged member states to incorporate these modules into their regular training for peace operations. Hide

In the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), UN Women has continued to support the multi-purpose Centre for women victims of violence by assisting in the development of formats for the data collection. Hide

The Supplement to the Handbook for Legislation on Violence Against Women: “Harmful Practices” Against Women was published, and its final version is available on the website of UN Women in all UN official languages, at: https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/vaw/v-handbook.htm#handbook_supp. This Supplement should be read and used together with the Handbook for legislation on violence against women. Hard copies were also produced. Hide

UN Women provided women inmates in Palestinian correction and rehabilitation centres (Palestinian prisons) with legal aid and representation from a gender perspective, social counseling sessions, recreational and rehabilitative activities; and provision of goods for primary needs for the women and their newborn children leaving inside the prison. Regular monitoring of the situation (social and legal) of women inmates in the occupied Palestinian territory was conducted and a paper was produced. UN Women has also provided financial support to the existing toll-free help in the occupied Palestinian territory for women and children victims of violence. Hide

UN Women prepared reports of the Secretary General to the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly on Violence against women migrant workers (A/66/212) and on the Girl-child (A/66/257); as well as a report of the Secretary General to the fifty-sixth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) on Ending female genital mutilation (E/CN.6/2012/8). UNICEF provided technical inputs to both reports. Hide

Based on the outcome of a 2010 expert group meeting, organized by UN Women, in cooperation with ECLAC/Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean. UN Women developed and issued in June 2011 a Handbook for national action plans on violence against women. The Handbook presents a model framework for national action plans on violence against women, which sets out detailed recommendations, accompanied by explanatory commentaries and good practice examples. The Handbook is available at: https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/vaw/handbook-for-nap-on-vaw.htm. The Handbook will be available in hard copy in 2012 in all official United Nations languages. Hide

In Colombia, prior to the adoption of the Victim and Land Restitution Law, UN Women provided technical assistance to the government to incorporate a gender perspective and promoted regional consultations with women`s organizations and a public hearing at the National Congress. This law recognizes that women are among the most vulnerable victims and therefore they need to receive special attention in the provision of medical and physiological services, access to education and restitution of their properties. Hide