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UNODC supported countries in awareness-raising and advocacy for ending violence against women, including:
UNODC established the GLO.ACT Women's Network of Regional Champions against Trafficking in Persons and Migrant Smuggling, composed of female and male gender champions from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan.
UNODC supported ICAT events to promote CEDAW General Recommendation 38 and advocate for survivor-centered approaches to address human trafficking and the non-punishment of trafficking victims.
In Colombia, UNODC developed a guide for a conceptual approach to gender-based violence: legal framework, concepts, routes of attention and recommendations regarding citizen security in the COVID-19 pandemic in Santiago de Cali.
In Pakistan and Myanmar, UNODC coordinated national high-level roundtables to build consensus among different sectors for effective responses to GBV and the delivery of quality essential services for survivors.
In 2020, ICAT published a joint Analytical Review, which assessed, among others, persistent gaps in addressing the gender dimensions of trafficking in persons and identified the necessity to focus prevention efforts on eradicating gendered norms around sexual entitlement, coercion and control that normalize violence and constitutes a part of the continuum of violence against women and girls. ICAT also developed a first-ever Action Plan, which highlights several gender-related follow-up actions.
In the framework of the GLO.ACT project, UNODC undertook a gender and human rights analysis of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Pakistan. UNODC also supported the Afghan National High Commission on Trafficking in Persons in the review and updating of their strategic national action plan to address the root causes and respond to the needs of women and girls.
UNODC contributed to the Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women Campaign, by providing thematic briefs for the Orange Day/ UNiTE Campaign Action Circular on the core topics of the Secretary-General’s Political Engagement Strategy on GBV and COVID-19 (Prevent, Respond, Collect).
UNODC is an active member of the United Nations Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict and contributed to enhanced interagency coordination by actively participating in its Core Groups on Prevention and Advocacy and by co-leading the Core Group on the nexus between sexual violence in conflict and terrorism / violent extremism, in partnership with the UN Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict. UNODC participated in a policy dialogue on conflict-related sexual violence crimes associated with slavery and trafficking, organized by the Team of Experts.
UNODC coordinates the Inter-Agency Coordination Group Against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT), which ensures policy coherence among its membership in their responses to human trafficking.
UNODC also participates in the UN Joint Programme on Essential Services and the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative.
UNODC continues to support OHCHR and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in its work to develop a General Recommendation on the trafficking of women and girls in the context of global migration. As part of this, UNODC co-hosted a regional consultation for Middle East and Northern Africa in cooperation with OHCHR and UN Women in Egypt in November 2019.
In Bolivia, in cooperation with UNDP, UNODC updated the Protocol to Conduct Hearings on Precautionary Measures. In the first seminar on gender-based violence and femicide, UNODC presented ways of measuring gender-based killings of women and girls.
In Guatemala, UNODC’s support to the National Civil Police under the joint UN Global Programme on Essential Services for Women and Girls subject to Violence, resulted in a specialised criminal investigation model and protocol for violence against women cases.
UNODC is the permanent coordinator and secretariat of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Trafficking in Persons (ICAT), established by the General Assembly. The principles of gender equality and the empowerment of women underpin the work of ICAT. For instance, in 2019, ICAT published a brief on the gender dimensions of human trafficking and UNODC coordinated the development of the ICAT submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to support the development of a general recommendation on trafficking in women and girls in the context of global migration.
UNODC is part of the UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict (UN Action) and has implemented projects funded by the UN Action Multi-Partner Trust Fund.
UNODC promotes the Blue Heart Campaign.UNODC is developing a Human Rights and Gender mainstreaming tool to contribute towards gender transformative programming and assist policy makers, practitioners and UN staff when implementing activities to counter migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons. In the framework of the Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT), UNODC is preparing to launch a women’s network among partner countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan) to promote and foster the participation of women professionals (government and civil society) in combatting trafficking and smuggling. It was publicly announced on 10 December 2019 at an awareness-raising event held for the 2019 campaign '16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence' and International Human Rights Day. Additionally, UNODC developed a 3 hour university module, accompanied by an educational video, on the Gender Dimensions of Trafficking in Persons and Migrant Smuggling tailored for academic teachers.In the MENA region, UNODC continued improving prevention and criminal justice responses to violence against women and girls through a regional project and the Joint UN Global Programme on Essential Services for Women and Girls subject to Violence, with Egypt and Tunisia serving as pilot countries.
View MoreUNODC promotes the Blue Heart Campaign.
UNODC is developing a Human Rights and Gender mainstreaming tool to contribute towards gender transformative programming and assist policy makers, practitioners and UN staff when implementing activities to counter migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons.
In the framework of the Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT), UNODC is preparing to launch a women’s network among partner countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan) to promote and foster the participation of women professionals (government and civil society) in combating trafficking and smuggling. It was publicly announced on 10 December 2019 at an awareness-raising event held for the 2019 campaign '16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence' and International Human Rights Day.
Additionally, UNODC developed a 3 hour university module, accompanied by an educational video, on the Gender Dimensions of Trafficking in Persons and Migrant Smuggling tailored for academic teachers.
In the MENA region, UNODC continued improving prevention and criminal justice responses to violence against women and girls through a regional project and the Joint UN Global Programme on Essential Services for Women and Girls subject to Violence, with Egypt and Tunisia serving as pilot countries.
UNODC promotes the Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking. In the framework of the UNODC Education for Justice Initiative, the Office raised awareness on trafficking in persons through education, working closely with youth and academics to look into key concepts of trafficking and how this affects in particular women and girls, and how education can contribute to crime prevention and promotion of legality and justice. This includes dedicated modules and resources on gender and organized crime, including trafficking in persons. UNODC published an article on gender-responsive approaches in evaluation and programming to better address trafficking in persons (p. 22 ff.)
In Mexico, UNODC supported the development of a videogame called Chuka, which aims to teach children to recognize the most common types of violence against women and girls, and act assertively when facing different representations of such violence.
UNODC organized an Expert Group Meeting on interlinkages of trafficking in persons with marriage, including forced, child, temporary and sham marriages, bringing together international experts in the field for the development of a UNODC issue paper on these issues (to be published in mid 2019.
In Guatemala, UNODC supported the establishment of an inter-institutional coordination roundtable with the National Police and the Attorney-General’s Office for the investigation of cases of violence against women and assisted both institutions in the development of joint investigation plans and protocols on the subject.
UNODC is part of the United Nations Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict, the Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality and also has a coordinating role in ICAT, the Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Trafficking in Persons, established by the General Assembly.