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The UNRWA-supported Community Mental Health program in West Bank and Gaza continued psycho-educational workshops and lectures in all camps addressing topics such as sex education, equality between both sexes in the family, violence against women and children. The workshops targeted both women and men (whenever possible). In West Bank there is an ongoing program with 2 groups of male abusers. Hide

During reproductive health and HIV field missions to MENA and West African countries, UNHCR health staff advocated with stakeholders for the strengthening of sexual and gender-based violence prevention and response and for the integration of reproductive health, including sexual and gender-based violence, into community-based outreach activities and awareness-raising campaigns.In Liberia, UNHCR and its partners supported the establishment of a new community health department and organized community health committees and volunteers. The volunteers participated in awareness-raising sessions on primary health care, reproductive health, sexual and gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS. Hide

In support of the Secretary-General’s Campaign, UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, coordinated inter-agency efforts towards the launch of the UNiTE in Africa and UNiTE Latin America and the Caribbean regional components of the Campaign. It organized with OSAGI and the Center for Women's Global Leadership a civil society consultation in relation to the Campaign. 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

UNFPA participated in the March 2009 Rio Global Symposium on Engaging Men and Boys in Achieving Gender Equality; developed a toolkit on Engaging Men and Boys in Gender Equality and sexual and reproductive health (with Instituto Promundo); developed case studies of Engaging Men and Boys in Gender, Sexuality and reproductive health in Asia and Africa (with ICOMP); and, documented good practices on Engaging Men and Boys in Gender Equality and HIV and AIDS. UNFPA represented the UN Team in the drafting committee of the Rio Call to Action and continues the collaboration with the “Men Engage Alliance” as well as respective partners.UNFPA continued its advocacy work on elimination of violence, abuse and discrimination against women and girls, with a special focus on vulnerable and marginalized groups of women and girls. It collaborated with Help Age International, the Global Action on Aging and the NGO Committee on Ageing in advocating for the implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, and contributed to UNAIDS’s guidance note on HIV and sex work. Other instances of work with such groups includes the new UNFPA-AECID Latin America initiative - “Strengthening Indigenous Women’s Organizations and Health Systems to Promote Maternal Health, with an Intercultural and Human Rights-Based Approach”. In Jamaica, in partnership with the government, UNFPA support the launching of the campaign “Sister to Sister”, using popular icons and messages.During the Commission on the Status of Women, UNFPA hosted various events on the inter-sectionality of HIV/AIDS and violence against women. Hide

DPI worked to promote the Secretary-General's Campaign, focusing on raising awareness of violence against women globally; mobilizing public opinion to urge decision-makers to implement or change policies, in order to end violence against women; and generating awareness about the role of the United Nations in efforts to end violence against women. DPI’s network of UN Information Centres (UNICs) actively participated in promoting the Campaign at the national and regional levels, including through work with governments, students and civil society. UNICs organized media workshops, panel discussions, performances, photography and art exhibits, as well as film screenings. DPI also worked to further develop a visual identity for the campaign, as well as a campaign slogan and poster, a campaign ideas brochure, and a brochure setting out the campaign’s Framework for Action. The campaign website was updated on a regular basis in the six official UN languages.A segment on domestic violence, entitled Austria: Showing the Red Card, was completed for the “21st Century” television series, and new radio programmes on ending violence against women and promoting gender equality were produced. Hide

UNICRI continued to carry out activities related to women’s empowerment in Nigerian Edo State as a preventive measure against trafficking of women. As part of these activities, a second lot of beneficiaries was selected to receive training, micro-credit and all necessary equipment to start small business activities. Hide

In Egypt, UNV is working with the UN system and the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) to delineate the role of volunteerism in the FGM-Free Village initiative. National UNV volunteers are involved as youth leaders at the village level to raise awareness about the health related consequences of female genital mutilation (FGM), and to advocate against the social pressure on young girls and women. Several villages have made public declarations renouncing FGM.In Sudan, UNV works closely with UNFPA, the Ahfad University for Women and other stakeholders, engaging local volunteers to tackle FGM. By involving males and youths in peer education, engaging midwives and mothers in sexual education, and working with schools to raise the awareness of children, UNV and community volunteers were able to challenge practicing FGM from a community perspective. A combination of innovative information materials, entry into the community through schools, and reaching the families of pupils through public events has led to engaging a greater number of people. To ensure sustainability, UNV and partners supported the creation of a new non-governmental organization comprising the community volunteers it mobilized.In Honduras, the joint programme for the Support of Human Security contributes to gender equality and youth development through volunteerism for peace and development. UNV promotes a “culture of peace” at the community level in a context where incidences of sexual and domestic violence are high. So far, the programme has encouraged over 500 youth, chosen from at risk areas/contexts, to voluntarily participate in activities. Hide

On International Women’s Day, UNRWA Lebanon Field Office organized, in collaboration with a Lebanese NGO “KAFA”, awareness-raising sessions on “Women and men united to end violence against women and girls”. UNRWA’s Women Program Centers organized sessions on the use of the CEDAW Convention and Human Rights tools in advocacy. Hide

DAW, now part of UN Women, Issues # 3 and 4 of Words to Action were produced, with feature articles on the Secretary-General’s Campaign “UNiTE to end violence against women” and the IANWGE Task Force’s joint programming pilot initiative, respectively. Hide