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In 2020, WFP launched a new Protection and Accountability Policy (2020). In developing the Policy WFP adopted a field-first approach. Gender and GBV link explicitly to the new Policy—which commits WFP to adopt a specific normative and operational posture when designing and implementing, and reporting on its programmes:
A theory of change that underlines the views, priorities and agency of the people WFP serves as indispensable for WFP to deliver good programming in line with human rights, development, peace & security, and disability inclusion.
Complementing WFP’s food security analysis with a solid context analysis that deepens WFP’s understanding of the different risks faced by people where WFP operates, how that operational and risk context is evolving, which factors contribute to this threat (gender, age, disability) and the subsequent effects on peoples’ vulnerability to food insecurity and malnutrition.
Evidence-based decision making as imperative to understanding barriers to inclusion in safe programming. Data must be disaggregated by sex, age and disability.
A shift towards the centrality of protection and accountability across a range of critical functions to ensure the safety, appropriateness and dignity of food and nutrition assistance. This requires broadening our understanding of protection beyond programming.
With regards to the progress made towards the implementation of the WFP Gender Policy (2015-2020) an evaluation carried out in 2019 provided eight recommendations that were endorsed by the management and found that while the Policy is still relevant for WFP’s mandate, it “needs to be updated to support WFP’s work at country level firmly within UN system efforts to accelerate the support to government partners to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.” The update of the Gender Policy will not involve the change of the main goals of the policy, but it will involve the alignment to the new Strategic Plan (2022-2026), the current WFP and UN framework, and it will also include a structured and detailed Theory of Change. In December 2020 the Gender Office commenced the process. Initial key informants’ interviews have been carried out and the internal reference group has been established. Additionally, a survey was launched at the end of January 2021 addressed to any WFP employee and partners, to gather the broadest possible perspective on what the updated policy should include. The next steps will be a deeper desk review and the development of the first draft of the updated policy, that will be presented to the EB for the first of two informal consultations on July 8thth 2021. The final document will be presented to the first EB session of February 2022.
In 2021, WFP undertook the review and update of the Executive Director Circular on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (OED2014/020). This ED Circular serves as WFP’s policy framework for PSEA and was last updated in 2014. Since, policies, procedures and other applicable standards and guidelines as related to PSEA have been updated, WFP considers it a good practice to update the Circular to support effective administration, compliance and oversight. It is anticipated that the updated Circular will be finalized by January 2022.
ESCWA supported the Palestinian Ministry of Women’s Affairs in drafting a “Situation Analysis for the State of Palestine’s Violence against Women and Girls Response,” which aimed to inform the Ministry’s forthcoming Violence against Women Strategy.
ESCWA, in partnership with UNFPA, supported the National Council for Lebanese Women in developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS) for the public and private sector to fully operationalize the “Law to Criminalize Sexual Harassment and [for] Rehabilitation of Its Victims.”
ESCWA delivered a workshop for the Ministry of Solidarity, Social Development and Family Equality in Morocco on “Costing the Implementation of the National Strategy on Combatting Violence against Women and Girls by 2030 in the Kingdom of Morocco” on 29-30 June 2021.
ESCWA supported the Jordanian National Commission for Women in evaluating Jordan’s National Action Plan (NAP) to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000), on women, peace and security (JONAP-I (2018-2021)) to inform the design of JONAP-II.
In June 2020, DPO launched the first Handbook to support UN Field Missions in preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), building on the publication of the first UN Policy on this same topic a few months earlier. Both these documents were developed by DPO jointly with the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (OSRSG-SVC) and in consultation with representatives from the United Nations Action Network on Sexual Violence in Conflict and partners at United Nations Headquarters. These documents provide guidance for civilian, military, and police personnel deployed in UN Field Missions on how to prevent and respond to conflict-related sexual violence with a coordinated and survivor-centred approach. Since the release of the CRSV Policy and Handbook, DPO has been supporting their dissemination and implementation in the field.
UNFPA leads the GBV Area of responsibility under the global protection cluster which is part of the IASC established coordination mechanism/architecture in humanitarian settings. As of 2021, UNFPA coordinates GBV response and prevention programmes in 35 humanitarian settings.
UNFPA contributed to Inter-Agency Humanitarian Evaluation (IAHE) Steering Group Review of Progress on Mainstreaming Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls into the Humanitarian, Development, and Peace Nexus Agenda and in the work going forward to promote strengthened mainstreaming in the triple nexus process.
UNFPA actively engages with the 16 Days of Activism with concerted efforts to move from activism to accountability. To reinforce accountability frameworks, we support training for health workers, police and judges to help them respond sensitively and appropriately to GBV survivors; and support the creation of laws and protocols that ensure the protection of survivors.
Since 2008 UNFPA, jointly with UNICEF, leads the largest global programme to accelerate the elimination of female genital mutilation (FGM) in 17 countries.
Since 2016 UNFPA, jointly with UNICEF, has been implementing the Global Programme to End Child Marriage across Africa, the Middle East and South Asia in 12 of the highest-prevalence and/or high-burden countries.
UNFPA is implementing with the The European Union and other UN Agencies the Spotlight initiative, focused on eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls in 26 countries. UNFPA leads or co-leads a number of programmes related to prevention, strengthened provision of comprehensive GBV and SRHR services,collection and use of data, as well as contributing to interventions across all pillars of the initiative.
On 12 March 2021, as part of the 65th session on the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), UNFPA, in collaboration with the European Commission and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), held a virtual inter-ministerial dialogue that resulted in countries committing to 10 points to action towards ending GBSS.
In Mexico, UNODC provided legislative support to promote the harmonization of criminal laws against femicide at the state level.
In Kyrgyzstan, UNODC facilitated amendments to the Criminal Procedural Code to strengthen protection mechanisms for survivors of SGBV.In South Africa, UNODC provided input for the official review of draft legislation concerning sexual and domestic violence (i.e. the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act Amendment Bill, the Domestic Violence Amendment Bill, and the Criminal Matters Amendment Bill).
UNODC published the Model Legislative Provisions against Trafficking in Persons and a Legislative Guide to the Trafficking in Persons Protocol, in which measures and principles such as the principle of non-discrimination, establishing procedures to collect gender-disaggregated data, developing gender-sensitive policies against trafficking in persons and educational programs promoting gender equality as preventative measures, are discussed and promoted as practical and implementable best practices.
UNHCR developed a Guidance Note on the International Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. The Guidance Note aims to serve as a resource for UNHCR staff with regards to: understanding the overall structure and content of the Convention; drafting UNHCR’s confidential comments to the Committee; helping asylum-seeking, refugee, internally displaced and stateless women and girls to understand and claim their rights under the Convention; and, informing other means of advocacy such as judicial interventions, UNHCR comments on draft national legislation, and public communications.
UNHCR has also supported the development of thematic legislation in different operations.
In addition, UNHCR launched its internal UNHCR’s Universal Periodic Review Dashboard. The UPR dashboard is a simple interactive tool that allows UNHCR colleagues to easily visualize, filter and extract data and the text of UPR recommendations which are directly related to UNHCR’s persons of concern. It includes data from OHCHR’s Universal Human Rights Index, but it is specifically limited to UPR recommendations related to persons under UNHCR’s mandate and the data has been tagged to allow filtering by regions and themes of relevance to UNHCR. It also provides quick links to past UNHCR UPR submissions and to States’ official UPR pages on OHCHR’s website.
UNFPA works in partnerships with governments to develop legislation that is responsive to the needs of survivors and that is aligned with international laws and human rights standards. UNFPA provides technical, human and financial resources to support the development of national laws and largely engages with governments. By the end of 2020, as much as 96% of UNFPA Country Offices were involved in strengthening national legislation and policy. For example, in Kyrgyzstan, UNFPA contributed to the review of gaps in legislation resulting in expanded and improved services for survivors, increased awareness on gender-based violence and the utilization of new technologies during the pandemic. In the Gambia, UNFPA contributed to the approval of a law criminalizing FGM. And, in Nigeria the Violence Against Persons’ Prohibition Act has been adopted in 20 States in 2020 (bringing the total to 25 States).
UNDP is working closely with national partners to support their legislative development to address gender-based violence, and to support national capacities on access to justice and protection through multi-sectoral support and services.
In Myanmar, UNDP and UN Women have made headways in linking legal aid services to women in villages and IDP camps. UNDP supported with technical inputs for the Prevention of violence against women Bill (PoVAW).
The Malaysian office is implementing a gender mainstreaming project with the Ministry of Women and drafting the Anti-Sexual Harassment Bill.
UNDP is in close cooperation with the National Parliament to strengthen the legislation related to GBV and EVAWG in Timor- Leste.
In Peru, UNDP in cooperation with national ministries, is strengthening national system of justice for protection and punishment around VAW.
UNDP Maldives, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Argentina, Ecuador and many other country offices are working with national authorities in reviewing the existing law and drafting the necessary amendments or supporting new act to enhance gender responsiveness of legislation.