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The United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women is the only global grant-making mechanism exclusively dedicated to eradicating all forms of violence against women and girls. The UN Trust Fund is managed by UN Women on behalf of the UN system and involves 24 UN organs and bodies in its decision-making processes through Regional and Global Programme Advisory Committees (PACs). With the strong institutional support of UN-Women and its regional, multi-country and country offices and working closely with the rest of the United Nations system through its inter-agency Programme Advisory Committee, the UN Trust Fund plays a vital role in driving forward collective efforts to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls.
In 2019, UNODC provided technical legislative support/ services to six countries (Algeria, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, India, State of Palestine, Zambia) for drafting legislation on trafficking in persons. This included assessing legislative needs, providing substantive input on draft legislation, providing substantive and technical input and support during legislative drafting workshops and assessing compliance with existing domestic legislation. UNODC also collaborated with the Government of Uzbekistan to promote the rights of women within the framework of existing laws related to gender.
Stars of Hope Society, the only association in Palestine that is managed by women with disabilities for women with disabilities, is using a grant from the UN Trust Fund to improve access to essential, safe and adequate multisectoral services. In the first six months of 2019, the grantee built out its infrastructure of the project and, in particular, on carrying out a context analysis and building capacity. As part of that effort it produced a disability mainstreaming manual and trained 22 representatives of organizations for women with disabilities on ending violence against women and girls. As part of efforts to mainstream disability in data collection on violence, the grantee persuaded the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics to include in its data collection team four female sign language interpreters, one of whom is living with disabilities.
The framework for ILO action to implement the June 2019 International Labour Conference Resolution concerning the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work was approved in the latter part of 2019 by the ILO Governing Body. The framework, among other things, included elements of a strategy for wide ratification of Convention No. 190 such as – and based on constituents’ requests -- promoting national reviews that assess relevant laws, collective agreements, policies and practices, and helping member States to understand what is required for effective implementation and possible future ratification.
Besides legislative reviews undertaken with a view towards the ratification of the Violence and Harassment Convention, No. 190, technical support and assistance in terms of legislative development remains at the heart of ILO’s core role. Therefore, support for legislative development is also provided by the Office through the comments and observations adopted by the ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations, as well as through the technical assistance provided in the adoption of labour laws, particularly those tackling sexual harassment.
In Uzbekistan, UNODC supported the Government in the development of a draft law on the prevention of domestic violence. In Egypt, UNODC is supporting the Government to develop fair and effective procedures to deal with cases of violence against women and girls, and thus to ensure a victim-centred approach as well as a fair and just prosecution of perpetrators.
The UN Trust Fund cooperates closely with 24 UN organs and bodies through Regional and Global Programme Advisory Committees.
During the implementation and monitoring stage, the UN Trust Fund provides training to UN Women field colleagues on the reporting requirements for the grantees, as well as on EVAW programmatic and technical aspects of the grantees’ project implementation.
The OHCHR supported the work of the SRVAW who presented two thematic reports to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly in 2018 on online violence against women and violence against women in politic.
During the period under review, the OHCHR supported the SRVAW in producing a number of legal and policy recommendations in communications sent to over 50 Member States and recommendations issued after country visits to: Canada (11 to 23 April 2018); Nepal (19 to 29 November 2018).
The OHCHR supported the work of the SRVAW, and SUMEX along with other relevant mandates in issuing a statement calling for revocation of a bill to amend Guatemala’s National Reconciliation Law which has been the basis of trials involving human rights violations in the country since the peace accords of 1996, and would establish an automatic mechanism for extinguishing the criminal responsibility of all those responsible for serious violations of human rights committed during that period (22 February 2019).
The OHCHR supported the Working Group on the Issue of Discrimination Against Women in Law and in Practice (WGDAW) in formulating a series of recommendations aimed at supporting legislative development following its mission to Honduras (1-14 November 2018). It recommended to:
- Repeal laws prohibiting access to emergency contraception and liberalize abortion law so as to ensure access at least in cases where the pregnancy poses a threat to the life or health of the woman, where it is the result of sexual violence or in case of severe foetal impairment, as the first step;
- End the criminalization and judicial harassment of women human rights defenders, protect them from violence (including by private actors) and investigate crimes against them;
-Ensure that the media do not promote stereotypes and gender-based violence, and raise their awareness on violence against women and human rights defenders;
- Provide the necessary support to women candidates, address political violence against women and promote women’s participation in political life;
- Conduct sustainable awareness-raising campaigns to prevent violence against women in politics and effectively investigate cases;
- End the criminalization and judicial harassment of women human rights defenders, protect them from violence (including by private actors) and investigate crimes against them;
- Ensure that human rights education is taught in all public schools, covering women’s rights and gender equality, with a focus on prevention of gender-based violence;
- Regarding indigenous and Afro-Honduran women (including Garífuna) guarantee their access and full participation in decision-making; prevent and combat violence against them;
- Eliminate violence, discrimination and stigmatization against lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex women, women with disabilities, women engaged in sex work/prostitution and women living with HIV and ensure their effective participation in political, civil, economic and social life and access to quality health services.
In November 2018, the SRVAW and the CEDAW Committee agreed on a Framework of Cooperation as a means of strengthening already established cooperation on combating violence against women in line with their respective mandates, and to advance the rights of women and girls by preventing and combating gender based violence, and supporting the implementation of the Convention and its General Recommendation 35.
Cairo Regional Bureau (RBC) RBC gender hosted a session in collaboration with UN Women on The Costs of GBV in November 2018. The session discussed: Costs of GBV; Gender Status Update from the Arab States (Gaps and Opportunities); Gender and SDGs (Zero Hunger); HerStory Zero Hunger: WFP and UN Women collaboration
Dakar Regional Bureau (RBD)
Ecuador Country Office
El Salvador Country Office |
WFP actively participates in the interagency group, with contributions in the revision of the Spotlight strategy