Search
In Mali, OHCHR training military and government officials in relation to the prevention of CRSV by Malian actors. In 2017, 446 security officials, 132 members of the civil society organizations and 89 officials of the governmental institutions were trained to address and prevent CRSV.
In Ukraine, OHCHR documented and reported instances of CRSV, affecting women and men, both in the territory controlled by armed groups, and in Government-controlled territory. Following the release of the report in February 2017, OHCHR in Ukraine participated in 15 events to present the key findings of the report and recommendations. Overall approximately 495 people participated in these events at national and local levels from various groups – civil society, State institutions, international community. The report was instrumental to get the Government commitment to work towards addressing CRSV. OHCHR and UN Women helped the Government to develop the Strategy to prevent and address CRSV. In 2018, OHCHR and UN Women will continue joint work to integrate the developed Strategy to prevent and address CRSV into 1325 National Action Plan.
OHCHR-Guatemala provided technical assistance and closely followed up on key transitional justice cases in the country related to sexual violence committed during the armed conflict. This includes the Sepur Zarco case, in which two ex-military officials were found guilty (affirmed on appeal in July 2017), of crimes against humanity in the form of sexual violence and slavery against Q’eqchi’ women during the armed conflict and the ongoing Molina Theissen case, which involves the alleged 1981 rape of Emma Molina Theissen and the disappearance of her 14-year-old brother.
A project implemented by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) with funding from the UN Trust Fund in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya is working to address gaps in the medical-legal process in order to improve responses to sexual violence against women and girls. The programme has been actively engaged in the two countries, both of which have endured widespread, conflict-related sexual violence and were being investigated for mass crimes by the International Criminal Court.
In December 2017, the Kavumu Case was concluded with the conviction of 11 men for crimes against humanity for the rape of 37 toddlers and young girls over a three-year period in the village of Kavumu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This was a landmark case because a sitting government official was stripped of his immunity and was found guilty for crimes that he and his armed militia committed and because it was the first time that survivors/witnesses were afforded innovative means of protection in court in the country. PHR helped to coordinate the investigation and provided technical assistance to clinicians and police investigators that led to the arrests of militia members.
IOM is supporting the development of Interagency GBV Minimum Standards.
DRC :
UN Women supported the UN system through the Gender Score Card in 2015 but in February 2018 the gender focal points of the agencies were on gender accountability. In June and July 2017, there was a regional capacity-building workshop on gender mainstreaming and gender-based violence response in emergencies and humanitarian crises. Several agencies (UN Women, UNFPA, UNHCR, GenCap) took part. The revitalization of the One UN Gender Team allows a good readability of gender interventions in the DRC. Jointly, support was given to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Family for the organization of the forum of ministers and heads of gender division for the coordination of gender issues.
SENEGAL :
UN Women in Senegal, through its leadership ensured the coordination of interventions on the elimination of gender-based violence. Thus, the activities of the gender thematic group work to strengthen this momentum for the protection and health of women and girls.
CABO VERDE:
In additional to mobilizing UN agencies to implement advocacy campaigns and of knowledge sharing, UN Women Cabo Verde has been able to engage different agencies in the elaboration of joint programme proposals to address gender inequality, including gender-based violence. Among projects in pipeline, there are 3 projects related to GBV, being one about Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights program (UN-Women, UNFPA, UNICEF), the second on human security and resilience (UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and UNODC), and the third one on GEWE, being GBV one out of the three domains. In the two first GBV is considered as one of the main issue to be addressed.
CAMEROON:
UNW Cameroon has coordinated the UNCT SWAP scorecard process and the elaboration of action plan. The country office has been engaged in the implementation of the UNSWAP Scorecard plan and has succeeded in inscribing gender in the 2018 UNCT annual work plan. The office has also worked to mainstream gender in joint programs of the 2018-2020 UNDAF
LIBERIA:
Through the Gender Theme Group, UN Women Liberia coordinates UN Support to the Government of Liberia, especially with international celebrations such as the International Women Day and the 16 Days of Activism. Besides, in 2018, UN Women is hosting a GenCap Advisor to strengthen the capacities of Gender Specialist within the UN System. The GenCap Advisor provides technical leadership and support to UNCT on Gender Equality programming as well as building the capacity to ensure that Gender specific needs are taken into consideration in the planning and the implementation of programes in Liberia. This includes mainstreaming gender in the development of the new UNDAF.
NIGER
UN-Women Niger is the vice-chair of the thematic group. This status enables it to contribute to the coordination of activities on the elimination of gender-based violence, gender mainstreaming and women's rights.
NIGERIA
The UN Women support the GTG to ensuring that the capacity of members are built to enable them better understand the issues of GEWE and GBV.
Joint research activity with the Unicef Office of Research Innocenti on “Transformative Change for Children and Youth and the SDGs” (2017-2018) includes topic of violence against girls.
UNODC developed a “Strategy for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (2018-2021) establishes the first institutional framework on gender equality for the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) and UNODC. This Strategy seeks to ensure that gender equality and the empowerment of women are integral parts of all aspects of the work of UNOV/UNODC in making the world safer from drugs, crime and terrorism and in ensuring the peaceful uses of outer space.
This Strategy will assist UNOV and UNODC-by 2021-to be workplaces where gender equality and the empowerment of women are actively promoted by staff in all aspects of institutional processes, programmatic work and activities thus fostering an enabling, inclusive and diverse work environment and improving the representation of women at all levels in order to reach gender parity.
UN Volunteers are an important component of capacity on the ground in the global pursuit of gender equality. The gender ratio of UN Volunteers improved from 43% female in 2015 to 47% female in 2017.
Iraq CO
UN Women, in collarboration with UNDP, provided 935 survivors of gender based violence and conflict related sexual violence with psychosocial support, legal assistance, and referrals as part of the Stop Rape Now United Nations Against Sexual Violence and Conflict fund. Many of these women were survivors of violence perpetrated by ISIS, and were able to register their cases with the Genocide Committee based in Dohuk, Iraq, contributing to documentaion of ISIS's crimes and providing them with access to justice. In the context of Security Council resolution (SCR) 2106 (2013), the UN agreed with the Government of Iraq a joint , (the “Joint Communiqué”) as a framework of cooperation to prevent and address conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) committed in the country on 23 September 2016. During 2017 and 2018, UN Women has been actively engaged in developing the Action Plan for implementation of the Communique and the Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Arrangements (MARA) Mechanism, contributing to the systematic gathering of timely, accurate, reliable and objective information on CRSV against women, men, girls and boys in Iraq. UN Women also supported development of and participated in the SRSG on CRSV visit to Iraq in March 2018, reinforcing its work to combat GBV and support government response for survivors.
Under the UN Action- funded project, UN Women provided technical guidance to JNCW and its partner, NAMA Strategic Intelligence Solutions (contracted by NATO), as they conducted a Gender Audit of the Police, Civil Defense and Gendarmerie. The audit seeks to identify gaps and recommendations for securing the meaningful participation and leadership of women in all parts of the security sector. The audit’s findings will also support the identification of gaps that must be addressed within the security sector as it increases its capacity to respond to incidents of CRSV.The prime minister and cabinet endorsed the JONAP 1325 on 3 December 2017. Throughout the year, the JONAP 1325 benefitted from substantial engagement across all sectors, including consultations with civil society in the different governorates throughout Jordan. The final JONAP includes the following CRSV specific outputs: 3.3.2: “Instruments to monitor, document and report GBV and CRSV are created – linked to national structures and systems,” and 3.3.3: “Prosecutors, judges and the security sector are trained on how to handle GBV and CRSV, and promote access to safe reporting channels”
During the reporting period , UN Women lebanon succeeded to push forward progress on WPS through its leading role to develop the NAP 1325 for Lebanon. Substantive progress was achieved in terms of : a) conducting training sessions to the members of the national Council for Lebanese Women, Meetings with more than 17 focus groups representing Syrian, Palestinian and Iraqi refugees, in addition to meetings with religious leaders. The aim of the meetings is to enhance their knowledge on the UNRC 1325 themes and also collect information oin the challenges they are facing and their concerns. All these will feed in the formulation of UNCR 1325 NP for Lebanon. Furthermore, UN Women as leading UN agency, finalized the situation Analysis, held more than 5 meetings with other UN agencies and 3 meetings with the national counterpart. WPS addresses the 4 pillars which includes Prevention, Protection and Recovery for women within conflects.
UN Women undertakes several measures to address sexual violence in conflict situations related to the UN Women workforce such as:
- Message of prohibition of sexual misconduct and SEA and importance of reporting repeatedly communicated by ED.
- Since February 2017, UN Women has provided training to personnel in over 20 field offices and HQ sections.
- Launch of UN Women’s initiative “Take a Stand” in 2016, which provides guidance not only on how to report cases but also on services available to the affected staff member – from telecommuting, to salary advances, to advanced leave requests, and assisting in facilitating their access to safe and secure spaces.
- Established a network of focal points on SEA in headquarters and its Regional Offices from whom staff can request guidance on reporting allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse.
- Ensuring that where there are ANY allegations of SEA or other sexual misconduct committed by UN Women personnel or partners, they are promptly referred for investigation.
- Ensuring that alleged victims are referred to the appropriate service providers for protection, medical care and support.
- Collaborating with the Secretary-General’s Victims’ Rights Advocate Ms. Jane Connors on sexual exploitation and abuse and victims’ assistance.
DRC
Strengthening of community prevention mechanisms with vigilance committees; sensitization of the military and police on their role in civil protection. Action to repress the perpetrators of sexual violence with emblematic trials of certain senior military officers. Actions carried out by the office of the Personal Representative of the Head of State in charge of combating sexual violence with the support of partners, in particular UN Women and UNFPA.
CAMEROON
UNW CAMEROON sept up women cohesion space to provide holistance assistance to GBV survivors. In humanitarian settings, awareness raising activities in different forms reached a great number of women, men, girls and boys including traditional and religious leaders who maintain significant influence over social norms and behaviours at the community level, on gender-based violence, girls' education, importance of women's economic empowerment, early/forced marriage and other relevant issues. These community outreach activities were not only prevention measures but also served as a first step to inform the population on available GBV services and to encourage them to report cases in the social environment that traditionally silences the survivors of violence.
LIBERIA
Liberia is not in a conflict situation at the moment. However, measures are available as part of disaster response strategy.
NIGER
The Diffa region is prey to the interventions of the boko Haram nebula. To support displaced, returned and refugee women, high-impact activities were implemented, including three hundred and fifty income-generating activities in the camps, the provision of more than 1,000 domestic gas kits to enable women not to leave the camps to search for firewood, Equipping health centres in three camps to care for survivors of violence, the three cohesion spaces, gender training for the FDS, GBV and gender mainstreaming in security activities, and the five gender units within the law enforcement services. All these activities benefited more than 5,000 people.
NIGERIA
UN Women supported the state ministries of women affairs and social development in the focus states to commemorate the 16 days of activism on violence against women;
The National Advisory Committee on the implementation of the National Action Plan was inaugurated by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development with support from Un Women and the State Action Plans on UNSCR 1325 was launched n Adamawa Gombe and Plateau state in the period
The HeforShe campaign was launched in three state and male traditional and community leaders were recognized for integrating women in traditional councils and local community leadership committees.
A simplified NAP has been developed to facilitate uptake by the public and the costing for the implementation is underway
Plateau Peacebuilding Agency’s Strategic Plan has been drafted with support from UN Women and state partners