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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.
UN Women continued to actively participate in the UN system-wide SEA Working Group PSEA WG, which is being coordinated by the Office of the Special Coordinator on improving the UN response to SEA. Using its technical expertise and experience, UN Women provided input to all WG deliverables, which inter-alia include the Fact sheet on the Secretary-General's initiatives to prevent and respond to SEA, the Secretary-General's Report on Special measures for PSEA, the annual PSEA action plan, and the annual PSEA survey.
Together with UNFPA, IOM, and UNICEF, UN Women co-lead the inter-agency PSEA focal point training, held in March 2021 for the Senegal inter-agency PSEA network.
UN Women actively engaged in the development of the key performance indicators for the prevention of sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse for the monitoring framework of the 2020 QCPR.
With UN partners including OHCHR, DPPA, UNDP and DCO, UN Women advocated for UN key messages about Violence against Women in politics for the UN system, endorsed by the Executive Committee in 2020 and available to inform UN Leaders' advocacy efforts on this issue.
Almost all the countries in the ESA region have functional GBV Working Groups led by UNFPA and the PSEA Task Forces led by UN Women and the UNRCO.
To bring the global commitments to the field and to create an enabling safe, secure and equitable environment in line with the UN Secretary-Generals guidance, a Training of Trainers program on "Gender Parity" and "Prevention of Sexual Harassment, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)" was organized in partnership with UN Women HQ with participation by 42 participants from 12 countries in the region representing UN Women, UNPFA, UNHCR, IOM, ICAO and UNDSS in Mombasa, Kenya. Following the training at least 5 countries have replicated the training in their countries and also took initiatives to establish and strengthen the PSEA task forces.
In Burundi, UN Women supported the development of UNCT gender strategy which serves as a frame of reference for in planning process within UNS in Burundi.
To support Secretary-General's Campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women, UN Women (ROAP) organised and supported multiple regional events including Regional Curated Dialogue (link) organised in the form a TV style talk show, multi country study on Online Violence against Women in Asia (link), study on the linkages between violence against women and violence against children jointly produced with UNICEF and UNFPA (link) , Guidelines on Responsible Representation and Reporting of Violence Against Women and Children also jointly produced with UNICEF and UNFPA (link), 16 stories from frontline service providers, and social media campaigns (link) and a virtual event with the World Design Organization showcasing innovation and youth-focused approaches to prevent VAWG. The estimated reach of the 16 days of campaign events and messaging was around 94,250 with 65,273 direct engagement through likes, comments, and shares.
Generation Equality and 2020 Information Note
The year 2020 is a pivotal year for advancing gender equality worldwide, as the global community takes stock of progress made for women's rights since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action. This information note explores UN Women's upcoming actions throughout 2020 including its multigenerational campaign: “Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights for an Equal Future”, Generation Equality Forums and Action Coalitions.
Trough GTG (Gender Thematic Group), UN Women Moldova CO a) lead the joint UN effort in supporting the government to implement the existing normative commitments (implementation of CEDAW CO, UPR, Beijing +25 national report); b) strengthen joint advocacy for improved normative framework and ratification of the Istanbul Convention on VAW as per CEDAW Committee Recommendations and of ILO Convention no. 190 on Violence and sexual harassment at the workplace; d) use corporate tools such as SWAP Gender Scorecard recommendations and CCA updates to strengthen GEWE as well as UN Women Moldova is co-chairing the PSEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) Task Force.
In 2020, UN Women Kosovo collaborated with UNFPA and UNDP to conduct two Rapid Socio-Economic Impact Assessments (SEIAs) of the impact of the pandemic on health, financial and emotional well-being of people, including the impact on women. Findings showed that 59% of the respondents felt that domestic violence had increased since the begin of the pandemic and that gender progress may be stalling. The Security and Gender Group chaired by UN Women Kosovo allowed quick mobilization of UN family and International Community to respond to COVID's differentiated as impact on women and this was well recognized by international community in Kosovo Several joint statements and activities including more than 100 activities during 16 days were coordinated and organized aiming to call on government to adopt measures to address the economics effect of the COVID19 pandemic on women and girls and on ending violence against women. Efforts continued also in 2021, through regular meetings of the SGG and GTG.In Tajikistan, UN Women chairs GTG and coordinates work of UNCT, partners (government, national and international) in implementation of the UNiTE campaign since its launch. UN Women oversights implementation of UN TF projects and serves as the technical advisor to the PSEA interagency team. UN Women is a member of REACT Humanitarian Response team and internal UNCT Humanitarian Team. UN Women is the technical coherence lead at the Spotlight Programme Tajikistan. In Albania UN Women CO:
1- Conducted a Gender Responsive mapping of the linkages between social inclusion and vulnerabilities at local level, in the framework of the Global SDG Fund-supported UNJP on Improving Municipal Social Protection, implemented jointly with UNDP, UNICEF, and WHO. This sets the foundation for identifying and piloting social services for vulnerable women in existing municipalities through existing social care plants and in coordination with the Social Fund administered by the MoHSP.
2- Within the framework of Leave No One Behind UNJP with UNDP, UNICEF, and UNFPA, gender responsive budgeting processes were strengthened at the local level, prioritising interventions that combat violence against women and girls, in conjunction with the EVAW JP. As a result, main municipalities in Albania are increasing their capacities in: (i) applying gender responsive budgeting (GRB) within Medium Term Budget Programme (MTBP 2021-2023) ensuring that needs of vulnerable women and girls, including survivors of violence are incorporated in policies and related budgets associated with municipal social care services; and (ii) developing socio-economic schemes/plans for reintegration of women survivors of violence.
3- Led and coordinated with other UN agencies in Albania towards a successful 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, which saw engagement and direct contribution of the private sector towards women survivors, as well as increased visibility through awareness raising efforts.
4- On International Day of the Girl (11 October) UN Women partnered with UNFPA and UNICEF under the global theme "My voice, our equal future" and invited everyone to write a short inspirational letter to a GIRL under 18 years old. 13 letters were received, and later snapshots of main message and quotes were shared through infographics on social media. An activity around the initiative was organized in 'Mersin Duqi' high school in Ibe village. Students shared the letters they had prepared and discussed gender equality and girl's rights.
5- Advocated for a standalone gender outcome in the new UNSDCF. UN Women's leadership on the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) System-Wide Action Plan (SWAP) Gender Equality Scorecard conducted in 2019 and the Country Gender Equality Brief supported solid gender analysis in the new Common Country Analysis (CCA) and resulted in positioning a stand-alone gender equality outcome level result in the development of the new UNSDCF. UN Women ensured knowledge sharing among Gender Theme Results Group (GTRG) members about best approaches to strengthen gender mainstreaming in the programming cycle and actively engaged in UNCT discussions on strategic priorities and comparative advantages.
In response to the UN Secretary General’s Campaign for ending violence against women, UNDP country offices organized a series of awareness raising events, such as webinars and discussions, as well as publishing Op-Eds.
UNDP with other UN agencies actively participated in the global campaign for the ’16 Days of Activism against violence against women and girls’ 2020. A video and thematic sheets were produced to raise awareness against violence against women and girls. The thematic sheets covered the impact of COVID-19 on violence, childhood, migration, refugees, health, rural women and access to employment.
Under the lead of UN Women and in partnership with other UN agencies, UNDP participated in the celebration of International Women's Day 2021. A number of inspiring women were interviewed to share their journeys and success stories while raising awareness on a number of issues, including gender-based violence.
Under the UN/EU Spotlight initiatives, UNDP in partnership with local governments and communities have strengthened national programmes and increased policy coordination and multi-stakeholder cooperation to address violence against women and girls.
In 2019, DPPA prepared a “Standard Operating Procedure Guidance Development” (effective 1 January 2020), which includes gender as a cross-cutting issue to be mainstreamed into draft guidance, in consultation with relevant UN entities/offices. The DPO-DPPA Policy and Best Practice Database (PPDB) includes a dedicated section on WPS, that contains policies, guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures and best practices in related to gender and WPS. DPPA has also developed a gender page on the UN Peacemaker website, which will be launched in early 2020, and which includes a dedicated section on sexual violence in conflict.
ILO was member of a panel, held 9 September 2019 in New York by UNFPA and UN Women, on “Where do we stand within the UN system on addressing sexual harassment?”, which was part of a special briefing for UN system gender focal points on progress against sexual harassment.
ILO held a webinar on Convention No. 190 for UNWOMEN ECA RO staff on September 18th, 2019.
ILO also held seminars, webinars and training sessions for ILO staff both at HQ and in the field on the new ILO Convention NO. 190.
UN Women capacities at the regional and national level have enhanced through its triple mandate and technical leadership on EVAW in Africa region. This is evidenced through the leadership on Africa Spotlight Initiative at both regional and country levels, steep increase in the mobilization of resources, strengthening of partnerships with AUC, regional and national CSOs, government and other partners. UN Women in Africa also by leveraging on the Africa Strategy and harnessing the technical capacities of the team through establishment of a regional EVAW Community of Practice (COP) and sharing of innovation and technical knowledge through South-South learning. This helped immensely in initiating, strengthening and up-scaling programs on ‘safe markets and safe public spaces’ in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe; addressing tech violence against girls in education institutions through a research and advocacy document; partnerships with regional traditional leaders in establishing a movement of “Council of Traditional Leaders in Africa (COTLA)” and its launch in the sidelines of the African Union Summit in February 2019 through the President of Zambia in grassroot advocacy and prevention of child marriage, FGM and other harmful practices. Strengthened partnerships with the government and CSOs also helped in technical support in legislative reform, strengthening institutions, establishment of referral pathways and multisectoral responses in EVAW in the region.
UN-Women continued to support the mainstreaming of gender and development of training sessions on violence against women in politics, which were delivered in the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) 2019 courses on Political Approaches to Preventing and Responding to Election-Related Violence.
UNHCR has improved data management and analysis on SGBV, which strengthened programming and enhanced services for survivors and those at risk. Moreover, UNHCR has deployed senior-level protection staff to ten emergency operations in 2019, covering all L3 emergencies, where they strengthened coordination among partners, ensured access to quality of SGBV services, trained staff, and worked with diverse communities to address SGBV. An evaluative review found that this technical support increased the efficiency of SGBV programming from 35% to 82%, and increased coverage of SGBV programming from 25% to 59%. Moreover, SGBV mainstreaming projects have been implemented in areas such as livelihoods, energy and cash-based interventions.
UNODC established a new professional network on violence against women, composed of staff working on gender-based violence across UNODC, in order to more effectively assist countries in preventing and responding to violence against women.
UNODC conducted an internal survey on efforts and potential progress regarding gender equality and the empowerment of women in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda. The results indicated increased internal knowledge and understanding due to the provision of accessible and regular information, as well as gender being included more clearly in the 2030 Agenda and given greater priority. Respondents indicated that further training was needed, especially regarding project development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Furthermore, the appointment of a dedicated gender focal point and the adoption of a clear gender strategy were mentioned as helpful to facilitating greater progress.