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In East Asia and the Pacific, UNODC collaborated with UN Women and UNDP on a multi-country research study that examined the attrition rates of reported cases of sexual violence of women and girls in India, Thailand and Viet Nam.
A new Report on “The Impacts of the Crisis on Gender Equality and Women’s Wellbeing in European Union (EU) Mediterranean Countries” was prepared by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) with the involvement of researchers from France, Greece, Italy and Spain. The report included the findings of the gendered impact of the crisis and its consequences for women in the EU Mediterranean Basin. This study intended to address the gap in the research about gendered impacts of the economic crisis at national and regional levels and to contribute to the Post-2015 development framework.
The report was based on economic indicators of gender equality and focuses on domestic violence, discrimination, access to justice and welfare services, and covered the four countries from the Mediterranean Basin: France, Spain, Italy and Greece. These countries were chosen because of their similar population numbers and location, in the effort of gathering comparable data. Coping responses of the countries respective governments were analysed from a gender perspective. This new Report provided insights on the impact of economic downturn on women’s well-being and to support the future strategy for promoting women’s rights and gender equality, with a view of attaining the MDGs for 2015. It explored possible strategies, which can help to minimize risks and alleviate vulnerable situations. The presentation of the report, attended by Permanent Representatives of the EU and outside EU countries to the United Nations and representatives of the United Nations Institutions based in Geneva, was launched at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on 18 September 2014.
UN Women participates as observer in the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators, and it has influenced the selection and definition of EVAW related SDG target indicators, more specifically target 5.2 indicators. It has led and worked with other UN agencies to develop the metadata for the two indicators to monitor progress of this target. UN Women also convened a meeting with other UN agencies working on VAW data and it is coordinating the development of a UN global joint programme to build sustained national capacities to implement VAW prevalence surveys in line with international standards and SDG monitoring requirements. This work is part of the Flagship Programme Initiative “Better production and use of gender statistics for evidence-based localization of the SDGs”.
UN Women launched the Global Database on Violence against Women website during the Commission on the Status of Women 2016. The Global Database is an online resource, designed to provide comprehensive and up-to-date information on measures taken by 193 United Nations Member States to address all forms of violence against women, in the areas of laws and policies, prevention, services, and statistical data. It also serves as an important tool to monitor the implementation of SDGs and its target areas on violence against women. The Global Database is one of three websites on the Global Knowledge Platform to End Violence against Women. The platform aims to improve knowledge and coordination among different actors in order to address violence against women more effectively, and it offers a comprehensive picture of interventions addressing VAW, both by Governments as well as by the UN system. In addition to the Global Database, the other two websites on the platform are: the Inventory of UN Activities to End Violence against Women, and the Virtual Knowledge Centre to End Violence against Women and Girls.
In 2014, WHO convened an expert group for consensus on indicators to monitor target 5.2. of the SDGs on elimination of violence against women and girls. The recommendations of this group contributed to the final set of indicators that were agreed for monitoring SDG target 5.2.
UNICEF contributed significantly to building the global evidence base, leading or co-leading on major research, studies and publications. In 2014, UNICEF published the largest-ever compilation of data on violence against children – “Hidden in Plain Sight: A Statistical Analysis of Violence against Children”, followed by a dedicated statistical report on violence against adolescents’ girls - “A Statistical Snapshot of Violence against Adolescent Girls”. In 2015, UNICEF released an analysis of current levels, trends and projections of child marriage in Africa. Despite persistent challenges, an increase in the quality and rigor of data around violence against children, including sexual violence was noted in 2015, with 32 data-driven studies produced globally. In addition, a “Diagnostic Review and the Study on the Structural Determinants of violence against children and women” was completed by UNICEF in 2015 by the University of Cape Town. Jointly with WHO, Center for Disease Control and other partners, a multi-sectoral package of evidence-based interventions to prevent and respond to violence against children was developed.
In an effort to improve the identification of GBV risks and the response to the needs of GBV survivors, IOM has incorporated protection and GBV risk indicators into CCCM tools, such as the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), in an innovative manner. DTM is a system which regularly captures, processes and disseminates multi-layered primary data and information on the mobility, locations, vulnerabilities and needs of displaced populations, both in country and at the regional and global level. Through an initial project piloted in nine countries including the Philippines, South Sudan and Iraq, IOM has integrated context-appropriate GBV risk indicators relating to site layout and infrastructure; security; women’s participation; and knowledge about and availability of services to address GBV in camps and camp-like settings into the DTM system. The newly incorporated indicators complement general DTM assessments which provide sex- and age-disaggregated data, population profiles, and information on general needs and service provision to provide a more holistic understanding of the protection context in a given site. The data collected through the DTM is analysed and shared with GBV responders, as well as all other relevant service providers to improve operational responses.
UNHCR field operations collect data on sexual and gender-based violence incidents in collaboration with partners, according to UNHCR and interagency guidelines and principles. UNHCR analyzes data on SGBV in order to inform planning and program design and ensure services are accessible to all survivors. UNHCR operations documented an increase in the number of reported incidents of SGBV from 18,245 in 2014 to 26,632 in 2015. While the increase in reported cases does not necessarily represent an increase in SGBV incidents, it may be due to increased awareness and use of reporting mechanisms, as well as systematized data management of incidents reported to service providers.
In 2015, UNFPA and UNDP Burkina Faso supported the creation of a universal form allowing police units and offices for the promotion of women’s rights on decentralized level to collect data on violence against women and girls. Data collection is on-going, again with the support of UNDP. Moreover, UNDP also supported the creation of a tool for data collection and analysis, allowing the monitoring of violence on a regional and national basis.
The UNDP Regional Hub for Arab States has commissioned a comprehensive assessment on how GBV protection services are being addressed through legislation, practices and their implementation. The study is to be used to inform effective gender justice programming to combat GBV in the Arab States Region especially in the justice and security sectors. The analysis will also support country and regional advocacy efforts to advocate for the reform of laws, policies and practices that respect and uphold women’s rights.