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The development and implementation of the ALIV(H)E Framework is one of the initiatives led by the UNAIDS Secretariat in collaboration with civil society organisations. The Framework provides step-by-step approaches to developing effective programmes, including monitoring and evaluation of violence against women and HIV in 2019. In Morocco UNAIDS supported the LEARN MENA project that aims to build the capacity of women living with HIV and to produce strategic information to gender-based violence and HIV programmes, including a country orientation workshop on the approach of the ALIV(H)E Framework; and conducted a Gender Assessment.
In Zimbabwe and Malawi 2019 UNAIDS has supported the launch of national situation rooms through the 2gether4SRHR programme. UNAIDS has been working closely to help select the specific indicators and connecting data in the country to their situation room. In countries with existing data collection systems, the situation rooms create mechanisms to collect data separated by age and sex and at the local level, to ensure good Internet connectivity and that have qualified local staff are best placed to establish their own situation rooms. At the Zimbabwe launch the first SGBV-related dashboard was presented and in Malawi there is an increased interest in collecting data related to SGBV-SRHR.
Data collection and analysis: UNHCR uses the Gender Based Violence Information Management System (GBVIMS), an inter-agency initiative that enables humanitarian actors to effectively and safely collect and analyze SGBV incidents reported by survivors. This system informs improvements in response services, SGBV prevention and coordination. As of the end of 2019, GBVIMS was used by UNHCR operations in 21 countries, 19 of those as inter-agency initiatives. During 2019 and prior to the launch of the SGBV Policy, baseline assessments were conducted across 21 countries in six regions.
Research: In 2019, UNHCR has continued its engagement with the CERAH (Geneva Centre for Education and Research in Humanitarian Action) Steering Committee and with the Empowered Aid project on PSEA in Lebanon and Uganda, to produce knowledge that can be used to reduce power disparities in the distribution of humanitarian aid and mitigate risks of SEA. UNHCR collaborated with research and advocacy projects, such as All Survivors Project.
Dissemination of promising practices: In 2019, UNHCR released the report ‘Learning from experience to advance gender equality – promising practices in Asia’, which amongst other includes a promising practice on SGBV coordination in Sri Lanka.
Data Collection, Analysis and Research Under the Spotlight Initiative, UNICEF worked on Outcome 5 (Data) in 4 African countries. For instance, UNICEF Nigeria supported the roll-out of the CP IMS Primiero to ensure interface of the GBV IMS and CP IMS.
UNODC produces a biennial Global Report on Trafficking in Persons covering 130-140 countries around the world. The report presents a global overview, regional analyses and detailed country profiles. It provides trends on the main indicators and explores links with other criminal and social factors. The report makes use of qualitative analysis resulting from the narrative of court cases on trafficking in persons collected by national authorities. As of February 2020, data on about 280,000 victims detected between 2003 and 2019 shows that approximately 50% of trafficking victims detected are women, while 20% are girls, reflecting the prevalence of female victims.
In Southern Africa, UNODC conducted a situational assessment of criminal justice process related to gender-based violence in the member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states.
During 2019, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women commissioned an independent meta-evaluation and a meta-analysis to provide insights into what makes Trust Fund supported projects effective as well as into the strengths and weaknesses in evaluation practices. This work also established a database that will enable the Trust Fund to analyse future evaluations of its funded projects and advance the standards and rigour of its overall evaluation practice. Overall, the evaluators found an upward trend in the quality of the evaluations. The meta-evaluation was concluded with a number of recommendations to improve the quality and usefulness of evaluations, which included reviewing the questions to assist evaluators in writing more nuanced findings, greater disaggregation of data and ensuring that recommendations create a pathway for identifying recommendations that are clear, realistic, actionable and timebound.
To be protection-centred, WFP has to be people-centred – this starts with clear analysis that identifies the specific needs and risks experienced by our beneficiaries, the majority of who are women. WFP seeks to promote inclusive participation by including the voice of affected populations in conflict-sensitive analysis to influence its programmatic designs. This enables WFP to tailor its programmes to most effectively meet needs while reducing risks associated with accessing our assistance. Measures include basic operational considerations such as ensuring people are able to safely travel to and from distributions but also ensuring two-way communication with beneficiaries so they understand the purpose of WFP’s assistance and are aware of their entitlements.
Complaints and feedback mechanisms, as part of a broader AAP approach, are a central component of this engagement with the people we serve. They allow beneficiaries to raise issues with WFP and its partners and receive feedback on how they are addressed. When incidences of harm or abuse are reported WFP can take action to mitigate the opportunity for future incidences and refer beneficiaries to appropriate services. Overall, the feedback channels enabled by CFMs help improve service delivery while enhancing trust between WFP and the people it serves.
In 2019, Implementation of an inter-divisional initiative to standardize complaints and feedback mechanisms across country offices continued. WFP rolled-out the minimum standards for a functioning CFM to six regional bureaux and 32 country offices. As part of this roll-out, a standardised data intake form captures programmatic adjustment in response to feedback. In 2019, WFP took the lead on inter-agency CFMs in Mozambique and Syria. The CFM standardization package will include an overarching guidance document supported by templates and checklists to be translated and disseminated by end 2019.
In Nepal, mobility issues of women and girls are also assessed during GESI assessment of the projects/programme like School Meal Programme (SMP) conducted in 2019 and will be part of the study for Climate Adaptation Fund project this year.
In 2019, DPPA continued to engage as an active member of UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict (UN Action), which aims to improve coordination and accountability, amplify programming and advocacy, and support national efforts to prevent and address conflict-related sexual violence. DPPA also actively contributed to the UN Standing Committee on WPS, the Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANGWE), as well as the Global Compact Working Group on Gender-Sensitive Approaches to Preventing and Countering Terrorism.
In collaboration with UN Women, the ILO published the Handbook “Addressing violence and harassment against women in the world of work” on March 2019. This manual, launched on the occasion of the annual session of the UN Committee on the Status of Women, provides a glimpse into emerging good practices to address violence and harassment against women in the world of work, by governments, employers and workers and their organizations, and civil society.
During 2019, the ILO has been involved in the Spotlight Projects in Argentina, Zimbabwe and Timor Leste, as well as in the Safe and Fair Project in the ASEAN Region, therefore joining efforts with UN entities and other actors to end violence against women.
In the framework of the WeEmpower Project, the ILO is elaborating illustrative good practices for businesses and policy makers including covering the topic of violence and harassment (V&H) against women and a guidance note for business on this theme.
In 2019, DPPA continued to promote women’s participation in political and electoral processes including preventing electoral violence against women through electoral policy, programming and advocacy. In 2019, DPPA’s Electoral Assistance Division trained over 90 participants (around half of them women) from 30 Member States on election observation, gender and elections, media and elections, and prevention of electoral violence.
ESCWA, in partnership with Westminster Foundation for Democracy and the Coalition for Arab women Parliamentarians organized a regional workshop to support National Women Machineries and National Statistical Offices and women parliamentarian in the Arab region in their efforts to address violence against women. Discussion topics included methods of costing violence against women and the differences between them. This workshop also created a platform for participants to discuss the approach to cost VAW, and which dimension a country should focus on, which relates to several factors including availability of data.
ESCWA, also organized an advanced training workshop to present a training manual on estimating the cost of violence in partnership with Westminster Foundation for Democracy and UNFPA. The guidelines are intended for government officials, programme managers and researchers seeking to estimate the cost of Domestic Violence in the Arab region.
ESCWA drafted brief to better inform policy in member States on “Technology as a Tool to make Cities Safe and Combat Violence against Women”. This brief reviewed successful experiences in adopting laws to criminalize sexual violence and harassment of women in public spaces and discussed how some countries are utilizing technology, particularly Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to innovatively raise awareness and advocate for safe public spaces, report unsafe public spaces and track safety. The policy brief concludes with recommendations to Governments and relevant stakeholders in the Arab region on ways to use technology to address violence against women in public spaces and make cities safe for all.
ESCWA in partnership with Women against Violence Europe (WAVE), UNFPA and Abaad Resource Center for Gender Equality, examined shelter services in the Arab region. The publication: “Shelters for Women Survivors of Violence: Availability and Accessibility in the Arab Region” is based on a detailed questionnaire that was sent to providers of shelter services in the region and presents an analysis of the presence of shelters in the region, their number and geographic distribution as well as the services offered with them. The study concludes with a set of recommendations to ensure that shelter services are accessible and available for women survivors of violence. These included: 1) encouraging countries to expand the network of shelter services, 2) remove legal obstacles hindering women’s access to these services; 3) build the capacity of workers providing the services and 4) adhering to international standards in provision of shelters.
ESCWA also examined the provision of protection orders in the Arab region through a study “Beyond Boundaries: Utilizing Protection Orders to Cultivate a Holistic Response to Domestic Violence in the Arab Region” is based on a desk review on the availability of protection orders in existing legislation and an analysis on how whether these are in line with international standards such as the work of the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women is Causes and Consequences, the General Recommendations of CEDAW and the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action. The study concludes with summarizing the importance of a holistic, comprehensive and coordinated response to violence against women where states must facilitate access to civil and criminal protection orders for women survivors of violence.
To further the production of knowledge and policy recommendations for decision-makers, ESCWA published a policy brief on “The Due Diligence Standard, Violence against Women and Protection Orders in the Arab Region” that discusses protection orders as a part of the international framework on due diligence. It builds on the work of the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women is Causes and Consequences that elaborate on the role of the state to prevent, protect, prosecute, punish and provide reparation in relation to domestic violence.