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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.
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.
The questionnaire for the WHO Multi-country study on women’s health and domestic violence has been updated. The methodology is being/has been used to conduct national population-based prevalence surveys on VAW in Cambodia, El Salvador, Lao PDR, the Caribbean and Kazakstan. In Cambodia the results were published and launched in November 2015.
In June, 2016, UN Women held Results-Sharing Meeting on Leveraging Technical Tools, Evidence and Community Engagement to Advance the Implementation of Laws and Provision of Services to Women Experiencing Violence in South-East Asia. Over 40 government officials, UN Women officers and Civil Society Organizations across South-East Asia region shared results from EVAW work, affirming the importance of a two-tier approach, where policy-level interventions are undertaken in parallel to interventions at the community level.
In June 2015, UNICRI published a good practice handbook: “Promoting a gender responsive approach to addiction”, which provides practical examples of gender mainstreaming in addiction services, as well analyses the most relevant factors influencing the development of addiction in women and girls, including the role of previous abuse and violence. The handbook also discusses protective and resilience factors, as well as the role of trauma from previous violence experiences and the specific characteristic of female recovery processes.
UNODC led global efforts to improve data availability and quality on gender related crime. The International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (ICCS), endorsed in 2015 by the UN Statistical Commission and CCPCJ, provides specific guidance on how to deal with gender-related crime, in terms of specific data disaggregations by sex and by considering crime motive. If properly implemented by national data producers, crime statistics will allow the analysis of data on crime by sex and age of victims and perpetrators, on the relationship of victims and perpetrators and on the motive of crime.
UNODC is leading an initiative, jointly with the UNODC-INEGI Centre for Excellence for Statistical Information and the Inter-American Development Bank, to develop a common methodology for the conduct of victimization surveys in Latin America and the Carribean.
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.
UNHCR is a founding member of the Gender-Based Violence Information Management System and sits on its Steering Committee along with UNFPA, IRC, IMC and UNICEF. UNHCR is working to strengthen and harmonize data collection on SGBV by implementing the GBVIMS in selected operations. In 2015, UNHCR provided technical support in data collection and analysis to 22 countries.
OHCHR commissioned several studies on violence against women. Following the kidnapping of over 200 girls in Nigeria, OHCHR commissioned a study on attacks on girls seeking to access education. OHCHR also produced a study which addressed the human rights situation of women in detention in Senegal as well as a study on "honour" killings in Palestine. In June 2014, OHCHR published a study on gender-based and sexual violence in relation to transitional justice (A/HRC/27/21). Also in June 2014, OHCHR published a study on wrongful gender stereotyping by the judiciary in cases of sexual and gender-based violence in Guatemala and West Africa. As part of the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law on Sexual Violence in Conflict, OHCHR with DPKO, and UNDP, published an annual report on 2014 on sexual-violence in conflict. OHCHR also supported fact-finding missions and commissions of inquiry which looked into violence against women, including sexual violence in Mali and the Central African Republic.