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UNDP has implemented various actions to improve access to justice for women who suffered violence especially during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
The Tunisian office supported coordination between the designated emergency “hotline” and specialized police units responding to alerts of domestic violence and provided the specialized units with adequate protection gear and training.
The pilot initiative "Rukni", started by UNDP Jordan, provided digital phone booth for GBV survivors and women at risk to ensure them to have a better understanding of how to reach hotline services, COVID-19 applications and e-services.
UNDP Maldives supported civil society organizations to provide pro bono legal aid services to DV/GBV survivors. In Bangladesh, UNDP facilitated the process to create linkage between the victim/survivors and National Human Rights Commission to ensure better protection, support and services. unit of NHRC.
In Moldova, with the support of the Republic of Korea, UNDP responded positively to the Executive Committee of ATU Gagauzia and provided help to set-up a service for the survivors of domestic violence in the region. Based on the cooperation with the Executive Committee of Gagauzia, the first regional Center for survivors of domestic violence was created and is functional as of November 2020.
UNFPA provides support, in terms of funding, knowledge management and capacity development to 98 countries, as they implement the Essential Services Package for women and girls subject to violence. In 2021, UNFPA in partnership with other UN agencies published a seventh module of ESP which provides guidance on estimating resource requirements for a minimum package of services.
UNFPA works to make gender-based violence prevention and response services available to marginalized groups, such as refugees, people with disabilities, displaced populations, and indigenous people across 97 countries. As an example of UNFPA's intersectional approach to GBV, the We Decide Programme addresses GBV against women and young persons with disabilities, through strengthened prevention and response including accessible GBV services. The programme also supports women and young persons with disabilities to access SRH services, exercise their reproductive rights, and be empowered to make their own decisions free from discrimination and violence.
Due to its wide network of Offices, UNFPA is present before, during and after disasters. 1.2 million people reached with services related to gender-based violence (prevention, risk mitigation and response) in 46 countries.
UNFPA Regional and Country Offices in 113 settings work to integrate GBV and SRHR services. For example, UNFPA provided integrated, quality services for gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive health to 18,460 survivors in eight African countries.
In 2020, 76, 651 girls and women survivors or at risk of FGM received services in health care, social welfare, and access to justice.
In 2020, 64,796 GBV survivors received psychosocial counselling, 3,297 received legal assistance and 5,736 medical assistance through services provided by UNHCR and partners.
Through the Global Humanitarian Response Plan to COVID-19 (GHRP), over 2 million women and girls reached UNHCR via hotlines and other mechanisms to support GBV, while some 1.18 million women and girls were provided with sexual and reproductive health services.
Under the Spotlight Initiative join programmes for Mexico and Kyrgyzstan, UNODC promoted protection, support and services for victims and survivors of gender-based violence.
In Viet Nam, UNODC continued technical support to Domestic Violence Rapid Response Teams, composed of police officers, Women’s Union leaders and volunteers, providing immediate support and options to survivors, facilitating prosecution of perpetrators and supporting a zero tolerance culture towards gender-based violence in the community.
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.
Examples of advocacy-focused workshops in 2019 include:
• Design Thinking Lab on Violence at Work, held 14-15 February 2019 for ILO staff and academics, at the Turin-based ILO International Training Centre (ITC)
• ILO joined the 16 days against violence against women campaign 2019 by undertaking an awareness-raising social media campaign
Fact sheets and other policy briefs on relevant issues in 2019 include those published on:
• Sexual harassment and Gender Gaps at Work
• HIV-Related Violence and Harassment in the World of Work
• Domestic Violence and its Impact on the World of Work
• Violence and Harassment Against Persons with Disabilities in the World of Work
The ILO also developed different audiovisual items to promote Convention No. 190 as well as to raise awareness on the topic of violence against women.