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In 2019, UNRWA identified and provided protection services to 9858 persons among the Palestine refugees communities in Jordan, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank. Among the 9.857, 5.240 were GBV survivors that included 25% girls, 6% boys and 2% persons with disabilities.
View MoreIn 2019, UNRWA identified and provided protection services to 9858 persons among the Palestine refugees communities in Jordan, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank. Among the 9.857, 5.240 were GBV survivors that included 25% girls, 6% boys and 2% persons with disabilities.
Stars of Hope Society, the only association in Palestine that is managed by women with disabilities for women with disabilities, is using a grant from the UN Trust Fund to improve access to essential, safe and adequate multisectoral services. In the first six months of 2019, the grantee built out its infrastructure of the project and, in particular, on carrying out a context analysis and building capacity. As part of that effort it produced a disability mainstreaming manual and trained 22 representatives of organizations for women with disabilities on ending violence against women and girls. As part of efforts to mainstream disability in data collection on violence, the grantee persuaded the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics to include in its data collection team four female sign language interpreters, one of whom is living with disabilities.
In Myanmar, WFP engages closely with the Protection Cluster and the Humanitarian Country Team to understand and respond to emerging protection concerns. Considering the protection context and to support a principled and coordinated approach to assistance and do-no-harm, WFP has developed a scenario-based intervention whereby indicators relating to the protection of the affected population and humanitarian access determine the scale and scope of WFP assistance.
The OHCHR supported the work of the SRVAW who presented two thematic reports to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly in 2018 on online violence against women and violence against women in politic.
During the period under review, the OHCHR supported the SRVAW in producing a number of legal and policy recommendations in communications sent to over 50 Member States and recommendations issued after country visits to: Canada (11 to 23 April 2018); Nepal (19 to 29 November 2018).
The OHCHR supported the work of the SRVAW, and SUMEX along with other relevant mandates in issuing a statement calling for revocation of a bill to amend Guatemala’s National Reconciliation Law which has been the basis of trials involving human rights violations in the country since the peace accords of 1996, and would establish an automatic mechanism for extinguishing the criminal responsibility of all those responsible for serious violations of human rights committed during that period (22 February 2019).
The OHCHR supported the Working Group on the Issue of Discrimination Against Women in Law and in Practice (WGDAW) in formulating a series of recommendations aimed at supporting legislative development following its mission to Honduras (1-14 November 2018). It recommended to:
- Repeal laws prohibiting access to emergency contraception and liberalize abortion law so as to ensure access at least in cases where the pregnancy poses a threat to the life or health of the woman, where it is the result of sexual violence or in case of severe foetal impairment, as the first step;
- End the criminalization and judicial harassment of women human rights defenders, protect them from violence (including by private actors) and investigate crimes against them;
-Ensure that the media do not promote stereotypes and gender-based violence, and raise their awareness on violence against women and human rights defenders;
- Provide the necessary support to women candidates, address political violence against women and promote women’s participation in political life;
- Conduct sustainable awareness-raising campaigns to prevent violence against women in politics and effectively investigate cases;
- End the criminalization and judicial harassment of women human rights defenders, protect them from violence (including by private actors) and investigate crimes against them;
- Ensure that human rights education is taught in all public schools, covering women’s rights and gender equality, with a focus on prevention of gender-based violence;
- Regarding indigenous and Afro-Honduran women (including Garífuna) guarantee their access and full participation in decision-making; prevent and combat violence against them;
- Eliminate violence, discrimination and stigmatization against lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex women, women with disabilities, women engaged in sex work/prostitution and women living with HIV and ensure their effective participation in political, civil, economic and social life and access to quality health services.
In Uzbekistan, UNODC supported the Government in the development of a draft law on the prevention of domestic violence. In Egypt, UNODC is supporting the Government to develop fair and effective procedures to deal with cases of violence against women and girls, and thus to ensure a victim-centred approach as well as a fair and just prosecution of perpetrators.
ESCWA, in partnership with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (IADC), has begun implementing, “Support to Women Refugees from Syria and Vulnerable Women and Girls in Host Communities in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon” (2018-2020). The project seeks to engage women refugees from Syria and vulnerable women and girls in host communities in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon to better advocate for their rights and exercise their voice to improve their status and reinforce their resilience.
The OHCHR supported the Working Group on the Issue of Discrimination Against Women in Law and in Practice (WGDAW) in sending communications on individual cases and legislation/policies which are not in compliance with international human rights law. The Working Group addressed communications to Governments, individually or jointly with other mandate holders which concern a wide range of subjects falling within its mandate, including discriminatory legislation and practices, allegations of abuse of women human rights defenders and violations of their rights, gender-based violence and violations of the right to sexual and reproductive health (available at https://spcommreports.in.ohchr.org/Tmsearch/TMDocuments ). The Working Group also issued press releases, individually or jointly with other mandate holders, treaty bodies and regional mechanisms raising these issues (available at https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/NewsSearch.aspx?MID=WG_Women)