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UNV supports the deployment of UN Volunteers in conflict and post-conflict contexts, including peacekeeping missions. There, the UN Volunteers support the UN mandate implementation on the ground, including addressing sexual violence.
In all three Peacebuilding Fund’s Gender Promotion Initiatives, the UN Peacebuilding Support Office, UN-Women, and UN Volunteers have supported gender-responsive peacebuilding programming.
UNRWA has created a number of tools to support enhanced Agency capacity to address GBV in emergencies, including UNRWA Guidelines for GBV Risk Mitigation in Emergencies (2017) and a GBV Training Package (2018).
Mandated by a UN Security Council resolution, UNODC has developed a “Thematic paper on countering trafficking in persons in conflict situations” (to be published in the first half of 2018). In this context, it organized an expert group meeting at its headquarters in Vienna on 20 and 21 September 2017.
In Somalia, UNODC collaborated with UNDP and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia to train 200 public prosecutors, 20 judges and 150 police officers on criminal and civil procedures, sexual and gender-based violence, investigation techniques and traditional dispute resolution. UNODC is implementing a joint medico-legal response pilot project for timely and effective provision of services to respond to sexual and gender-based violence, together with UNFPA and in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice of Somaliland.
UNHCR has issued a Technical Note on UNHCR's Engagement in the Implementation of the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism for grave violations against children in armed conflict, as well as on Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Arrangements on conflict-related sexual violence. http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/5a6edf734.pdf
Iraq CO
UN Women, in collarboration with UNDP, provided 935 survivors of gender based violence and conflict related sexual violence with psychosocial support, legal assistance, and referrals as part of the Stop Rape Now United Nations Against Sexual Violence and Conflict fund. Many of these women were survivors of violence perpetrated by ISIS, and were able to register their cases with the Genocide Committee based in Dohuk, Iraq, contributing to documentaion of ISIS's crimes and providing them with access to justice. In the context of Security Council resolution (SCR) 2106 (2013), the UN agreed with the Government of Iraq a joint , (the “Joint Communiqué”) as a framework of cooperation to prevent and address conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) committed in the country on 23 September 2016. During 2017 and 2018, UN Women has been actively engaged in developing the Action Plan for implementation of the Communique and the Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Arrangements (MARA) Mechanism, contributing to the systematic gathering of timely, accurate, reliable and objective information on CRSV against women, men, girls and boys in Iraq. UN Women also supported development of and participated in the SRSG on CRSV visit to Iraq in March 2018, reinforcing its work to combat GBV and support government response for survivors.
Under the UN Action- funded project, UN Women provided technical guidance to JNCW and its partner, NAMA Strategic Intelligence Solutions (contracted by NATO), as they conducted a Gender Audit of the Police, Civil Defense and Gendarmerie. The audit seeks to identify gaps and recommendations for securing the meaningful participation and leadership of women in all parts of the security sector. The audit’s findings will also support the identification of gaps that must be addressed within the security sector as it increases its capacity to respond to incidents of CRSV.The prime minister and cabinet endorsed the JONAP 1325 on 3 December 2017. Throughout the year, the JONAP 1325 benefitted from substantial engagement across all sectors, including consultations with civil society in the different governorates throughout Jordan. The final JONAP includes the following CRSV specific outputs: 3.3.2: “Instruments to monitor, document and report GBV and CRSV are created – linked to national structures and systems,” and 3.3.3: “Prosecutors, judges and the security sector are trained on how to handle GBV and CRSV, and promote access to safe reporting channels”
During the reporting period , UN Women lebanon succeeded to push forward progress on WPS through its leading role to develop the NAP 1325 for Lebanon. Substantive progress was achieved in terms of : a) conducting training sessions to the members of the national Council for Lebanese Women, Meetings with more than 17 focus groups representing Syrian, Palestinian and Iraqi refugees, in addition to meetings with religious leaders. The aim of the meetings is to enhance their knowledge on the UNRC 1325 themes and also collect information oin the challenges they are facing and their concerns. All these will feed in the formulation of UNCR 1325 NP for Lebanon. Furthermore, UN Women as leading UN agency, finalized the situation Analysis, held more than 5 meetings with other UN agencies and 3 meetings with the national counterpart. WPS addresses the 4 pillars which includes Prevention, Protection and Recovery for women within conflects.
UN Women undertakes several measures to address sexual violence in conflict situations related to the UN Women workforce such as:
- Message of prohibition of sexual misconduct and SEA and importance of reporting repeatedly communicated by ED.
- Since February 2017, UN Women has provided training to personnel in over 20 field offices and HQ sections.
- Launch of UN Women’s initiative “Take a Stand” in 2016, which provides guidance not only on how to report cases but also on services available to the affected staff member – from telecommuting, to salary advances, to advanced leave requests, and assisting in facilitating their access to safe and secure spaces.
- Established a network of focal points on SEA in headquarters and its Regional Offices from whom staff can request guidance on reporting allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse.
- Ensuring that where there are ANY allegations of SEA or other sexual misconduct committed by UN Women personnel or partners, they are promptly referred for investigation.
- Ensuring that alleged victims are referred to the appropriate service providers for protection, medical care and support.
- Collaborating with the Secretary-General’s Victims’ Rights Advocate Ms. Jane Connors on sexual exploitation and abuse and victims’ assistance.
DRC
Strengthening of community prevention mechanisms with vigilance committees; sensitization of the military and police on their role in civil protection. Action to repress the perpetrators of sexual violence with emblematic trials of certain senior military officers. Actions carried out by the office of the Personal Representative of the Head of State in charge of combating sexual violence with the support of partners, in particular UN Women and UNFPA.
CAMEROON
UNW CAMEROON sept up women cohesion space to provide holistance assistance to GBV survivors. In humanitarian settings, awareness raising activities in different forms reached a great number of women, men, girls and boys including traditional and religious leaders who maintain significant influence over social norms and behaviours at the community level, on gender-based violence, girls' education, importance of women's economic empowerment, early/forced marriage and other relevant issues. These community outreach activities were not only prevention measures but also served as a first step to inform the population on available GBV services and to encourage them to report cases in the social environment that traditionally silences the survivors of violence.
LIBERIA
Liberia is not in a conflict situation at the moment. However, measures are available as part of disaster response strategy.
NIGER
The Diffa region is prey to the interventions of the boko Haram nebula. To support displaced, returned and refugee women, high-impact activities were implemented, including three hundred and fifty income-generating activities in the camps, the provision of more than 1,000 domestic gas kits to enable women not to leave the camps to search for firewood, Equipping health centres in three camps to care for survivors of violence, the three cohesion spaces, gender training for the FDS, GBV and gender mainstreaming in security activities, and the five gender units within the law enforcement services. All these activities benefited more than 5,000 people.
NIGERIA
UN Women supported the state ministries of women affairs and social development in the focus states to commemorate the 16 days of activism on violence against women;
The National Advisory Committee on the implementation of the National Action Plan was inaugurated by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development with support from Un Women and the State Action Plans on UNSCR 1325 was launched n Adamawa Gombe and Plateau state in the period
The HeforShe campaign was launched in three state and male traditional and community leaders were recognized for integrating women in traditional councils and local community leadership committees.
A simplified NAP has been developed to facilitate uptake by the public and the costing for the implementation is underway
Plateau Peacebuilding Agency’s Strategic Plan has been drafted with support from UN Women and state partners
The Department of Public Information’s Development Section worked closely with the European Union to launch a strategic partnership, called Spotlight, for ending violence against women and girls on 20 September 2017. This includes an initial pledge of EUR 500 million from the EU to finance programmes on EVAW. DPI developed a website as well as video, web and social media products to raise awareness and drive advocacy. We conducted interviews with and supported media outreach for high-level officials, including the EU European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, the Deputy Secretary-General as well as heads of UN Women, UNFPA and UNDP on Spotlight during the 62nd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
The Section also continues to support UN Women communications efforts to raise awareness and action around the International Day to End Violence against Women (25 November 2017), cross-promoting advocacy materials across the UN platforms.
All communication messages and products on EVAW were shared across the Department, including with our network of 59 operational United Nations Information Centres who communicate the UN’s work to local audiences in more than 80 local languages.
Gender units invest in targeted SGBV prevention activities that include prevention against VAW across the Missions through targeted capacity strengthening training, implementing gender analysis to identify enablers of SGBV; invest in community based early warning mechanisms and inclusion of specific SGBV indicators and reporting benchmarks across all functions to identify timely identification of SGBV risks; and establish partnerships with women civil society organisations to collectively develop strategies for an enabling environment that prevents and mitigates SGBV
In March 2017 DPKO produces a range of communication materials in line with the new gender policy have been developed to provide coherence and consistent advocacy on SGBV prevention.
DDR/CVR teams across 5 peacekeeping missions (MONUSCO, MINUSCA, MINUSMA, UNAMID and MINUJUSTH ) missions have designed and implemented a series of Community Violence Reduction (CVR) projects, aimed at preventing and reducing violence at the community level in both ongoing and post-conflict scenarios. While interventions target a wide set of actors (e.g. members of armed groups, youth at-risk and community members), these initiates particularly improve security conditions for vulnerable groups, including women and children. Moreover, by ensuring their participation, CVR projects serve to mobilize and empower women within their communities and, as a result, contribute to the constitution of a protective environment.
Gender-specific mine action programming: UNMAS makes every effort to ensure that its mine action programming is tailored according to specific cultures and gender of the beneficiaries. In some settings, this means women conducting single-gender risk education sessions (e.g. in Iraq in 2017).
Recruitment of women in mine action programming: Research in Colombia and Lebanon indicates that women employed in mine action (which is traditionally male -dominated) increase their voice and influence in their communities: http://www.gmap.ch/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/final-report-ARS-2016.pdf
In Mali, OHCHR training military and government officials in relation to the prevention of CRSV by Malian actors. In 2017, 446 security officials, 132 members of the civil society organizations and 89 officials of the governmental institutions were trained to address and prevent CRSV.
In Ukraine, OHCHR documented and reported instances of CRSV, affecting women and men, both in the territory controlled by armed groups, and in Government-controlled territory. Following the release of the report in February 2017, OHCHR in Ukraine participated in 15 events to present the key findings of the report and recommendations. Overall approximately 495 people participated in these events at national and local levels from various groups – civil society, State institutions, international community. The report was instrumental to get the Government commitment to work towards addressing CRSV. OHCHR and UN Women helped the Government to develop the Strategy to prevent and address CRSV. In 2018, OHCHR and UN Women will continue joint work to integrate the developed Strategy to prevent and address CRSV into 1325 National Action Plan.
OHCHR-Guatemala provided technical assistance and closely followed up on key transitional justice cases in the country related to sexual violence committed during the armed conflict. This includes the Sepur Zarco case, in which two ex-military officials were found guilty (affirmed on appeal in July 2017), of crimes against humanity in the form of sexual violence and slavery against Q’eqchi’ women during the armed conflict and the ongoing Molina Theissen case, which involves the alleged 1981 rape of Emma Molina Theissen and the disappearance of her 14-year-old brother.