Search

ECLAC’s awareness-raising activities on violence against women include presentation of papers and provision of training as requested by Member States. UNFPA advocates for the elimination of violence against women with parliamentarians and women’s networks.

UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, facilitates the creation and/or strengthening of strategic partnerships among governmental and civil society stakeholders and provides support to build the capacity of women’s organizations to spearhead innovative responses to violence against women at the country level. UNIFEM supports advocacy and communication strategies to stimulate awareness and commitment to end violence against women, including support to coordinated efforts by a wide range of stakeholders during the annual campaign of 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence. In a number of countries, UNIFEM has also cooperated with partners in the White Ribbon Campaign.

ESCWA undertakes awareness-raising efforts through meetings, regional conferences and seminars. The ESCWA Centre for Women devoted the March 2007 issue of its newsletter to the subject of violence against women in the ESCWA region; the newsletter was distributed on International Women’s Day 2007.

DPKO Gender units/advisers implement, or support measures to raise awareness about gender-based violence, including campaigns, workshops, meetings and conferences on violence against women, both within mission personnel and the societies where the mission is stationed, such as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kosovo, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Sudan; they are actively working in a number of missions with civilian police advisers to enhance attention by local police to gender-based violence against women; and they have put in place information sharing strategies to enhance knowledge about the status of women and better coordinate support to women, as is the case in Burundi and Cote d’Ivoire, also in collaboration with non-governmental organizations. DPKO Police advisers in missions study crime trends and assist in creating awareness of the local police and societies through seminars, workshops and targeted training.

DAW, now part of UN Women, made available information on violence against women through its website, especially in relation to the Secretary-General’s in-depth study on violence against women and its follow-up, provided briefings on the work of the United Nations in the field of violence against women, and organized panel discussions and other outreach activities. DAW widely disseminated the Secretary-General’s study, including at the national level to national machineries for the advancement of women and to United Nations resident coordinators/ representatives. DAW had organized several panels on violence against women, including a panel to launch the study in October 2006; a panel discussion on “Galvanizing action towards ending violence against women” to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, November 2006; and an interactive panel on "Elimination of all forms of violence against women: follow up to the Secretary-General’s in-depth study at national and international levels", during the 51st session of the Commission on the Status of Women, March 2007.

In 2005, IOM’s Working Group on Gender Issues at Headquarters supported the production of a series of TV public service announcements for anglo-phone Caribbean countries on HIV/AIDS prevention and a documentary for Senegalese television on trafficking of children. Many of IOM’s counter-trafficking projects include information campaigns that aim to change behaviour related to discrimination and violence against women. In collaboration with UNFPA, IOM organized, in May 2006, an expert group meeting entitled "Female migrants: bridging the gaps throughout the life cycle", which brought together a wide range of stakeholders from countries of origin, transit and destination Protection of migrant women against violence was part of the agenda.

UNICEF has developed a new manual for football coaches to encourage them to talk to boys about violence against women and girls, in order to promote a culture of non-violence and non-discrimination.

The United Nations Peace-building Support Office in Guinea-Bissau’s (UNOGBIS) human rights section has regular meetings with local NGOs and women’s groups, such as the informal forum with the national network fighting against gender and child violence, to discuss violence and other forms of abuse against women, UNOGBIS also participated in the first national conference on violence against women organized by this Network. The aim of the conference was to sensitize national authorities and the population on social values and violence against women, its causes and and how to eliminate it in the local communities.

UNICRI produced a website on trafficking in minors and commercial sexual exploitation of children, with a special focus on sex tourism and code of conduct for tourism operators. UNICRI has carried out awareness campaigns on trafficking in women and minors for the purpose of sexual exploitation with the aim to sensitize potential victims, political and religious leaders, public institutions, and the general public, in addition to raising awareness of the services available to victims. In Nigeria, in 2003, UNICRI implemented awareness campaigns in the Edo State, including radio and TV spots, market campaigns, advocacy meetings and school visits. In Italy, in 2004, a video spot “Let’s help them to get free from slavery” was broadcasted on national TV channels. In Costa Rica, UNICRI produced: TV and radio spots; billboards at the borders to sensitize/inform the public on the issue; a bookmark to raise awareness in the population at risk; a set of three different stickers posted up in the windows of all immigration offices; 14 movable billboards, circulated on buses, in the areas identified as the most vulnerable trafficking routes. In Ukraine, in 2006, awareness-raising campaigns included brochures advertising the free hot-line number and for specialists about national legislation; the dissemination of information through the La Strada website; multi-disciplinary round tables; and a television spot.

The One-Stop Centres for victims of domestic violence, supported through UNODC’s technical assistance projects, also carry out outreach programmes and awareness-raising. Similarly, national projects contain elements of raising awareness and advocacy.