OHCHR is developing a Regional Protocol to provide practical tools for public prosecutors, forensic experts and others, to guide their investigations into violent deaths of LGBTIQ+ people in Latin America and the Caribbean.
OHCHR has developed an office-wide strategy on gender-based violence, which includes the prevention of sexual violence in conflict, to ensure all our operations adopt a comprehensive approach to eradicating and redressing it. The strategy, embedded in the current Office Management Plan, ensures that dedicated resources are used efficiently and with maximum impact.
In 2024, the CEDAW Committee adopted its General recommendation No. 40 on the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems, which highlights achieving 50:50 gender parity across all sectors as pivotal in addressing the root causes of gender-based violence.
OHCHR contributed to the elaboration of a global support system for the monitoring and reporting arrangements on sexual violence in conflict (MARA) with UN ACTION.
Violence against women and girls and harmful practices are rooted in harmful social norms, beliefs, and attitudes. To address this, Spotlight Initiative supported prevention strategies that promoted equality and inclusion, including campaigns to end violence against women and transform harmful social norms, beliefs, and attitudes, as well as educational tools.
With the Initiative’s support, 50 countries strengthened their National Action Plans to eliminate violence against women and girls. National Action Plans can help ensure that policies are adequately funded and importantly implemented, leading to increased accountability, including in vulnerable and marginalized communities. Additionally, since Spotlight Initiative’s inception, 311 new sectoral strategies, plans, and programmes addressing VAWG have been developed across 13 countries.
Since its inception, Spotlight Initiative has helped to develop or strengthen 548 new laws and policies addressing VAWG at national, regional, and local levels. Across Spotlight countries, progress has been made to ensure that survivors are protected through formal, informal, and traditional legal structures.
Examples of legislative development achievements include the following:
Women human rights defenders have long been at the forefront of efforts to combat violence against women and girls globally, often at great personal risk. Spotlight programmes have worked to support their effort including in Latin America (through the Initiative’s Latin America Regional Programme).
Under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator (RC) and in line with the UN Reform, Spotlight Initiative leveraged UN agencies’ complementary expertise and streamlined backend processes to drive progress in efforts to end violence against women and girls.