Measures

In 2019, DPPA continued to provide technical assistance to improve electoral laws, processes, and institutions, including from a gender perspective; and providing good offices and support for political dialogue to enable a conducive environment for elections. 

DPPA tracks and annually reports to the Security Council on its implementation of the WPS agenda and separately tracks implementation of conflict-related sexual violence commitments by DPPA field missions. For 2020, DPPA will be updating our 15 WPS Commitments in October in time for the 20th Anniversary of UNSCR 1325. DPPA also monitors progress and reports on an annual basis on WPS expected accomplishments and targets contained in the Results Framework. In 2019, DPPA also conducted a Lessons Learned Study on DPPA Liaison Presences, which integrates gender, youth and human rights considerations. 

In Nepal UNAIDS (and partners) are providing technical support to the Right to Health Women’s Group to empower HIV affected women and girls against prejudice and discrimination (including violence) in healthcare settings.

The development and implementation of the ALIV(H)E Framework is one of the initiatives led by the UNAIDS Secretariat in collaboration with civil society organisations. The Framework provides step-by-step approaches to developing effective programmes, including monitoring and evaluation of violence against women and HIV in 2019. In Morocco  UNAIDS supported the LEARN MENA project that aims to build the capacity of women living with HIV and to produce strategic information to gender-based violence and HIV programmes, including a country orientation workshop on the approach of the ALIV(H)E Framework; and conducted a Gender Assessment.

In Zimbabwe and Malawi 2019 UNAIDS has supported the launch of national situation rooms through the 2gether4SRHR programme. UNAIDS has been  working closely to help select the specific indicators and connecting data in the country to their situation room. In countries with existing data collection systems, the situation rooms create mechanisms to collect data separated by age and sex and at the local level, to ensure good Internet connectivity and that have qualified local staff are best placed to establish their own situation rooms. At the Zimbabwe launch the first SGBV-related dashboard was presented and in Malawi there is an increased interest in collecting data related to SGBV-SRHR. 

UNAIDS ensured continued support for implementation of the ‘integration of gender-based violence awareness, prevention and response’ in South Sudan ‘in collaboration with the GBV sub-cluster under the humanitarian response programme (a UNAIDS Secretariat initiative with UNHCR and WFP).

Participation in the Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Arrangements (MARA) on conflict related sexual violence of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict to promote appropriate timely action to prevent and respond to conflict-related sexual violence; inform strategic advocacy; enhance prevention and programmatic responses for survivors; and contribute to the development of comprehensive strategies to combat sexual violence at country-level.

In South Sudan UNAIDS trained police officers with a particular focus on female officers on prevention of GBV and HIV.

In Cambodia UNAIDS and partners provided technical support and guidance to the development process of the National Actions Plan to Prevent Violence Against Women, 2019-2023; conducted a Gender Assessment; and developed PEP guidelines, including for survivors of gender-based violence.

In Kenya  UNAIDS provided support to National SRHR, SGBN and TB Integration Framework, which was finalised and launched in 2019.

UNAIDS plays an important global advocacy role in supporting and addressing the linkages of gender-based violence in the context of sex work by the ongoing support and collaboration with networks of sexworkers. 

In Kyrgyzstan UNAIDS provided support to the women network of people living with HIV.

In the Dominican Republic UNAIDS provided support to USAID Linkages Project through consultation meetings with organisations of sexual diversity working on gender-based violence, as well as support for the implementation of the COIN Campaign to protect children and adolescents from commercial sexual exploitation and HIV and AIDS.

In Venezuela UNAIDS promoted clinical management of rape and together with UNFPA supported trauma sections in clinics to ensure that services are available for victims of rape. 

In Jamaica UNAIDS is associated Agency of the Spotlight initiative and supports community-led organisations in the response to cases of sexual violence against most marginalised populations.

In South Sudan UNAIDS supported the Integration of GBV and HIV services in the 5 one stop GBV centers in the country. Survivors of GBV and the PLHIV benefited from HTS, ART, dignity kits, legal support and counselling services.

In an op-ed published by Friends of Europe, the High Representative for Disarmament stated that gender must be at the heart of arms policy and highlighted the impact of weapons, in particular small arms, on the prevalence of sexual violence in conflict. 

The High Representative for Disarmament spoke during the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence saying that intimate partner violence is even more perilous when guns are involved, abetting sexual and domestic violence, and potentially femicide. She called for governments to deny access to guns to those who have been convicted of domestic or interpersonal violence, saying that through gender-responsive legislation and licensing policies, violence against women can be punished, prevented and eliminated.

High Representative for Disarmament participated in a thematic panel on gender and gender-based violence during the of Fifth Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty (CSP5)  and called for deepened understanding and implementation of gender-responsive arms control. [Gender and gender-based violence (GBV) was the thematic priority of Fifth Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty (CSP5) 2019 and in the final report of the conference, States agreed to strengthen the ability of States Parties to apply the GBV risk assessment criteria and to review progress on an ongoing basis.

The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) held two sub-regional seminars on “Preventing Armed Violence Against Women Through Arms Control” targeting national authorities from Central America   (in El Salvador) [Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama. Also participating were officials and experts from UNDP, UNODC, UN Women, the Organization of American States, the Central American Integration System, and the Center of Excellence for Statistical Information on Government, Crime, Victimization and Justice] and Caribbean States  (in Trinidad and Tobago) [  Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname. 12 civil society organizations participated, as well as 3 regional organizations. ] with direct responsibilities in arms control and prevention of violence against women and girls. The seminars focused on arms control as a fundamental pillar of public policies aimed at preventing and reducing violence against women. They likewise provided opportunities for non-governmental organizations and government representatives from the two sub-regions to exchange ideas, discuss strategies, and consider possibilities for joint initiatives to address challenges vis-a-vis armed violence against women.

The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) organized a “Workshop for Pacific Island States on Gun Violence and Illicit Small-Arms Trafficking from a Gender Perspective” in Fiji where sexual violence and violence against women was a core part of the discussions with civil society organizations and parliamentarians from the Pacific [Fiji, Papa New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Island  and Vanuatu]. It was the final sub-regional workshop in a series of training events.