Search
On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, UNESCO organized a round table on domestic and intimate partner violence, gendered perspective on conflict, violence, refugee protection and the rights of the child.
In March 2014, during the 25th session of the Human Rights Council, OHCHR partnered with UNFPA, UNICEF and others to bring the award winning exhibition, “Too Young to Wed” to the Palais des Nations in Geneva on the issue of child marriage.
UN Women, in collaboration with UNFPA and the Turkish Government, held a Global Meeting on “Ending Violence against Women: Building on Progress to Accelerate Change” in December 2015 in Istanbul, Turkey, at which over 150 high-level representatives from over 40 Member States, the Council of Europe, civil society and United Nations entities attended. At the meeting, participants exchanged experiences and renewed their committment to ending violence against women, such as strengthening Government mechanisms for the prevention of and responses to VAW; implementing comprehensive national programmes and involving men and boys as part of the solution.
UNRWA has developed context-specific GBV prevention initiatives in all its five fields of operation (Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank), building on local partnerships and working with community structures. These initiatives have focused on developing effective approaches to tackle root causes of GBV, addressing power imbalances and gender inequality and engaging communities in the effort to combat GBV. Progress has also been made in involving men and boys in awareness-raising activities and key services, such as involving men in preconception care and family planning counselling in UNRWA health centres.
The Director of UNIC (United Nations Information Centres) New Delhi was the Guest of Honour at the launch of a campaign "Against Acid Violence", organised by Acid Survivors Foundation India (ASFI) at Juniper Hall, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India. The National Director & CEO ASFI presented some alarming statistics that have been collected to show what a widely prevalent phenomenon this had become in India and gave an overview of the work of ASFI. An acid attack survivor thanked ASFI for taking their voice to the world at large. The Chairperson of the National Commission for Women shed light on the justice system noting that there was literally no recourse to justice.
In Nepal, UNDP has supported studies on engaging men and boys to prevent Gender Based Violence and the linkages between masculinities and GBV. This has led to the drafting of a GBV Prevention Peer Education Manual.
The IFAD gender team organized an annual award for the best performing projects on gender in each of the five IFAD regions. The awards ceremony was held on 25 November 2015 to make the links between gender equality and the importance of ending violence as a key element for improving the quality of life for many women.
In Mexico, UN Women and eleven other UN agencies launched a campaign against early and child marriage, to establish eighteen as the minimum age for marriage at federal and state level without exception. The Mexican Senate and the Congress of Oaxaca announced reforms on the issue, while the President pledged to support the campaign and eradicate early marriage in law and practice.
As part of activities marking the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence in Nigeria, UNIC (United Nations Information Centres) in collaboration with International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and West African Women Association (WAWA) organized a seminar to explore the legal frameworks in support of women's rights. The seminar identified and addressed the causes of violence against women and the need to speak out, network and raise awareness. Over 120 participants of whom over 100 were women, attended the seminar held at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Secretariat, Lagos Liaison Office in Nigeria.
UNDP and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea hosted an Expert Meeting in 2016 to discuss approaches and challenges provided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) with regards to the reduction and elimination of Gender-Based Violence (GBV). The meeting brought together more than 50 practitioners from Governments, United Nations agencies, Academia and Civil Society to explore the intersections of GBV with major social development themes and identify integrated approaches to reducing GBV to help achieve multiple SDG targets.