United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
Background
UN Women has a universal mandate to provide, through its normative support functions, operational activities and coordination role, guidance and technical support on gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s rights, across all levels of development and in all regions. Under this mandate UN Women leads the work on elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG) within the United Nations system.
VAWG continues to be the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today, and remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, and construed stigma and shame surrounding it. Despite a growing momentum by States to eliminate and prevent all forms of VAWG, challenges persist in achieving transformative change in this area –mainly due to the tenacity of discriminatory social norms that tolerate and condone violence and inequality between men and women; the lack of coherent approaches in preventing VAWG in the first place; and the lack of access to long-term, quality, multi-sectoral services that are coordinated for survivors.
Violence against women and girls is a violation of human rights and it impedes equality, development and peace across the world. The promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including to leave no one behind, cannot be fulfilled without putting an end to VAWG. UN Women employs a comprehensive approach to addressing violence against women and girls, in private and public space, including investments in:
* Improving research and statistical data;
* Strengthening international norms and standards and national legislative and policy frameworks;
* Expanding coordinated, quality multi-sectoral services;
* Facilitating understanding and supporting evidence-based prevention approaches; and
* Supporting women’s rights and civil society groups.
Policy framework
UN Women’s work is guided by its 4-year Strategic Plan (2018-2021) which includes ending violence against women as one of its outcomes. UN Women’s work is embedded within the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, especially its General Recommendations 19 and 35; the 1993 UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women; the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome documents of its reviews, as well as other human rights treaties, General Assembly, Security Council and Human Rights Council Resolutions; and the agreed conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women; and critical regional instruments, such as Belem do Para, the Maputo Protocol and the Istanbul Convention.
Areas of Focus
RESEARCH AND STATISTICAL DATA
UN Women at global, regional and country level works with governments, civil society and academia to conduct quantitative and qualitative research to improve the understanding of the magnitude, nature, risk and protective factors and consequences of different forms of VAWG, and to generate evidence of what works and what does not work to address it. At the global level, UN Women in collaboration with WHO is responding to the need of strengthening the collection and use of VAW data through the Global Programme on Strengthening Methodologies and Measurement and Building National Capacities for VAW Data. The goal of this 5-year Joint Programme (2018-2022) is to ensure that quality data on different forms of VAW are available and collected over time to address national data gaps and meet policy and reporting commitments under the SDGs, CEDAW, and the Beijing Platform for Action. The programme aims to contribute to the strengthening and dissemination of measurement and methodologies for VAW data collection and use (including for national, regional and global monitoring and reporting requirements for SDG target 5.2 indicators); the increase of capacities of national institutions to collect VAW data according to globally agreed methodological and ethical standards; and the collection and accessibility of national VAW data for advocacy, policy and programming to end violence against women and girls.
NORMS, LAWS AND POLICIES
UN Women leads the drafting of Secretary General’s Reports, including: Intensification of Efforts to Eliminate All Forms of Violence Against Women and Girls, Intensifying Global Efforts for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilations and Report of the Secretary General on Trafficking in Persons, which provide an analysis of trends, good practices, gaps and challenges, as well as recommendations to Member States and other stakeholders. UN Women further supports negotiations of Member States based on these reports to inform GA Resolutions on the same. UN Women also convenes the Commission on the Status of Women, providing similar support to Member States in their negotiations of Agreed Conclusions related to violence against women. At the 25 year anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), UN Women together with the Regional Commissions facilitated comprehensive national level reviews on progress made and challenges encountered in the implementation of the BPfA, and the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment, including in the critical area of eliminating violence against women. At country-level, UN Women’s support has led to strengthened national legislation to prevent and respond to VAW, and to the adoption of national action plans for the elimination of VAW. A more detailed synopsis on UN Women’s work in this area can be obtained through the Annual Report(s).
SERVICES
To improve the quality of and access to comprehensive essential multi-sectoral services that respond to the immediate and long-term needs and well-being of women and girls who have experienced violence, such as intimate partner violence or sexual violence, UN Women in partnership with UNFPA initiated the ‘Essential Services Programme’ in 2013. This initiative is now a full-fledged United Nations Global Joint Programme: Essential Services for Women and Girls Subject to Violence, with WHO, UNODC and UNDP as participating UN agencies. through this joint programme, UN Women, in collaboration with all participating agencies, developed the ‘Essential Services Package for Women and Girls Subject to Violence: Core Elements and Quality Guidelines’ for the Health, Justice and Policing and Social Services Sectors, along with Implementation Guides to assist the rollout and implementation of the Essential Services Package at country level. The Programme began with 10 pilot countries and has expanded with self-starters to over 50 in 2019.
PREVENTION
Prevention is the only way to stop violence before it occurs. The evidence-base on what works to prevent violence has evolved considerably over the past decade, including through initiatives supported by UN Women, such as the Partners for Prevention Programme in Asia Pacific. UN Women has played a key role in developing evidence-based policy and programming guidance in this area. In 2015, UN Women led the development of the first inter-agency framework on prevention, in partnership with ILO, OHCHR, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA and WHO. A Framework to Underpin Action to Prevent Violence Against Women (2015), promotes a common understanding of preventing violence against women for the UN System, policymakers and other stakeholders and provides a theory of change to support action. To further operationalize this framework, UN Women, partnered with various UN agencies, to develop handbooks guiding implementation of specific entry points. Those include: Global Guidance on Addressing School-related Gender Based Violence (with UNESCO); Addressing Violence and Harassment Against Women in the World of Work (with ILO); The Big Conversation: Handbook to Address Violence against Women in and through the Media (with UNESCO); A Handbook to Address Violence against Women in and through Sports (with UNESCO); Preventing violence against women in elections: A programming guide (with UNDP) and a Guidance Note on Campus Violence Prevention and Response. In 2019, with WHO, UN Women launched the RESPECT Women; Preventing Violence against Women Framework to update the 2015 Prevention Framework. A package of implementation materials for the RESPECT Framework are in process of development and will be available in 2021. In addition to policy guidance, UN Women undertakes programming in various countries across regions with various stakeholders in public spaces, in schools, in communities, workplaces, sports organizations and other institutions to address structural and systemic inequalities and change attitudes, beliefs and social norms.
Knowledge Hub on Violence against Women:
UN Women hosts one of the most extensive repositories of resources on preventing and eliminating VAWG at the Global Knowledge Platform to End Violence against Women. This hub, contains three unique portals, including: 1) The Global Database on Violence against Women, a filterable database containing information on the measures undertaken by Member States; 2) Inventory of United Nations Activities, a filterable database on the work of UN entities; and 3) The Virtual Knowledge Centre to End Violence against Women and Girls, a one-stop site providing programming guidance promising practice case studies and tools in English, French and Spanish.
UN Women also maintains a dedicated Training Site with numerous learning opportunities (online courses, face-to-face sessions, manuals and self-paced lessons) on violence against women, including introductory material on the topic, as well as dedicated materials on men and masculinities, FGM and Essential Services, among others.
HARMFUL PRACTICES
Harmful cultural practices are discriminatory practices towards women and girls that are ritualized because they are performed/exercised persistently and as a result have been culturally normalized. UN Women recognizes that harmful practices take many forms and impinge upon the dignity and integrity of the individual, constituting a grave human rights violation. UN Women’s strategy on Harmful Practices focuses primarily on addressing two of the most prevalent forms, Child, Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM) and Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C). The work on harmful practices includes support to strengthen legislation, public policies and mechanisms to address impunity; capacity building of service providers and law enforcement; increasing women’s and girls’ knowledge about their rights; advocacy and awareness campaigns; work with women’s organizations and CSOs; and transforming norms. UN Women works closely with renowned activist Jaha Dukureh, CEO and Founder of the NGO “Safe Hands for Girls”, who serves as Goodwill Ambassador for the issue worldwide.
SAFE CITIES AND SAFE PUBLIC SPACES
UN Women’s Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Global Initiative commits to creating safe and empowering public spaces for women and girls free from sexual harassment (SH) and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls (SVAWG). Through a comprehensive human rights and evidence-based approach, cities develop practical solutions in four main action areas, including: ensuring that locally relevant and owned solutions are identified through detailed scoping studies; strengthening laws and policies on sexual harassment in public space; investing in the safety and economic viability of public spaces; and fostering transformative social norms that promote women and girls’ rights to use public spaces free from SH and other forms of sexual violence (SV). Under the Flagship Initiative, each city adapts a Global Framework and accompanying package of tools to their local context. The Safe Cities Initiative was originally launched in 5 pilot cities (Cairo, Kigali, New Delhi, Port Moresby and Quito). It has since expanded to over 50 cities, including those in the Global North.
ADDRESSING SEXUAL HARASSMENT
As a champion of women’s rights and gender equality, preventing and addressing sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and sexual harassment (SH) within UN Women and the UN system as forms of violence against women and girls is a critical area of UN Women’s work. The organization is committed to a zero-tolerance approach for SEA, SH and all other forms of VAWG.
UN Women recognizes that addressing SEA and SH requires a culture of change that looks at the intersectionality of their root causes, including those due to race, age, disability, sexual orientation and of course, gender. Within UN-Women, the organization is thus dedicated to fostering an environment that respects the inherent dignity of all persons, which affords its personnel the opportunity to reach their fullest potential and therefore empowers them to deliver the best possible results for the women and girls it serves.
Furthermore, UN Women has ben actively engaged in the system-wide efforts led by the secretary General in pursuit of a common system-wide approach to combating SEA and SH and is collaborating with various stakeholders within the UN and beyond, using its experience and expertise on eliminating VAWG. A victim-centered approach forms the basis of all its efforts which aimed at bringing about an organizational and cultural change that end SEA and SH, which UN Women will continue to fight for until it is achieved for all.
TRAFFICKING IN WOMEN AND GIRLS
Trafficking disproportionately affects women and girls, who account for 71% of identified trafficking victims globally. UN Women works to ensure that anti-trafficking policies and initiatives comprehensively address the continuum of violence against women, and girls and the related gender dimensions of human trafficking. The work is undertaken across four key pillars: ensuring that legislative and policy frameworks are in line with international human rights standards; supporting institutions to collect relevant data, exchange information and develop comprehensive, multisectoral and gender-sensitive approaches; promoting gender equitable social norms, attitudes and behaviors; as well as increasing knowledge about the rights of women and reducing their vulnerability to trafficking and exploitation. UN Women works at country, regional and global level in different dimensions to combat trafficking in women and girls, and also provides support and inputs to other UN agencies, to ensure their programmes and interventions include a gendered and survivor-centered approach. UN Women is a member of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group Against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT) and has served as co-chair in 2019 and 2020.
SPOTLIGHT INITIATIVE
UN Women is the technical lead of the Spotlight Initiative–the global, multi-year partnership between European Union and United Nations to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls by 2030—at the country, regional and global level. The work encompasses responding to all forms of violence against women and girls, with a focus on domestic and family violence, sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices, femicide, trafficking in human beings and sexual and economic (labour) exploitation. The initiative is being rolled-out in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Pacific.
Resources
RESPECT women: Preventing violence against women (2019)
Training Manual on Gender and Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting (2017)
Handbook for National Action Plans on Violence Against Women (2011)
*See also the resource links to numerous tools referred to in the narrative above and under specific measures.
UN Women continued to actively participate in the UN system-wide SEA Working Group PSEA WG, which is being coordinated by the Office of the Special Coordinator on improving the UN response to SEA.
View MoreUN Women continued to actively participate in the UN system-wide SEA Working Group PSEA WG, which is being coordinated by the Office of the Special Coordinator on improving the UN response to SEA. Using its technical expertise and experience, UN Women provided input to all WG deliverables, which inter-alia include the Fact sheet on the Secretary-General's initiatives to prevent and respond to SEA, the Secretary-General's Report on Special measures for PSEA, the annual PSEA action plan, and the annual PSEA survey.
Together with UNFPA, IOM, and UNICEF, UN Women co-lead the inter-agency PSEA focal point training, held in March 2021 for the Senegal inter-agency PSEA network.
UN Women actively engaged in the development of the key performance indicators for the prevention of sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse for the monitoring framework of the 2020 QCPR.
With UN partners including OHCHR, DPPA, UNDP and DCO, UN Women advocated for UN key messages about Violence against Women in politics for the UN system, endorsed by the Executive Committee in 2020 and available to inform UN Leaders' advocacy efforts on this issue.
Almost all the countries in the ESA region have functional GBV Working Groups led by UNFPA and the PSEA Task Forces led by UN Women and the UNRCO.
To bring the global commitments to the field and to create an enabling safe, secure and equitable environment in line with the UN Secretary-Generals guidance, a Training of Trainers program on "Gender Parity" and "Prevention of Sexual Harassment, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)" was organized in partnership with UN Women HQ with participation by 42 participants from 12 countries in the region representing UN Women, UNPFA, UNHCR, IOM, ICAO and UNDSS in Mombasa, Kenya. Following the training at least 5 countries have replicated the training in their countries and also took initiatives to establish and strengthen the PSEA task forces.
In Burundi, UN Women supported the development of UNCT gender strategy which serves as a frame of reference for in planning process within UNS in Burundi.
To support Secretary-General's Campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women, UN Women (ROAP) organised and supported multiple regional events including Regional Curated Dialogue (link) organised in the form a TV style talk show, multi country study on Online Violence against Women in Asia (link), study on the linkages between violence against women and violence against children jointly produced with UNICEF and UNFPA (link) , Guidelines on Responsible Representation and Reporting of Violence Against Women and Children also jointly produced with UNICEF and UNFPA (link), 16 stories from frontline service providers, and social media campaigns (link) and a virtual event with the World Design Organization showcasing innovation and youth-focused approaches to prevent VAWG. The estimated reach of the 16 days of campaign events and messaging was around 94,250 with 65,273 direct engagement through likes, comments, and shares.
Generation Equality and 2020 Information Note
The year 2020 is a pivotal year for advancing gender equality worldwide, as the global community takes stock of progress made for women's rights since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action. This information note explores UN Women's upcoming actions throughout 2020 including its multigenerational campaign: “Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights for an Equal Future”, Generation Equality Forums and Action Coalitions.
Trough GTG (Gender Thematic Group), UN Women Moldova CO a) lead the joint UN effort in supporting the government to implement the existing normative commitments (implementation of CEDAW CO, UPR, Beijing +25 national report); b) strengthen joint advocacy for improved normative framework and ratification of the Istanbul Convention on VAW as per CEDAW Committee Recommendations and of ILO Convention no. 190 on Violence and sexual harassment at the workplace; d) use corporate tools such as SWAP Gender Scorecard recommendations and CCA updates to strengthen GEWE as well as UN Women Moldova is co-chairing the PSEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) Task Force.
In 2020, UN Women Kosovo collaborated with UNFPA and UNDP to conduct two Rapid Socio-Economic Impact Assessments (SEIAs) of the impact of the pandemic on health, financial and emotional well-being of people, including the impact on women. Findings showed that 59% of the respondents felt that domestic violence had increased since the begin of the pandemic and that gender progress may be stalling. The Security and Gender Group chaired by UN Women Kosovo allowed quick mobilization of UN family and International Community to respond to COVID's differentiated as impact on women and this was well recognized by international community in Kosovo Several joint statements and activities including more than 100 activities during 16 days were coordinated and organized aiming to call on government to adopt measures to address the economics effect of the COVID19 pandemic on women and girls and on ending violence against women. Efforts continued also in 2021, through regular meetings of the SGG and GTG.In Tajikistan, UN Women chairs GTG and coordinates work of UNCT, partners (government, national and international) in implementation of the UNiTE campaign since its launch. UN Women oversights implementation of UN TF projects and serves as the technical advisor to the PSEA interagency team. UN Women is a member of REACT Humanitarian Response team and internal UNCT Humanitarian Team. UN Women is the technical coherence lead at the Spotlight Programme Tajikistan. In Albania UN Women CO:
1- Conducted a Gender Responsive mapping of the linkages between social inclusion and vulnerabilities at local level, in the framework of the Global SDG Fund-supported UNJP on Improving Municipal Social Protection, implemented jointly with UNDP, UNICEF, and WHO. This sets the foundation for identifying and piloting social services for vulnerable women in existing municipalities through existing social care plants and in coordination with the Social Fund administered by the MoHSP.
2- Within the framework of Leave No One Behind UNJP with UNDP, UNICEF, and UNFPA, gender responsive budgeting processes were strengthened at the local level, prioritising interventions that combat violence against women and girls, in conjunction with the EVAW JP. As a result, main municipalities in Albania are increasing their capacities in: (i) applying gender responsive budgeting (GRB) within Medium Term Budget Programme (MTBP 2021-2023) ensuring that needs of vulnerable women and girls, including survivors of violence are incorporated in policies and related budgets associated with municipal social care services; and (ii) developing socio-economic schemes/plans for reintegration of women survivors of violence.
3- Led and coordinated with other UN agencies in Albania towards a successful 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, which saw engagement and direct contribution of the private sector towards women survivors, as well as increased visibility through awareness raising efforts.
4- On International Day of the Girl (11 October) UN Women partnered with UNFPA and UNICEF under the global theme "My voice, our equal future" and invited everyone to write a short inspirational letter to a GIRL under 18 years old. 13 letters were received, and later snapshots of main message and quotes were shared through infographics on social media. An activity around the initiative was organized in 'Mersin Duqi' high school in Ibe village. Students shared the letters they had prepared and discussed gender equality and girl's rights.
5- Advocated for a standalone gender outcome in the new UNSDCF. UN Women's leadership on the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) System-Wide Action Plan (SWAP) Gender Equality Scorecard conducted in 2019 and the Country Gender Equality Brief supported solid gender analysis in the new Common Country Analysis (CCA) and resulted in positioning a stand-alone gender equality outcome level result in the development of the new UNSDCF. UN Women ensured knowledge sharing among Gender Theme Results Group (GTRG) members about best approaches to strengthen gender mainstreaming in the programming cycle and actively engaged in UNCT discussions on strategic priorities and comparative advantages.
The year 2020 is a pivotal year for advancing gender equality worldwide, as the global community takes stock of progress made for women’s rights since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action. This information note explores UN Women's upcoming actions throughout 2020 including its multigenerational campaign: “Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights for an Equal Future”, Generation Equality Forums and Action Coalitions. Generation Equality and 2020 information note from ECA available here.
Almost all the countries in the ESA region have functional GBV Working Groups led by UNFPA and the PSEA Task Forces led by UN Women and the UNRCO.
To bring the global commitments to the field and to create an enabling safe, secure and equitable environment in line with the UN Secretary-Generals guidance, a Training of Trainers program on “Gender Parity” and “Prevention of Sexual Harassment, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)” was organized in partnership with UN Women HQ with participation by 42 participants from 12 countries in the region representing UN Women, UNPFA, UNHCR, IOM, ICAO and UNDSS in Mombasa, Kenya. Following the training at least 5 countries have replicated the training in their countries and also took initiatives to establish and strengthen the PSEA task forces.
In Burundi, UN Women supported the development of UNCT gender strategy which serves as a frame of reference for in planning process within UNS in Burundi.
Jordan CO
The UNCT in Jordan - under the leadership of UN Women, in collaboration with the Jordanian National Commission for Women and in partnership with the civil society and members of the international community launched the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence national campaign under the theme ‘Too young to marry’. Key highlights include:
- More than 1,374 people directly engaged in activities organized by UN Women– the majority of which were youth and those living outside the capital;
- around 350 events were organized in the country during the campaign, generating increased interest and discussions on the issue from different perspectives in participatory approach.
- 3.9 million users reached on social media through the various hashtags and social media content used. 375,349 social media users were reached only during the ‘orange hour’ which marked the beginning of the campaign on 25 Nov 2017 (hashtag ‘16daysjo’ trending on Twitter).
- Original song by The Voice winner Nidaa Sharara reached half a million views on Youtube.
- Systematic engagement of local-based initiatives, media professionals, youth movements and members of the international community.
- 3 policy papers presented during the dedicated event organized with judges and justice sector professionals.
Morocco MCO
UN Women strengthened its support to CSOs and national partners’ initiatives in the context of the UNiTE campaign. A focus was given to raise the awareness of boys and men through 11 initiatives that took place during the UNITE SG’s campaign : the launching event with the UNCT (orange balloons), 5 projects / activities were developed with CSOs for dedicated and intensified awareness-raising efforts during or close to the 16 Days of activism campaign (Aquarium, Zanka Bla Violence, ARMCDH, AMDF, Printemps de la Dignité) , 2 partnerships engaging the main written, tv and radio media for a 16-day coverage of the campaign (EcoMedias, 2M SOREAD), a digital awareness-raising campaign on UN Women Maghreb twitter account and UN Women Arabic Twitter and Facebook accounts and a communication campaign through weekly videos around the slogan « Because I am a man » that succeeded in reaching over 500K likes, shares and likes on Facebook alone and more than 32% of the audience share on TV broadcast. Three awareness-raising workshops on women’s human rights and gender-based stereotypes were held in three different cities towards youth (in a high-school (29 Dec), a fine arts institute (13 Dec) and a business and management school (26 Dec)) through the use of cartoons to initiate debate around these issues.
In 2017, UN Women Algeria used social networks to launch its largest 16 days EVAW campaign to date, impacting several millions of Algerians. Leveraging the potential of social media, 20 Algerian public figures - writers, singers, actors, scholars – and a leading mobile operator joined the 16 days campaign by taking position against GBV. UNW Algeria invited 20 national figures - writers, singers, actors, scholars - to speak up against violence towards women and girls. Their quotes were then disseminated across social medias between November 25 and December 10, in partnership with civil society organizations, major national media and other UN agencies. An advocacy video was also produced gathering the quotes and will be uploaded to Youtube in support of the 2018 16 days campaign. UNW also partnered with mobile phone operator Djezzy who sent bulk messages on GBV to its subscribers each of the 16 days. As a result, more than 16 million Algerians from all over the country received an awareness-raising message, which contained information on the 16 days campaign in both Arabic and French.
Within the 16 Days of Activism against GBV, UN Women in partnership with ABAAD and National Commission for Lebanese Women, launched the “LifeForLife” public campaign, which aimed to amend Chapter Seven of the Lebanese Penal Code. More specifically, the call is to amend the law that condemns any offender found guilty of sexual assault of a daughter, sister, granddaughter, nieces or any person of whom he has physical or legal custody with a life sentence in prison. Incest rape is one of the most dangerous and most widespread forms of rape and sexual assault in Lebanon.
DRC
The "UNiTE" campaign was launched in 2014 by the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations system in the presence of great personalities of the DRC including the Personal Representative of the Head of State in charge of the fight against sexual violence. Supported by UN Women and UNFPA at the Office of the Personal Representative of the Head of State in charge of the fight against sexual violence, the "Break the silence" campaign led to series of trials (691 in 2016) and convictions (299 convictions in 2016) of high ranking military personnel. The establishment of effective coordination mechanisms including the Gender Thematic Group with its four thematic sub-groups (SGT VSBG, SGT Political Participation and Women's Leadership, SGT Empowerment of the Legal Status of Women, SGT Economic Empowerment of Women); UN Trust Fund resources made available to the PANZI Foundation for the holistic treatment of the fight against sexual violence; joint resource mobilization initiatives including the Joint Project to Combat Impunity, Support for Victims of Gender-Based Violence and Women's Empowerment in Eastern DRC "TUPINGE UBAKAJI" with UNDP, UNFPA , UNESCO; the joint project on prevention and coordinated responses to sexual violence in Ituri and North Kivu by UN Women, UNFPA, UNICEF and UNJHRO.
SENEGAL
The Maternal and Child Mortality Reduction Support Program brings together four UN system agencies (UNFPA UNICEF WHO and UN Women) to eliminate gender-based violence that can affect the health of women, children and young girls especially during pregnancy and at the time of delivery. UN Women, OHCHR, UNESCO, UNICEF and UNFPA have joined forces around a coordinated action plan under the leadership of the Ministry of Women, Family and Gender, from 2016-2020 to put an end to all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls. UNDAF outcomes 6 and 8 focus on protecting vulnerable groups from violence and exploitation, and building institutional capacity under UNICEF leadership.
CABO VERDE
The UNiTE campaign/orange campaign and the 16 Days activism campaigns were spearheaded by UNW with a huge impact in social media and great visibility at the national level. By engaging the UN agencies, private and public sectors, the orange campaign in 2017 could reach and get closer to local communities and the intended target audience, being students of secondary schools and universities, leaders of local communities, media and private sector workers, it is comprised of around 20 NGOs as well as Members of Parliament, the Women Network Parliamentarians and the private sector. During the 16 days the movement calls to join forces in addressing specific problems regarding end violence against women and girls in Cabo Verde. Several activities were carried out such as: the Orange café with Journalists- Several journalists were invited to participate in the 16 Days of Activism actions to End Violence against Women and Girls across the country; School engagement - Campaign "16 days of activism against violence" starts with schools; Cabo Verde Parliamentarians dressed in orange for the 16 days of activism; Free HUGS - promoting the culture of non-violence in the capital city Praia offering free hugs to all;
Under the lead of UNW the interagency thematic group on human rights and gender has successfully implemented the UN Free & Equal campaign, positioning Cabo Verde has the first Africa country
MALI
Mali actively participates in the Secretary General's campaign for the elimination of violence against women every year. In November 2017 the campaign was launched by the Minister for the Advancement of Women under the leadership of UN Women with the participation of various agencies of the United Nations system, civil society organizations including young people.
UN Women supported the GBV specialist of ONE action in Mali for the mobilization of resources and the implementation of activities in the framework of the development of the national strategy to combat gender-based violence in Mali.
UN Women is an active member of the Network for Protection against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Mali. Within this framework, focal point training activities were organized at national and regional level in collaboration with UNFPA and UNICEF. Information feedback mechanisms have been put in place and sensitization sessions have been conducted on the radio and at the community level to encourage people to use these mechanisms, including the toll-free number 80 333 to disclose cases of abuse. sexual exploitation.
CAMEROON
UNW Cameroon has coordinated the UNCT SWAP scorecard process and the elaboration of action plan. The country office has been engaged in the implementation of the UNSWAP Scorecard plan and has succeeded in inscribing gender in the 2018 UNCT annual work plan. The office has also worked to mainstream gender in joint programs of the 2018-2020 UNDAF. The coordination of development support between the Government and technical partners has launched sector platforms; among the said Platforms, UN Women has been co-lead of the cross-cutting gender platform with the Ministry of women empowerment and also co-lead of the platform on social development with the Ministry of Social Affairs. Concerning the normative work, UN Women has supported the elaboration of the 6th Cameroon’s CEDAW report, coordinating with other UN agencies to input it and to make it a consensual report with other stakeholders (civil society, private sector…).UN Women coordinated the activities for 16 days campaign on violence against women and girls with the annual theme of “leave no one behind”. In the Far North region, GBV humanitarian working group under UN Women’s co-lead coordinated relevant activities with partners
LIBERIA
UN Women Liberia Office celebrates the 25th of every month as Orange Day as part of the UN Secretary-General’s UNITE to End Violence Against Women. UN Staff wear Orange colors to raise public awareness and increase political will to address all forms of violence against women and girls. In 2016, UN Women collaborated with the More Than Me Academy (a school for vulnerable girls) to raise awareness on school related violence and a call for actions against those who exploit women and girls. Also, in 2017, UN Women in collaboration with UNMIL Gender Unit held a program at the UNMIL Headquarter for UN Staff as a means of raising awareness and getting staff to contribute to a world free from violence against women and girls. The SRSG reminded staff of the Secretary-General Zero Tolerance Against Sexual Exploitation & Abuse.
UN Women Liberia leads the Government of Liberia/United Nations Joint Programme on SGBV and HTP. The organization is working with community leaders, traditional leaders and paramount chiefs to address issues of Harmful Traditional Practices and other forms of violence that subject women to humiliation.
UN Women Liberia is a member of the National Gender Based Taskforce that meets once every month to discuss issues affecting women and girls and review County level action point for redress. The Taskforce recently protested the amendment of the 2006 Rape Law to make same bailable.
The organization is also part of the ressuscitation of the Inter-Agency PSEA Network. UNMIL had previously coordinated the network until their departure from Liberia
NIGER
The MUSKOKA programme brings together four United Nations agencies, namely UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO and UN WOMEN. Through the FFM, simple, innovative and effective solutions are implemented to prevent maternal and infant mortality. Solutions to reduce maternal and child deaths include access to quality maternal care and skilled health personnel before, during and after childbirth. The added value of UN Women within the MUSKOKA mechanism is based on its mandate as an entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women, more specifically on its focus on combating violence against women, a source of inequality, lack of access by women to decision-making processes and resources, but also a cause of endangering their lives, which is aggravated during pregnancy and childbirth following the prevention and response to such violence.
UN WOMEN has adopted a holistic approach: prevention and response. The objective of these activities is to promote and facilitate women's access to maternal health through:
Activities:
- The creation of reproductive health service demands;
- The development of communication and mobilization campaigns;
- The implementation of strategies and actions against discriminatory practices and gender-based violence (GBV);
- Care for survivors of violence, identification of links between violence against women and maternal mortality and improvement of knowledge on the subject.;
- The men's club;
- The creation of multi-actor platforms;
- In addition, the impulse of the demand for maternal health services requires a good knowledge of the factors that cause difficulties in the relationship between women, girls and health workers in the regions of Maradi, Tillabery, Dosso and Tahoua;
- Rehabilitation of multimedia centre for access to information on GBV, gender, SSRJA, women's rights, etc;
- The involvement of religious, traditional and local leaders in the fight against GBV;
The results obtained:
- 10,000 girls and women, men sensitized on GBV, prevention of early pregnancies and reproductive health services through awareness caravans in Dosso, Maradi, Tillabéry and Tahoua;
- A traditional leader in Maradi has been identified as a champion in the fight against GBV in Maradi, where the highest rate of GBV is recorded in Niger;
- Two Muslim and Christian religious leaders were identified as champions in the fight against GBV in Niamey and Tahoua;
- More than 500 women, girls, boys and men in Dosso have increased access to information about GBV, the type of GBAS through the multimedia centre;
- More than 100 women and girls in Dosso have been trained on the use of INTICs for access to SRH information;
- More than 200 leaders have increased their sensitivity to GBV and SSR Dosso, Maradi, Tillabéry and Tahoua;
- More than 500 boys, men, and leaders recruited and committed within associations and clubs to fight GBV, women's rights and gender;
- A study on the satisfaction of SRH beneficiaries is currently being validated.
- All these achievements contributed to enlist men, women, girls and boys, decision makers, local and religious leaders for the respect of women's rights, girls' rights, gender and the fight against GBV.
NIGERIA
Gender-Based Violence Sub-Working Group (GBV-SWG) is an inter-agency coordination group set up to ensure coherence in the humanitarian responses of partners in Nigeria. UN Women is a member of the group with UNFPA as the chair. During the reporting period, GBV partners together scaled up engagement with leaders and communities with sensitisation on GBV/SEA principles and during the 2017 16 Days of Activitism, GBV partners across the affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe held series of activities ranging from policy dialogues with leaders, engaging young people in and out of school through debates, public processions, town hall meetings, a series of activities with women's groups within women and girls friendly spaces, livelihood bazaar, radio talk shows among others to demand zero tolerance to GBV. At the close of 2017, the GBV partners took stock of their interventions; there were evidences that there is better understanding of the GBV protection situation and needs among partners, partners together reached 66,413 (27,005 women, 15,392 girls, 13,675 men and 10,186 boys) individuals with various interventions. Out of which 9,479 individuals received psychological first aid and various psychosocial support interventions, 1,682 accessed medical services and some 440 accessed other specialised services through case management and referrals. Overall from Janaury to November 2017, GBV sub sector partners together have collectively benefitted 797,640 (364,897 women, 188,347 girls, 148,066 men and 95,523 boys) individuals, reaching 80% of the overall target for 2017
In 2016, a new record number of at least 105 countries joined the UNiTE campaign’s “Orange the World” movement in support of the 16 Days of Activism. From marches in Uganda, Serbia, and Timor-Leste, a public rally on motorbikes in Pakistan, orange bike rides in India and the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan, and the lighting of symbolic buildings in orange across the globe.
As in previous years, UN Women held the commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women under the banner of the Secretary-General’s campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women in November 2016. The commemoration placed a spotlight on the critical need for sustainable financing for efforts to end violence against women and girls across the globe within the particular framework of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. The event began with remarks from the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Karel van Oosterom of the Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the UN, and UN Trust Fund programme participant Aiturgan Djoldoshbekova. It also included a musical performance from The Color Purple, Tony Award winner for Best Musical Revival, and a panel discussion on sustainable financing to end violence against women and girls.
Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality organized a session on Ending Violence againt Women during the 15th Annual session of the IANWGE with panelists from UN Women and UNODC in March 2016.
UN Women with UNIC (United Nations Information Centres) on behalf of the UN System in Cameroon in partnership with the Ministry of Women Empowerment and the Family (MINPROFF) organized the official launching ceremony of 16 days activism within UNSG’s Orange Campaign “UNiTE to End Violence against Women”, on 25 November 2015, on the theme “from peace in the Home to peace in the world, make education safe for all”. The ceremony was presided by the Minister. Discussions centred on efforts made by both the UN and Cameroon to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, with the Minister condemning the use of women and girls as instruments of terrorism in Cameroon and Nigeria by the Boko Haram terrorist group. The UNSG’s message was read by the Acting UN Resident Coordinator, while UNIC Yaounde prepared and distributed information kits comprised of UNSG message, press releases on actions taken by UN to combat this social ill to the media and participants. The ceremony was reported on the UNIC’s website and Facebook page.