Agencies

UNFPA is committed to strengthening the capacity of governments, implementing partners, and its own staff to prevent and respond to GBV effectively. Through comprehensive training and capacity-building initiatives, UNFPA equips all actors involved in GBV prevention and response with the necessary knowledge, skills, and systems. 

• As of February 2025, 300 participants from 67 countries have completed the kNOwVAWdata course, focusing on safe, ethical VAW data collection, analysis, and reporting. 
• ASRO supported Al-Azhar in conducting TOT workshops for students from Somalia, Djibouti, Sudan, and Yemen, training future religious leaders to address GBV, FGM, and child marriage. ASRO also helped develop a framework for a Religious Leaders Network to enhance collaboration in combating harmful practices. 
• In EECA, UNFPA strengthened multi-sectoral responses to GBV through regional ToT workshops, training 35 stakeholders per country and developing tools for monitoring and implementing standard operating procedures. 
• PSRO developed and rolled out a GBV Risk Mitigation Curriculum for the Pacific Sub-Region, focusing on climate disaster contexts, across 4 countries. 
• WCARO conducted capacity-building workshops on the Essential Services Package and GBV case management in The Gambia and Equatorial Guinea for UN personnel, government officials, and partners. 
• ​​​In LAC, UNFPA developed 3 self-administered virtual courses on the Essential Services Package, clinical management of sexual violence, and child marriage prevention, reaching over 10,000 public servants across 15 countries. From these courses, a community of practice was established, running from 2020 to 2022 and generating 20 webinars on GBV, with 1.6k subscribers and 198k views.  Moreover, since 2021, UNFPA and PAHO have developed a course on the clinical management of sexual violence in Latin America. The course has been disseminated at the regional level and is currently being rolled out by the ministries of health in four countries: El Salvador, Brazil, Guatemala, and Ecuador. 

UNFPA plays a pivotal role in addressing sexual violence in conflict by adopting a comprehensive approach focused on prevention, response, and survivor support, ensuring that survivors’ needs are met and their rights upheld. UNFPA collaborates with governments, humanitarian organizations, and civil society to provide essential services to women and girls affected by conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). 

As the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) mandated agency for GBV prevention and response, UNFPA leads and supports multi-sectoral responses to GBV, including CRSV, coordinating efforts across health, legal, protection, and psychosocial sectors. This includes establishing GBV Sub-Clusters in humanitarian settings to coordinate responses, share information, and prevent duplication of efforts. 

As a member of UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict and other global initiatives, UNFPA works to strengthen system-wide responses, supporting UN Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace, and Security (1325, 1820, 1888, 1960) and collaborating with UNICEF, UN Women, and UNHCR to ensure a comprehensive approach to sexual violence in conflict. 

In 2024, UNFPA, with funding from the UN Action Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF), directly supported CRSV survivors in Sudan, South Sudan, Ukraine, and Mali. Data collected through the GBVIMS on CRSV is shared with the Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Arrangements (MARA), adhering to strict safety and ethical protocols in countries such as South Sudan, Mali, Central African Republic, Somalia, and Iraq. UNFPA also co-leads MARA Working Groups in Myanmar, Mali, and the Central African Republic, strengthening responses through a survivor-centered approach. 

2024 highlights:  

• ASRO provides tailored support to seven crisis-affected countries (Sudan, Palestine, Somalia, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Libya), offering essential medical supplies, GBV survivor assistance, MHPSS, and safe spaces for women and girls. It also supported 42 women-led organizations and enhanced GBV coordination in humanitarian contexts. 
• In Palestine, ASRO partnered with OHCHR for training on CRSV and safe referral processes. 
• WCARO worked with WHO to strengthen clinical management of rape (CMR) capacities, conducting ToT sessions in Côte d'Ivoire and Chad, and planning cascade training in Niger, Central African Republic, Chad, and Mali. 
• UNFPA Nigeria piloted a national CMR ToT focused on testing the new CMR-IPV inter-agency toolkit. 

In 2024, UNFPA co-hosted a global expert group meeting on femicide alongside UN Women and UNODC, with support from the Centre of Excellence for CRVS and kNOwVAWdata. This meeting brought together experts, activists, and victims' families to address critical issues surrounding femicide. Key topics included: 

• Developing conceptual and statistical frameworks for measuring femicide 
• The role of feminist review committees in identifying systemic failures and prevention strategies 
• Intersections with emerging issues like technology-facilitated GBV, suicidality, and sorcery-related violence 

The voices of victims' families were central to the dialogue, grounding discussions in lived experiences and underscoring the urgency of addressing femicide as the most severe form of gender-based violence (GBV). The meeting emphasized data-driven approaches, survivor-centred solutions, and multi-stakeholder collaboration to combat femicide globally. 

Follow-up documents are being developed, including a report highlighting key insights around prevention, response, and data, as well as a specific document on the strengths of the statistical framework and potential additional data sources beyond the judicial system. 

UNFPA LAC, under the Spotlight Initiative, conducted a series of multidimensional studies on feminicide in vulnerable contexts across Latin America. Notably: 

• In Peru, UNFPA supported the development of an inter-institutional protocol for addressing feminicide, attempted feminicide, and high-risk intimate partner violence. 
• In El Salvador, the campaign "Traces of Absence" raised awareness of femicide. 
• In Argentina, the "We Are More Than Numbers" campaign focused on prevention and awareness of femicide. 

Launched in 2024, Making All Spaces Safe is a UNFPA global programme supported by Global Affairs Canada, aimed at addressing the growing threat of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). The programme focuses on critical gaps in preventing and responding to TFGBV by integrating targeted activities into existing gender-based violence (GBV) programming and advancing rights-based laws and policies, as well as safety-by-design standards in technology development. The programme is structured around three key pillars: 

• Response 
• Prevention 
• Law and Policy 

Additionally, it includes two cross-cutting pillars: 

• Research and Evaluation 
• Convening Efforts 

Key Activities and Regional Efforts 

• UNFPA’s Role in Global Initiatives: UNFPA is an active member of the Technology and Innovation Reference Group under the global GBV Area of Responsibility. 
• Gender Analysis and Legislative Roadmaps: In 2024, a Gender Analysis of national legislation on TFGBV was conducted in the Pacific sub-region, as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Kosovo. As a result, Legislative Roadmaps for preventing GBV through information and communication technology (ICT) were developed in these countries. 
• Bodyright Campaign: Several UNFPA country offices have adapted and launched the Bodyright Campaign, including in Moldova, Costa Rica, Argentina, the Western Balkans (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo), Nigeria, and Mali. 
• Regional Initiatives in the Arab States: In the Arab States, UNFPA has focused on various approaches to address TFGBV. In Jordan, UNFPA partnered with the National Commission for Women to create a community awareness guide. In Egypt, UNFPA conducted multiple trainings on TFGBV for GBV service providers and university representatives. 
• Investing in Technology for Women’s Safety: UNFPA is also leveraging technology for women’s safety. For example: 
• Safe YOU app: Launched in Iraq and Romania, the app provides emergency support and a peer discussion platform. 
• Netopoly: In Tunisia, UNFPA developed Netopoly, an online board game aimed at educating adolescents on cyberbullying and online safety. 

Through the UN system, coordinated efforts were accelerated to combat intersecting forms of violence, through joint global, regional and country programmes, the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Gender-based Violence, and UN multi- partner trust funds. For example, in 2023, across 57 countries, more than $109.6 million was disbursed to civil society organizations working towards the achievement of women’s rights, including through the Spotlight Initiative, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women (UN Trust Fund), and the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF). Over 12,300 civil society organisations or mechanisms, across 84 countries, enhanced leadership capacity and enabled meaningful and safe engagement in decision-making. In 25 countries, 75 initiatives were developed and implemented to prevent, monitor and mitigate violence against women in politics and public life. 

UN Women strengthened coordination within the UN system and across sectors to enhance global EVAWG efforts:

• As the Secretariat of the UN Inter-agency Working Group on EVAWG, UN Women facilitated collaboration among 14 UN agencies, leading to 538 new measures to strengthen survivor services in response to COVID-19.
• As the technical lead of Spotlight Initiative during Spotlight 1.0, UN Women played a leadership role representing the Recipient UN Organizations in the highest governing body and holding technical coherence role in 23 out of 32 programmes, reflecting UN Women’s expertise and experience.
  • UN Women was an implementing agency in 30 of the 32 programmes, responsible for the management of 38% (USD 192 M) of the global investment and worked across all outcome areas (laws and policies, institution strengthening, prevention, response, and women’s movement). UN Women’s programming through key partnerships led to impactful results, including:
  • Strengthening laws and policies: Contributed directly to strengthening 477 laws and policies that promote gender equality while supporting 35,000 women’s rights advocated to more effectively feed into laws and policies
  • Strengthening institutions: Supported capacity development of 6,637 government officials on gender responsive budgeting supporting 1,201 government officials to draft and cost action plans to end VAWG.
  • Enhancing prevention: establishing 83 men and boys networks to challenge tolerance of VAWG and supporting 234 awareness raising campaigns reaching over 172 million people.
  • Enhancing Response services: Supported efforts that contributed to 124,035 VAWG cases reported to the police
  • Strengthening women’s movement: UN Women directed USD 86 Million to women’s rights organisations and other civil society organisations[RR1]
• Essential Services Programme standardized multi-sectoral services in 90+ countries, improving access to quality health, legal, and social support.
• UN Women coordinates the Secretary General UNiTE by 2030 Campaign on behalf of the UN System. The campaign mobilized millions globally, with a record 34 million social media impressions in 2023. In 2024, UN Women supported the Office of the President of the General Assembly for a historic high-level meeting on the review of progress towards ending violence against women and girls.
• As co-lead of the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence, UN Women created significant momentum by providing a shared vision and accountability framework, resulting in over $5 billion in financial pledges on gender-based violence and the implementation of over 600 programmes supporting 389 new policies. 
• UN Women's Engagement in UN Action: UN Women is a leading entity in the UN Action Network. In coordination with the other 25 member entities, UN Women actively engages in high-level Steering Committee meetings and monthly technical-level discussions on situations of concern, advocacy, and knowledge building. UN Women leads the workstream on understanding the application of a survivor-centered approach, as enshrined in Security Council resolution 2467 (2019), and is engaged in workstreams on technology-facilitated conflict-related sexual violence, the MARA, the nexus of terrorism/violent extremism and CRSV, advocacy, and preventing CRSV. UN Women played a vital role in the development and implementation of the Framework for the Prevention of CRSV (2022), including its pilot roll-out in Ukraine in July 2024. Since 2022, UN Women has chaired the Resource Management Committee for a two-year term. UN Women currently benefits from the Conflict-related Sexual Violence - Multi-Partner Trust Fund as one of six implementing agencies of a joint catalytic project in Ukraine.
• The Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT), a policy forum mandated by the UN General Assembly to improve coordination among UN agencies and other relevant international organizations to facilitate a holistic and comprehensive approach to preventing and combating trafficking in persons. UN Women attends as an active participant.
• Inter-Agency Gender Group (Grupo Interagencial de Género, GIG, in Spanish), a regional coordination mechanism in Latin America and the Caribbean, led by UN Women, that brings together United Nations agencies and sometimes other international organizations to promote gender equality and women’s rights. GIGs operate at both national and regional levels across Latin America and the Caribbean, and their agendas often reflect local gender priorities, such as: Ending violence against women and girls; Promoting political participation of women; Ensuring economic empowerment; Addressing the gender dimensions of climate change, migration, and health.
• UN Women supported the establishment of GBV inter-agency task forces in Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines under the Build Back Equal Programme. 
• UN Women Regional Office for Asia - Pacific co-led implementation of the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative in the ASEAN region through the "Safe and Fair" programme focused on violence against migrant women. This included developing regional frameworks and supporting service delivery protocols and data systems in 9 countries. The programme reached over 427,000 women migrant workers with services and trained nearly 22,000 stakeholders. UN Women co-chairs and sustains the UNiTE Asia-Pacific Working Group with UNFPA, coordinating regional, joint UN action.

As part of its triple mandate, UN Women has continued to support the development of global normative standards and the full implementation by Member States to of the existing international and regional legal and policy framework on ending violence against women and girls, including the CEDAW Convention and other international and regional human rights treaties, and relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and Human Rights Council, through its operational functions and UN system coordination and broader convening role on EVAWG.  

Specific examples of UN Women’s work include:

• Drafted UN Secretary-General reports on:
  • Eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls (A/79/500) – 2022, 2024
  • Ending female genital mutilation (A/79/514) -2022, 2024
  • Trafficking in women and girls (A/79/322) - – 2022, 2024
• Provided technical support for a UN General Assembly resolution on survivors’ access to justice, strengthening international commitments.
• Supported CSW67, ensuring technology-facilitated GBV (TF GBV) was recognized as a critical emerging issue.
• In 2024, UN Women co-developed new Human Rights Council resolutions on domestic violence (A/HRC/53/L.5/REV.1) and TF GBV (A/HRC/56/L.15), ensuring international recognition of digital violence against women.
• Worked closely with the EDVAW Platform (7 UN entities) to address the backlash against women’s rights, strengthen legal frameworks, and combat new forms of violence exacerbated by climate change and digitalization.
• UN Women Americas and Caribbean RO works with the Follow-up Mechanism of the Belém do Pará Convention (MESECVI) to develop tools and resources to strengthen the implementation of the Belém do Pará Convention in the region.
  • In the framework of the Programme ACT, UN Women ACRO is working with the MESECVI to develop the Inter-American Model Law on TFVAWG
• UN Women Americas and Caribbean RO worked with the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) to establish international standards for investigating threats against human rights defenders in the framework of the Esperanza Protocol.
• UN Women Americas and Caribbean RO works with the Gender Specialized Network of the Ibero-American Association of Public Ministries (REG-AIAMP) to develop regional frameworks for the investigations of violence against women. In the past years, the REG-AIMP adopted, with the support of UN Women ACRO, the following:
  • Working Methodology for the Adaptation Process of the Latin American Model Protocol for the Investigation of Gender-Related Violent Deaths of Women (Femicide/Feminicide) by the United Nations
  • Protocol for the Investigation and Litigation of Cases of Violent Deaths of Women (Femicide)
  • Organized or Complex Crime and Violence Against Women: Proposed Guidelines for the Public Prosecutors' Offices / Prosecutors General Members of the AIAMPUN Women supported ASEAN’s implementation of the Regional Plan of Action on EVAWG and led development of the ASEAN Guidelines for Developing National SOPs for a Coordinated Response to VAWG, aligning with international human rights norms.

At the global level, UN Women delivered trainings through the Inter-agency Coordination group Against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT) on mainstreaming gender into efforts to prevent and address trafficking of women and girls.

UN Women ROAP invested in its prevention capacity through the Asia-Pacific Regional Strategy on VAW Prevention, aligned with RESPECT Women. It strengthened technical support to offices through learning exchanges and guidance tools such as the ESP Foundational Elements Appraisal Tool.

UN Women also worked with governments, parliamentarians, civil society and other partners to ensure that normative progress at global level was translated into strengthened legal protections against all forms of VAWG, as outlined in the Handbook for Legislation on Violence against Women. Laws are essential, and Countries with comprehensive domestic violence laws report 9.5% lower rates of intimate partner violence compared to those without legislation. Between 2022-2023, with UN women’s support 177 laws were adopted, revised or repealed to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment with a focus on EVAWG.  

Specific examples of UN Women’s work include:

North Macedonia: Supported amendments criminalizing femicide, stalking, and online sexual violence.

• Nigeria: Expanded the Violence Against Persons’ Prohibition (VAPP) Act, increasing its adoption from 25% in 2019 to 97% in 2023.
• Safe and Fair Programme (Asia): Strengthened laws protecting migrant women in:
  • 79 laws and policies were adopted by 2023 through support of this Spotlight Initiative.
  • The Philippines (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, 2022).
  • Thailand (Damages for Injured Person Act amendments).
  • Vietnam (Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control, 2022).
• Ecuador: Assisted in implementing a National Protocol for Investigating Femicide, leading to better case tracking and prosecution.
• Femicide Legislation in Latin America: Collaborated with MESECVI to provide a model law on femicide/feminicide, addressing severe violations of women's human rights and analyzing existing legislation to provoke debate and improvement.
• UN Women supported CSOs to successfully advocate against repeal of FGM bans in The Gambia by mobilizing advocacy efforts through AC GBV and the ACT programme.
• Under the Spotlight Initiative, ROAP provided technical inputs to over 130 laws and policies, of which 79 were adopted, enhancing legal protection frameworks for women migrant workers. 

Complementing strong and comprehensive legal frameworks, UN Women supports the development and implementation of national action plans (NAPs) for EVAWG that are critical for a coordinated approach to implementing national laws. The Handbook on multisectoral national action plans68 and the Handbook on Multisectoral National Action Plans to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls69 have been guiding UN Women’s work and supporting governments on developing responsive, evidence-based and well consulted NAPs to prevent violence against women and girls. Between 2022- 2023, UN Women supported 64 multi-sectoral strategies, action plans and policies adopted to support EVAWG. 

Specific examples of UN Women’s work include:

• Trinidad and Tobago: Led the creation of the first  costed National Strategic Action Plan on GBV (2023–2027).
• Fiji: Guided the National Action Plan to Prevent VAWG (2023–2028), based on consultations with 2,000+ stakeholders.
• Samoa: Developed a National Prevention Framework, integrating EVAWG into national planning.
• Cambodia: Provided technical assistance for its National Action Plan on VAWG (2019–2023).

Violence against women and girls is preventable, and prevention remains central to UN Women’s work in addressing its root causes, including harmful social norms and unequal gender power dynamics. Risk factors such as limited education, childhood exposure to violence, harmful use of alcohol, and societal attitudes that normalize violence and gender inequality increase the likelihood of experiencing or perpetrating violence against women and girls.75 Effective prevention requires mitigating these risk factors while amplifying protective measures such as promoting healthy relationships, fostering gender equality, and creating supportive environments. UN Women has been instrumental in influencing intergovernmental processes, such as the UN General Assembly76 and CSW,77 to prioritize VAWG prevention. Together with partners, UN Women has integrated prevention into government agendas through the development of NAPs and prevention strategies. Foundational documents like the UN Prevention Framework78 and the RESPECT framework79 have been critical in fostering a shared understanding and a coordinated approach across diverse stakeholders. In 2022 and 2023, UN Women led evidence-based prevention interventions grounded in the RESPECT framework’s seven strategic areas.80 These initiatives addressed the root causes of VAWG through interconnected strategies, including shifting harmful norms in families, through sports and within institutions; mobilizing communities; engaging men and boys, as well as religious and traditional leaders; supporting women’s agency and economic empowerment; and partnering with the private sector to ensure safe workplaces and communities where women and girls can thrive free from violence. 

Specific examples of UN Women’s work include:

• RESPECT Framework was implemented in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, reaching community leaders and policymakers.
• UN Women ACRO, in collaboration with PAHO, adapted the RESPECT Global Framework to Latin America and the Caribbean and promoted capacity building workshops in Chile and Bolivia with the participation of more than 130 policymakers.
• Sport-based programs:
  • Get into Rugby Plus engaged 629 children and trained 50% female coaches in Fiji and Samoa.
• Community mobilization:
  • SASA! Together expanded in Uganda, training 1,500+ activists to challenge GBV norms.
  • Strengthening Peaceful Village in Kiribati led to 1,200 community-led actions that reduced household violence.
• The UN Women Foundations Programme was rolled out in Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, engaging over 2,000 facilitators and young people on GBV prevention in and out of school programmes
• Evidence-based prevention was promoted through resources like the VAW Prevention Programming Guide, Voices Against Violence curriculum. Prevention efforts engaged youth, and faith organizations to challenge norms and catalyse behaviour change.   ROAP also launched a regional storytelling initiative, empowering women and LGBTQI+ advocates to challenge harmful norms through public speaking.
• In 2024, UN Women expanded its convening role, leveraging the UN-Women and the European Union in 2023 committed to a 22-million-euro Advocacy, Coalition Building and Transformative Feminist Action to End Violence Against Women (ACT) Programme in Latin America and Africa to counter backlash against gender equality and mobilize resources for women’s rights organizations.