United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, released Addressing Conflict-Related Sexual Violence: An Analytical Inventory of Peacekeeping Practice, developed with DPKO as part of UN Action and supported emergency efforts in Kyrgyzstan related to gender-based violence. Hide

In addition to ongoing training of judges, lawyers, police and other ‘duty bearers’ in many countries, UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, finalized programming modules, available at www.endvawnow.org, which offer state-of-the-art guidance from leading experts and country experiences on how to address violence against women, in three areas: safe cities, engaging men and boys, and legal reform. Hide

UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, supported data collection toward the development of effective public policies in Guinea Bissau and Moldova, and supported women’s networks in Ecuador to monitor commitments to end violence against women through surveys. Hide

Through a gender-based violence Coordination mechanism established by UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, and GIZ in 2010, Cambodia has been at the forefront of joint advocacy and behavioral change initiatives. Hide

UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, contributed to government funds for Tajikistan’s Girls’ Support Centre and supported advocacy and survivor support networks in Algeria, Argentina, Morocco and Uruguay. Hide

UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, continued to provide technical and other support, in the context of joint United Nations efforts, to service provision initiatives. Hide

UNIFEM’s, (now part of UN Women) continued support for advancing legislation on violence against women, in collaboration with national institutions, included: domestic violence legislation in Kazakhstan, Mozambique and Nepal; law reform and harmonization in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Georgia, Mexico, Senegal and the Solomon Islands; legal measures against sexual harassment in Bolivia and Pakistan. Hide

UNIFEM’s (now part of UN Women) efforts to strengthen programming and institutional responses included support for: the establishment of a domestic violence office in Argentina’s Supreme Court, with UNDP and UNICEF; judicial guidelines on in-camera hearings (Nepal), on domestic violence (China) and on traditional justice in indigenous communities (Ecuador); a reference guide for Albanian magistrates; a legal assistance guide for Haitian SGBV survivors; technical assistance for the International Commission of Inquiry for Guinea Conakry; training for justice sector personnel in the Great Lakes Region, Kenya, Paraguay and Thailand; South-South study tours for Ugandan police to Liberia and Sierra Leone; and specialized police units in South Sudan and Tanzania. Support to national institutions contributed to: India’s Integrated Women's Protection Scheme; and national coordination of Moldova’s Stakeholders Council on Violence against Women. UNIFEM also provided support to civil society and women’s organizations for initiatives, including: advocacy for the first special court on trafficking in Mumbai; using CEDAW to reform domestic violence redress in the Philippines. Hide

UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, continued advocacy related to Security Council resolutions 1888 and 1889. UNIFEM participated in UNCT programmes and other inter-agency initiatives in many countries, such as in the development of the UN Action-supported strategy on sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Hide

DAW, now part of UN  Women, finalized the report of the expert group meeting on legislation to address harmful practices. The report sets out recommendations for legislation to address harmful practices against women, with particular attention to female genital mutilation, so called “honour” crimes, acid throwing, stove burning, and harmful practices related to marriage.

DAW, in cooperation with ECA, convened two multi-stakeholder workshops at sub-regional level, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in December 2009, bringing together representatives from 12 countries to support and accelerate legislative reform on violence against women.

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