United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNESCO supported the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) of Vietnam to implement two recent laws, the Law on Gender Equality and the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control through supporting a training programme with the provincial Departments of Education and Training on gender mainstreaming in education, including domestic violence prevention and control: supporting the Ministry of Education and Training in developing and piloting Teachers’ Training Modules on gender issues, including domestic violence: assisting the Ministry of Information and Communication to develop a training programme on gender issues and a Handbook on Gender Sensitive Reporting for journalists, including the elimination of domestic violence. Hide

With the support of UNESCO’s Research and Documentation Centre for Women, based in Kinshasa (the Democratic Republic of Congo), a three-day workshop on “Sociocultural Approaches to Combating Sexual and Gender-Based Violence” was organised in Kinshasa from 9 to 11 December 2010. Several stakeholders discussed about the root causes of sexual violence and the role of stakeholders to combat it. Socio-cultural messages, strategies and activities to prevent violence against women were elaborated and stakeholders to implement those were identified. Hide

UNDP and UNESCO supported the Gender Studies Institute (GSI) based at the Kabul University in Afghanistan to conduct a multi-province research on the nature and forms of gender-based violence within educational institutions in Afghanistan. The research was conducted in 2009 in three Afghan Universities (Kabul, Mazar, and Herat): (http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001899/189969e.pdf).The findings and recommendations of the research were presented in October 2010 during an advocacy workshop with the Gender Studies Institute, the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health. The objective of the workshop was to raise awareness on gender-based violence among stakeholders and to adopt a Declaration with concrete recommendations to address gender-based violence. Hide

UNESCO continued its activities in post-conflict countries, including activities on women’s involvement in conflict resolution, peace-building, and reconstruction through better access to information. Hide

In January 2011, UNESCO signed an agreement on the establishment of a Research and Documentation Centre on Women, Gender and Peace-building for the Great Lakes Region, located in Kinshasa (the Democratic Republic of Congo). This Centre is part of UNESCO’s programme to promote the human rights of women living in the Great Lakes Region through policy-oriented research, consultations, networking, capacity-building and the promotion of sustainable peace in this region. Hide

Within the framework of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, UNESCO organized the following conferences and exhibitions:- ”Under the Wings of the Butterflies”;- "Voices on the rise: Afghan Women Making the News”, as well as the projection of the film "Girls on the air", both having a look into the lives of Afghan women;-“Water, women and sustainable development in Africa", organized in cooperation with the French association « Femmes de Demain » and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), addressing the challenges that women face and the role they play in relation to water resources management, water governance and development. Hide

In November 2009, UNESCO’s Office in Beijing sponsored the Institute of Anthropology in the Renmin University of China to initiate an advocacy forum and campaign to mark the “End Violence against Women Day”. The project provided a platform for experts from the government and civil society organizations to discuss domestic violence and raised awareness among university students on the issue through a variety of campaigns, such as debate and drama. Hide

UNESCO worked on a campaign to fight human trafficking in Africa.The seventh session of the UNESCO Forum on Gender Equality, organized in collaboration with the Permanent Delegation of the United States of America to UNESCO, was held in October 2009. The Round Table, on the theme “Beijing: 15 Years After”, explored the progress which has been made in the twelve critical areas of action of the Beijing Platform for Action. Hide

The UNESCO Communication and Information Sector conducted numerous activities in post-conflict countries, where an emphasis was put on women’s involvement in conflict resolution, peace-building, and reconstruction through better access to information. In this context, safety training for women journalists against violence and specific threats to foster security of women journalists in conflict and post conflict situations is strongly supported. UNESCO is following up on the development of its project on school-related gender-based violence in six post conflict countries in Africa. Hide

UNESCO continued to conduct research on violence against women and its activities under its project to fight human trafficking in Africa. Hide