Measures

Under the “UNAIDS Action for Results: Outcomes Framework “ (2009-2011), UNFPA, UNDP, UN WOMEN, WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR and the MenEngage Alliance (Sonke Gender Justice and the Athena Network), also in close collaboration with the Interagency Working Group on Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV – supported countries to address the linkages between GBV and HIV/AIDS in National Strategic Plans; building effective partnerships to achieve this; and strengthening capacity to engage men and boys for promoting and addressing gender equality. Hide

In October 2012, on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child, UNFPA, UNICEF and UN WOMEN –co-hosted a high-level event in New York to address the issue of child marriage and called for renewed global action to end the practice. Hide

Almost all UN agencies commemorated the International Women’s Day and the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence by organizing events to raise awareness on violence against women. ESCAP and UN Women co-organized the 2012 Asia-Pacific Regional Commemoration of International Women’s Day under the theme, “Youth voices UNiTE to End Violence Against Women and Girls”, an interactive event that enabled discussions among nearly 200 youths and other stakeholders. On 7 December 2012, ESCAP and UN Women also co-organized the Asia-Pacific Regional Commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which featured high-level attendance from the Thai government, as well as introduction of new regional members of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Network of Men Leaders and a panel of mutli-stakeholder voices from across the region; publishing information sheets on violence against women and its health consequences (WHO).The Secretary General’s UNiTE Campaign, managed by UN Women, has gained momentum around the world. It uses a variety of means to raise awareness and secure commitments to take action to end VAW, including public pronouncements on the part of high-level officials, media outreach and events. In 2012 The Africa UNiTE Campaign - Kilimanjaro Climb hosted by Tanzania under the auspices of the President raised the issue of VAWG to the highest levels,resulting in strengthened national commitments throughout the Africa Region. At the national level, Tanzania is implementing its commitments through the newly created multi-sectoral committee on VAWG. And in Mozambique the UNiTE Campaign was expanded to the provincial level in a joint effort with the UNiTE Champion of Change and Men for Change. More than 800 secondary school students, teachers and school managers in Quelimane, Zambézia Province participated in debates towards zero tolerance against VAWG, particularly in the school environment. In the Pacific the campaign succeeded in securing the “Pacific Members of Parliament UNiTE statement” – the first of its kind in the region, tabled at the Pacific Island Forum Leaders meeting in the Cook Islands. Hide

In 2012, UNICEF commissioned the production of a handbook on Birth Registration for use by UNICEF staff; produced a technical guidance note on age assessment procedures in English, French and Spanish; assisted 38 countries (21 from sub-Saharan Africa) to complete a mapping of their child protection systems; developed together with an NGO working group on children without parental care, ‘Moving Forward: Implementing the ‘Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children’, an implementation handbook; and made available the child-friendly and staff-friendly versions of the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children in French and Russian to complement the existing English, Spanish and Portuguese versions. Hide

In 2012, through the advocacy efforts of the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on FGM/C, 1,775 new communities publically declared their intention to abandon FGM/C, with Guinea Bissau becoming the 15th country where communities have announced their commitment to abandon. Since the establishment of the joint programme (2008), nearly 10,000 communities in 15 countries, representing about 8 million people have renounced the practice. Hide

UNICEF continued to support the work of the IASC Task Force on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), producing the Minimum Operating Standards on PSEA (MOS-PSEA) by UN and non-UN personnel and their accompanying guidelines. The DVD “To Serve with Pride” was also updated. Hide

UNICEF chaired the Inter-agency Coordination Group Against Trafficking in Persons during 2012, during which a discussion paper was commissioned on “The International Legal Frameworks concerning Trafficking in Persons.” UNICEF also provided inputs and support to various other international instruments and processes, including: the UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/67/146 on “Intensification of Efforts to Eliminate Female Genital Mutilations”; the CRC and CEDAW committee’s development of a joint general comment/general recommendation; a specific section on the impact of small arms and light weapons on women within the UN Coordinated Action on Small Arms paper on the Impact of Poorly Regulated Arms Transfers (as part of the Arms Trade Treaty negotiations); and the drafting and adoption of the Human Rights Council Resolution on birth registration. Hide

In Liberia: UNFPA through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare promoted the availability of services to Survivors of violence including sexual violence through the One Stop Centre; UNDP supported the Ministry of Justice through the SGBV Crimes unit to launch the In Camera Trial Mobile Partitions countrywide; WHO supported the establishment of a Referral List for Board Certified Mental Health Clinicians in Liberia by County and trained them to provide basic SGBV Psychosocial counselling in accordance to available guidelines; UNFPA continued to support the Government to establish 5 safe homes; UNICEF supported the Ministry of Justice and other key stakeholders to develop and standardize the victim assistance framework; and UNMIL provided logistical support to the Women and Child Protection Sections of the Liberian National Police in 12 counties, to improve mobility, investigation, reporting and communication. Hide

In 2012, UNFPA responded to crises under the GBV cluster coordination mechanism with special focus on the health needs of women and girls in Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Georgia, Guinea, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Hide

In 2012, around 3,144 health facilities have integrated FGM/C in their reproductive health services, particularly in their antenatal and postnatal care, with the support of UNFPA. UNFPA has ongoing collaboration with the Auckland University of Technology to support health systems in Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Kiribati to better respond to survivors of violence, including through the development of protocols and multi-sectoral referral mechanisms, as well as training for doctors and nurses. Hide