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UNDP is working closely with national partners to support their legislative development to address gender-based violence, and to support national capacities on access to justice and protection through multi-sectoral support and services.
In Myanmar, UNDP and UN Women have made headways in linking legal aid services to women in villages and IDP camps. UNDP supported with technical inputs for the Prevention of violence against women Bill (PoVAW).
The Malaysian office is implementing a gender mainstreaming project with the Ministry of Women and drafting the Anti-Sexual Harassment Bill.
UNDP is in close cooperation with the National Parliament to strengthen the legislation related to GBV and EVAWG in Timor- Leste.
In Peru, UNDP in cooperation with national ministries, is strengthening national system of justice for protection and punishment around VAW.
UNDP Maldives, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Argentina, Ecuador and many other country offices are working with national authorities in reviewing the existing law and drafting the necessary amendments or supporting new act to enhance gender responsiveness of legislation.
UNDP has implemented various actions to improve access to justice for women who suffered violence especially during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
The Tunisian office supported coordination between the designated emergency “hotline” and specialized police units responding to alerts of domestic violence and provided the specialized units with adequate protection gear and training.
The pilot initiative "Rukni", started by UNDP Jordan, provided digital phone booth for GBV survivors and women at risk to ensure them to have a better understanding of how to reach hotline services, COVID-19 applications and e-services.
UNDP Maldives supported civil society organizations to provide pro bono legal aid services to DV/GBV survivors. In Bangladesh, UNDP facilitated the process to create linkage between the victim/survivors and National Human Rights Commission to ensure better protection, support and services. unit of NHRC.
In Moldova, with the support of the Republic of Korea, UNDP responded positively to the Executive Committee of ATU Gagauzia and provided help to set-up a service for the survivors of domestic violence in the region. Based on the cooperation with the Executive Committee of Gagauzia, the first regional Center for survivors of domestic violence was created and is functional as of November 2020.
In Bhutan, subsequent to the Domestic Violence Prevention Act passed by Parliament in 2013, the Domestic Violence Prevention Rules and Regulation have been put in place in 2015 with an adequate legal and policy framework to protect the victims of Sexual and Gender Based Violence. Further, to strengthen coordination of service providers, Standard Operating Procedures on Referral and Management of Cases related to children and women in difficult circumstances have been developed in 2015 with financial assistance from UNDP.
In Viet Nam in 2016, UN Women supports Legal Aid Department of Ministry of Justice to build a legal aid system sensitive to the needs of VAW survivors. This includes 1) technical assistance to legal drafters of the amended Legal Aid Law and to develop joint UN recommendations together with UNDP, UNICEF, UNODC, UNAIDS, highlighting gaps with international normative frameworks; and 2) support to develop a guideline for legal aid providers, reflecting the legislative changes of the criminal laws in 2015 and promoting gender-sensitive and survivor-centred response based on international standards. Materials developed through the support to Judicial Academy and UNODC's handbook for legal aid providers on domestic violence cases will be utilized for this purpose.
In Serbia, UNDP supported the Government to ratify key international conventions, enact a body of relevant laws and develop policies to eliminate gender based violence. Country’s priorities are outlined in the National Strategy for Prevention and Elimination of VaW in the Family and in Intimate Partner Relationships 2011-2015. The document is aligned with the international standards, particularly with Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating VaW and Domestic Violence. Serbia ratified the Convention in 2013 and it entered into force on 1st August 2014.
In Colombia, through support of UNDP's programme, psychosocial support was provided to 2,000 victims/survivors of sexual violence. 1,505 women were supported in registering with the Victim's Unit to receive assistance and reparations in the transitional justice process.
In Croatia, UNDP supported the Government with evidence and legal analysis to draft the law, which entered into force in June 2015, on the rights of victims of sexual violence during the conflict of the 1990s. “Law on Rights of Victims of Sexual Violence During the Armed Aggression on the Republic of Croatia During the Homeland War.” This is the first law in the region that provides civilian victims of sexual violence in armed conflict with a comprehensive set of reparation measures: medical and psychosocial rehabilitation, financial compensation, legal aid and symbolic acts of reparation. UNDP supports the Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs in the implementation of mechanisms assessing the eligibility criteria for the status of survivors of sexual violence in armed conflict.