Prevention, Including Awareness Raising and Advocacy

The High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, become an International Gender Champion and as such, committed to raise global awareness about the gendered impact of weapons, from small arms and light weapons to weapons of mass destruction.

The High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, published an op-ed on the relationship between gender equality and gun violence against women and girls

The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) also presented at a regional workshop on Enhancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Northeast Asia, which aimed to address global linkages and synergies between disarmament and Women, Peace and Security efforts, as well as gender aspects and approaches in regional disarmament initiatives.

ESCWA, in partnership with the Arab Institute for Women at the Lebanese American University, organized a youth arts competition for the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence 2018. The competition attracted a record number of submissions – almost 200 – from young people from 10 Arab States, who submitted paintings, photos, videos, songs and poems on the theme ‘#HearMeToo’: Speak up against violence against women and girls.” The best submissions were showcased at an event, which also featured a roundtable discussion on arts and activism.

ESCWA engaged with students enrolled in the Fashion Design Programme at the Lebanese American University School of Architecture and Design to create designs for a tote-bag to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism campaign. This activity engaged students and solicited their artistic abilities to produce a bag with a powerful message. As part of the partnership, ESCWA staff also led a discussion on gender-based violence with the students to inspire their work.

ESCWA launched a social media campaign for the 16 Days of Activism campaign. ESCWA created a set of 16 cards presenting key facts about gender-based violence in the Arab region, as well as concrete steps that can be taken by youth and the general public to address it. The cards were shared on ESCWA social media channels in English and Arabic on each of the 16 Days of Activism, as part of a broader social media campaign that also featured videos, polls and other multimedia content.

ESCWA facilitates gender discussion series, open to all members of the community. The following topics have recently been addressed: How cinema and theatre can advance women’s rights; and Protection orders in the Arab region.

ESCWA, in partnership with UN DESA and Simon Fraser University in Canada, hosted the Symposium on Women and Water Security for Peacebuilding in the Arab Region. The objective of the Symposium was to review and advance the emerging water security gender nexus in the Arab region, through the lens of the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.

ESCWA partnered with the Arab Institute for Women at the Lebanese American University (LAU) to utilize ESCWA publications in the curriculum for an M.A. program in “Interdisciplinary Gender Studies” at LAU. This included ESCWA staff leading interactive discussions with students on subjects such as women’s political participation, violence against women, the Women, Peace and Security agenda, and the regional state of gender justice in the Arab region.

Dominican Republic Country Office: WFP contributed to the National March with the slogan #NiUnEntierroMas, #NiMuertasNiPresasVivayLibreslasqueremos, mobilization began with more than 500 people, mostly young people and several civil society organizations, marched from Correa and Cidrón Avenue to the Senate of the Republic in proclamation that lower femicides against women.

DRC Country Office: 

The protection challenges faced by the population in DRC are multiple given the persistent unrest and conflict, and complexity of the food security crisis. Like all humanitarian crises around the world, children and women are the most affected. However, in DRC, women are particularly vulnerable due to the prevalence of gender inequality and sexual and gender-based violence.

WFP seeks to counteract any risks beneficiaries face in accessing WFP assistance through sensitization of communities. Prior to the registration of beneficiaries for assistance, WFP informed the local population about its interventions, ensuring understanding of the purpose, intended beneficiaries, and their entitlements.

This was particularly relevant in 2018 given the expansion of cash assistance, as the transfer was provided to the woman of the household and sensitization was needed to minimize the risk of intra-household conflict or domestic violence. WFP also provided beneficiary cards specifying the name of the cardholder's village during household registration which was important for the prevention of fraud and for ensuring the transfer was given to the intended beneficiary. Sensitization also enabled beneficiaries to assist in identifying people that were not members of their village or were not entitled to any assistance, further reducing the risk of fraud.

Complaints and feedback committees were available at distribution sites to address beneficiary complaints regarding protection-related issues.

Guatemala Country Office: 

Organized workshops in all WFP project sites on awareness raising and prevention of GBV for both women and men. ALL countries and RBP: internal awareness and information sessions on WFP policies on sexual harassment and abuse of power. 

Mozambique Country Office: 

Theatre group Utchessa in Tete premiered the piece they wrote on the theme of prevention of violence against women and girls, which was also shown in 20 other communities, coinciding with WFP's pilot on activities with cash modality. 

Myanmar Country and Field Offices: 

• WFP’s ensured financing (USD1,000) and technical commitments Union Level High Event organized by Department of Social Welfare in Nay Pyi Taw on 26 November.
• Displayed WFP’s orange corner, contributed key chain and orange brooch
• WFP’s contribution (USD 700) to the Gender Equality Network (GEN) for the movement of White Ribbon Campaign and NiNi participated in the Regional Level Event organized by GEN and regional government
• WFP contributed and participated joint orange campaign in Lashio and Myityina (USD 400 each)
• WFP’s activities: Interactive session with children (School Feeding), IDPs and engaging men to end GBV and to support GBV survivors
• Awareness raising session with primary students, teachers and parents to prevent and end Gender-based Violence (GEV), School Feeding Programme, Myin Gyune Basic Education Primary School in Pakokku, Magwe Region
• Awareness session on how WFP mitigates and prevents GBV in each of WFP’s activities and sharing GBV knowledge with internally displaced people (IDP) in Nan Kham IDP Camp, Lashio, northern Shan State
• Awareness session on how WFP mitigates and prevents GBV in each of WFP’s activities and sharing GBV knowledge with IDPs in Niang Dung Baptist Church IDP Camp, Myitkyina, Kachin State
• Awareness raising session on how WFP mitigates and
• prevents GBV and sharing of GBV knowledge with IDPs in Nan Kham IDP Camp, Northern Shan

Nigeria Country Office: 

WFP Abuja organised a Symposium on Ending Violence against Women & Girls “Ending VAWG Palaver; we deserve to be heard! Hear me too!” with a focus on young female politicians to be held in Abuja with guest speakers (activists, survivors and women rights’ defenders), stage performances, viewing of the documentary, and the reading of essays by students.

Nicaragua Country Office:

On December 05 and 06, 2018, within the framework of this campaign, a workshop was held on "New masculinities” addressed to the male staff of the Country Office and the field offices of Siuna and Puerto Cabezas located in the Region of North Atlantic of the Country. A total of 22 people participated in this event.

Panama Regional Bureau:

• WFP supported “The Full Moon of Drums”, an interactive, cultural and free family festival that attracts about 50,000 people a year inspired to play drums, dance and sing to the rhythm of music in support for GBV survivors.
• The Regional Bureau joined efforts as part of the UNiTE interagency group (See sway 2018 16 days of activism)

Syria Aleppo Field Office: 

During the 16 Days of Activism to end gender-based violence, an Iftar banquet was held for 65 teenage girls from Kafalat Al Tofoolah orphanage, in order to contribute to their social integration within society and let them have an overview of World Food Programme and what it does in Syria. The banquet was preceded by a short session to raise awareness among the girls on the importance of education, and how they can be efficient member in society through continuing their study journey. The Iftar included many musical breaks presented by the girls, Dervishes presentation, and traditional Aleppo-featured songs. Such activities are every important in the sense that WFP in this way keeps population informed about its mandate, and at the same time draws attention to a certain category of society; the orphans, who must be given full care to grow up into productive adults

Zambia Country Office: 

During the 16 Days of Activism, the Zambia Country Office excitingly voiced out for all survivors as Men say NO to GBV. Coupled with Gender Focal Point presenting on GBV and Harassment in all its forms, action points were made to strengthen the voice for all WFP beneficiaries to Hear the Voice in ending GBV.

During the reporting period and among others for the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV Campaign, UNRWA organized hundreds of activities that were attended by 26,202 community members under the umbrella of the GBV Prevention Framework.  As a result of theses activities 87 % of the participants felt comfortable promoting prevention of gender based violence.

In 2017, UNDP launched the “Ending Gender-based Violence (GBV) and Achieving the SDGs” global project. This project aims to take violence prevention to scale by bringing new partners, strategies and sources of financing to the table. Over three years, it will: design, test and evaluate initiatives that will reduce GBV in select pilot sites; and develop new knowledge, skills and tools to reduce GBV in other contexts. Pilots will integrate GBV into broader UNDP sectoral programming (such as environment and livelihoods) and/or will focus around the principle of leaving no one behind. All pilots will be implemented at the local level, but their lessons will be global. The project will translate evidence from the pilots into policy and advocacy tools, along with instruments such as new financing modalities.

ESCWA, in partnership with the Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW) at the Lebanese American University and UNFPA, organized a youth arts competition for the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence 2017. The competition received over 75 submissions of artwork from youth in the Arab region and the awards event involved a presentation on engaging with visual arts as a means to respond to gender sensitive legal reform. 

ESCWA, in partnership with UN Women, produced a brochure targeting policy makers on estimating the economic costs of violence against women and a created a series of eight infographics conveying key messages on the impact of violence against women in the Arab region and responses by ESCWA Member States. 

ESCWA facilitates a quarterly gender discussion series, open to all members of the community. The following topics have been addressed: Child marriage in the Arab region; Prioritizing women, peace and security on the Arab agenda; Estimating the cost of violence against women in the Arab region; and the Arab position on gender equality. 

ESCWA, in partnership with UNFPA, screened the film ‘Nour’ (2017) about a fifteen-year-old girl from a Lebanese village who is forced to marry a much older man. In response to the film, audience members remarked that activists, government official and NGOs must strategize how to confront child marriage once it happens, in addition to promoting legal reform.

ESCWA, in partnership with the Asfari Institute on Civil Society and Citizenship at the American University of Beirut, launched the “Lazim Campaign” during the weeks leading up to International Women’s Day 2018. Through the Lazim Campaign, prominent women throughout the Arab region shared their hopes for change in 2018, including criminalizing violence against women and developing gender-sensitive legislation.

UNODC promotes the Blue Hearth campaign, a global awareness raising initiative to fight human trafficking and its impact on society. 
UNODC is implementing the Education for Justice Initiative and the Doha Declaration. In this framework, UNODC works to raise awareness on trafficking in persons though education, working closely with youth and academics to look into key concepts of trafficking and how this affects in particular women and girls, and how education can contribute to crime prevention and promotion of legality and justice.

Further, under the Global eLearning Programme, UNODC supports Member States through the delivery of courses across the world designed to address crime prevention challenges; on human rights, gender issues in cases of child sexual exploitation, alternatives to imprisonment for women offenders and the Essential Services Package for Women and Girls Subject to Violence; in line with international standards and norms. 

In Viet Nam, UNODC supports awareness-raising campaigns on gender-based violence, documenting gender-based violence cases, providing aid services to victims and developing evidence-based data for policy advocacy purposes.  

One of OCHA’s 7 priority commitments on gender is to promote gender-responsive Humanitarian Programme Cycle processes. It ensures the systematic inclusion of SGBV programming through the mandatory use of the Gender Marker in funded initiatives, and in reports on how gender and SGBV were addressed during project implementation. As an example, the CERF project application and reporting templates require sex- and age disaggregated data. The application template also includes the IASC Gender Marker which is then recorded in the CERF’s Grant Management System Database for tracking and analysis purpose. 

In addition, information and knowledge on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls have been disseminated through OCHA’s various advocacy platforms such as the corporate website, social media accounts, content websites (such as Medium, Exposure and YouTube) and email. OCHA has updated and edited two “OCHA on Message” products on Gender in Humanitarian Action and Sexual and Gender-based Violence. “OCHA on Message” are reference products that enables staff to communicate OCHA’s position on key issues. OCHA has also delivered remarks and statements containing messaging on gender and SGBV for the Commission on the Status of Women, the 2017 Global Humanitarian Policy Forum, the Center for Global Development and the Royal Institute of International Affairs and as well as briefings to the Security Council, among others.. For International Women’s Day, OCHA launched a successful social media campaign with its “Messengers of Humanity” community around their “Female Humanitarian Heroes” highlighting the professional achievements of women working in humanitarian affairs.

In August, OCHA’s annual World Humanitarian Day campaign centered around the hashtag #NotATarget and advocated for the protection of civilians in armed conflict. The campaign included a strong focus on sexual violence in conflicts, and what can be done to empower and support survivors. As part of a unique collaboration with Facebook, OCHA launched a brand-new Live filter, allowing users to step into the shoes of people affected by conflict as they read real stories from civilians trapped in conflict. The filter included a series of stories by women and girls to highlight the unique challenges they experience in crisis. As part of the campaign, SCB collaborated with UNFPA on a blogpost “Dispelling five myths about sexual violence in emergencies” which was published on OCHA’s Medium platform.

OCHA also supports the International Day to end violence against women and the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. In 2017, OCHA launched a digital campaign, which included an updated Facebook Live filter from World Humanitarian Day that exclusively featured stories of survival from women and girls affected by conflict. The Emergency Relief Coordinator and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, as well as staff members from OCHA’s field offices, participated in the campaign by recording videos, where they shared  the real stories of women trapped in conflict.