Prevention and Advocacy

FAO drafted a fact sheet on agriculture, food security and gender-based violence. This document analyzes the main causes of vulnerability of the rural population and proposes some actions to prevent and reduce gender-based violence, with special attention to the human rights of women and youth.

UN Habitat launched awards and competitions on “Safety and Security for Women and Girls in Cities” for Latin American and the Caribbean for 2007/2008 in November 2007.

In August 2007, UNAIDS convened a technical consultation on social change communication aimed, among other things, at examining the role of social change communication in HIV prevention, with a specific focus on tackling the drivers of the epidemic.

In December 2007, UNFPA co-hosted the Africa Regional Forum on strengthening partnerships with faith-based organizations (FBOs) for the prevention of HIV/AIDS and violence against women, with the World Conference of the Religions for Peace, in Durban, South Africa.

UNICRI undertook the production and distribution of information material for child sex crime victims.

UNFPA organized a meeting in Addis Ababa on addressing female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in August 2007, involving a wide range of stakeholders.

UNWRA undertook awareness-raising on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, including gender-based violence, for refugee community members through Women Programme Centres. UNRWA’s Gaza Field Office undertook a gender equality initiative on domestic violence, including identifying prevention and protection measures through fostering understanding and discussion, and creating a radio station for and by women.

UNHCR supports qualitative participatory child-centred approaches to SGBV prevention and response, including workshops that allow children to share their experiences, coping strategies, and suggestions to prevent and respond to violence in their communities.

In 2007, UNIFEM, now part of UN Women, launched a six-country programme designed to build community capacity to prevent sexual and gender-based violence and to build peace in post-conflict countries in Afghanistan, Haiti, Liberia, Rwanda, Timor Leste and Uganda. In Southeast Asia and the Pacific, as elsewhere, UNIFEM, as part of joint UN efforts, supported campaign efforts on ending violence against women.

With UNDP’s support, policy debates and dialogues, backed by research, on women’s security and citizenship in Lebanon, Egypt, Syrian Arab Republic, Morocco, and Bahrain were held to promote women’s human rights and draw attention to violence against women.