United Nations World Food Programme

WFP used International Women’s Day 2009 as an opportunity to raise awareness and plan activities to prevent gender-based violence including through a film screening, panel discussions and workshop in Burkina Faso; and a declaration signed by WFP and partners, as part of the launch of the National Action Plan for Women in Afghanistan, which included a commitment to “Fast track the enactment of the proposed law to combat violence against women”.In Chad, WFP has become part of a coordinated response addressing issues related to the collection of firewood by the beneficiaries in the camp. In response to sexual exploitation and abuse of women who venture outside of the camp for firewood, WFP provided women with fuel efficient stoves, increased access to firewood and improved roads through food for work programmes. Hide

In Liberia, under the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for Liberia 2008-2012, the WFP Country Office is midway through the first stage of a UN Joint Programme to reduce SBGV. Hide

In Rwanda, WFP supports the national response in fighting GBV through the One UN framework. WFP is active in the UN Gender Task Force and the National Gender Cluster, co-chaired by the Minister, in the Prime Minister's Office, in Charge of Gender and Family promotion (MIGEPROF) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID), which work to harmonize and coordinate responses to sexual and gender-based violence. Hide

WFP has been actively involved in joint UN initiatives to deliver services to victims of gender-based violence. WFP provides food assistance for medical rehabilitation of victims and, through income-generating activities, supports the victims/survivors to become economically independent. Hide

WFP scaled up its integration of gender and protection into field operations and programming. By the end of 2008, 500 staff members and partners were trained on protection issues. The training also included prevention and response to gender-based violence during food distributions. Hide

The issue of violence against women was thoroughly investigated during the last Food Security and Nutrition assessment by WFP in Darfur, Sudan, and a specific section on physical insecurity and gender-related violence was added into the final assessment report. Hide

WFP contributed to the development of the guidelines for the Secretary-General's Bulletin on special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (ST/SGB/2003/13). Hide

WFP, in collaboration with UNICEF and Save the Children/UK designed, developed and implemented a regional training initiative in Southern Africa in 2002/2003 on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse for almost 5,000 staff from the United Nations, non-governmental organizations, government, and commercial partners, including truck drivers involved in food distribution. The training materials were reviewed in 2004 to reflect lessons learned and feedbacks from country offices. In collaboration with Relief International, WFP implemented a food-supported training programme on fuel-efficient stove-making that aimed at tackling sexual and gender-based violence in North Darfur by reducing the need for, and the time women spend outside camps collecting firewood. Hide

WFP has developed a concept paper that examines protection and gender issues related to WFP’s operations in both conflict and post-conflict situations, with particular attention to gender-based violence. Hide

In collaboration with FAO, WFP prepared action sheets for the food security sector of the IASC Guidelines for the prevention of sexual violence. Hide