Measures to Address Sexual Violence in Conflict Situations

OCHA supports the Gender Standby Capacity Project (GenCap), in collaboration with the Inter‐Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), aimed at building the capacity of humanitarian actors at country level to mainstream gender in all sectors of humanitarian response. From June 2007 to April 2011, 54 GenCap Advisers have supported 30 Humanitarian Country Teams. A Gender-Based Violence (GBV) window has been established in the GenCap Roster. In August 2011, the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPI) embarked on an evaluation which was commissioned to inform the decision over whether the GenCap Project should be phased out, maintained or expanded, in addition to providing concrete suggestions for change. In mid‐September the evaluators interviewed a broad spectrum of stakeholders in Geneva. Field visits included South Sudan, Sudan, Pakistan and Zimbabwe. Two learning workshops were conducted to verify findings and refine recommendations. The evaluation found that GenCap advisers have made an effective contribution to raising awareness and increasing the understanding and acceptance of gender among humanitarian actors. It concluded that the GenCap project remains highly relevant and should be continued in the medium‐term future. Hide

A 2011 study “Sex and Age Matter” produced by the Feinstein International Center and sponsored by OCHA and CARE International demonstrates that the humanitarian community needs to greatly increase its collection and use of sex and age disaggregated data (SADD) to better inform programming. Researchers thoroughly reviewed numerous published reports from academia, the UN, non-governmental organizations on the effects of natural disasters and armed conflict on civilian populations, with a focus on publications that used SADD, gender and generational analyses to document and analyze those effects. The report can be found at: http://www.unocha.org/what‐wedo/ policy/thematic‐areas/gender‐equality. Hide

The UNAIDS Secretariat provided support for the Security Council debate in June 2011 on Impact of HIV/AIDS on International Peace and Security. The resulting UN Security Council resolution 1983 includes prevention of sexual violence in conflict and post conflict situations. Hide

In September 2011, UNODA’s Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) co-organised a seminar for women working in civil society organisations in South America. The seminar enhanced their knowledge of linkages between sexual and gender-based violence, small arms control and armed violence prevention and reduction. Hide

In October 2011, UNODA’s Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) organised a workshop, with the UN Togo country team, to draft and support the adoption of a National Action Plan for Togo to implement UNSC Resolution 1325 (2000). Furthermore, UNREC assisted in the creation of REPSFECO-TOGO, the Togo branch of ECOWAS’ Women’s Network Working for Peace. Hide

In June 2011, the United Nations Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) co-organised a workshop on Gun Violence in Nepal that brought together political leaders, government officials and media representatives, with significant women’s participation, to raise awareness on gender-based violence. Hide

In March 2011, UNODA’s Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) organised a seminar on “UN Regional Best and Promising Practices on Armed Violence Reduction and Prevention for South and Southeast Asia”. A full session of the seminar analyzed, discussed and assessed the interrelations between armed violence and gender. In cooperation with civil society organisations, UNRCPD identified best practices in mainstreaming gender issues and in armed violence reduction programming. Hide

In November 2011, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) carried out radio and television awareness-raising programmes on the prevention and elimination of violence against women in cooperation with the Togolese Ministry for Women. Hide

In post-earthquake Haiti, a project funded by the Rapid Social Response Multi-Donor Trust Fund provides technical assistance to promote women and girls’ safety and addresses sexual violence through community-based interventions. The project has the following components: 1) public education to promote awareness and prevention of GBV; 2) institutional strengthening to enhance resources and outreach for GBV; 3) knowledge sharing and exchange of experiences on GBV in post-disaster or post-conflict settings; and 4) project coordination and monitoring and evaluation. Hide

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the Learning on Gender and Conflict in Africa (LOGiCA) Multi-Donor Trust Fund (totaling over US $8 million) aims to contribute to peace and security in Sub-Saharan Africa by supporting gender-sensitive activities related to insecurity and violence in conflict-affected and post-conflict countries in the region. Established in 2009, LOGiCA’s specific objectives are to: 1) increase gender-sensitive programming in Demobilization and Reintegration operations in the Great Lakes Region by better addressing the gender-specific needs of male and female ex-combatants; and 2) generate knowledge and good practice on how to address gender and conflict issues - with a focus on programs addressing Demobilization and Reintegration, sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) and male youth at-risk. LOGiCA is providing technical assistance to the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) for the operationalization of the Protocol on Prevention and Suppression of Sexual Violence against Women and Children in relation to the establishment of a special regional facility for training and sensitization of persons who handle cases of sexual violence in the Great Lakes Region. LOGiCA is currently conducting a feasibility assessment for the establishment of the Special Facility. Hide