Measures

In May 2011, UNHCR and partner staff from ten countries participated in a workshop on UNHCR’s Updated Strategy against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), which emphasizes a multi-sectoral approach to prevention, along with identification and response activities, starting the roll out of country-specific strategies to all operations. Hide

In June 2011, UNHCR published its “Action against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: An Updated Strategy”, which highlights six action areas: protecting children, persons with disabilities and LGBTI persons against sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), addressing survival sex, engaging men and boys and providing safe access to domestic energy and natural resources. It also includes recommended actions in three institutional focus areas, in order to strengthen UNHCR’s capacity and expertise in addressing SGBV. This global strategy framework forms the basis for all UNHCR operations to develop five-year, country-specific SGBV strategies, embedded in their overall protection strategy. Hide

In Somalia, UNHCR is working with UNDP on several programmes to improve security and prevent sexual violence. Neighbourhood watch scheme were set up, and cooperation with the police was strengthened to prevent and respond to sexual violence in IDP camps. In Colombia, UNHCR established partnerships with government agencies and civil society organizations to address sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) at national, regional and local levels, to ensure implementation of prevention and response strategies at all levels. Hide

In December 2011, UNHCR organized a ministerial meeting marking the 60th anniversary year of the Refugee Convention, during which a number of states made pledges related to the implementation of the Refugee and Statelessness Conventions, including on eliminating sexual and gender-based violence and gender discrimination in nationality legislation. Hide

ESCWA has implemented the project on "Enhancing Capacities to Eradicate Violence against Women (VAW) through Networking of Local Knowledge Communities” in coordination with all other United Nations Regional Commissions, the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD) and the former United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (UNDAW) (now UN Women). This project addresses the need to strengthen the capacity of the countries to regularly and appropriately measure violence against women in respective regions. Effective policies and programmes to eradicate violence against women need to be planned on the basis of extensive knowledge. Hide

ESCWA reported that an e-learning course delivered by the Development Account Project entitled “Measurement of Violence against Women through Statistical Surveys” was conducted from 26 November to 10 December 2011. The e-learning course focused on the following objectives: 1) enhancing knowledge of the conceptual understanding of pervasiveness of violence against women (VAW), in addition to increasing awareness about the available sources and use and limitation of statistics on VAW; 2) enhancing understanding of the importance and use of the core indicators recommended by the Statistical Commission; 3) enhancing the understanding on how to use the UNECE module as part of a questionnaire developed for a dedicated survey; 4) being able to develop, adapt, translate and pre-test a questionnaire for a survey on VAW; 5) being able to develop an appropriate training curriculum for training of field staff and knowing how to use training materials as developed for the UNECE module; 6) enhancing knowledge on the role of stakeholders to ensure use of statistical data on VAW. The training targeted persons working in different ministries in the ESCWA region. Hide

During the 5th session of the Committee on Women held from 19 to 21 December 2011 at the UN house in Lebanon, a session was dedicated to discussing the issue of violence against women (VAW), and the main findings and recommendations of ESCWA’s Regional Study on Violence against women included: 1) the enactment of special laws to criminalize the acts of VAW ; 2) provision of services for the protection of victims of VAW and their psychological, social and physical rehabilitation; and 3) initiation of nation-wide campaigns to raise awareness about the negative effects of VAW and sensitize the public at large. Hide

In June 2011, the International Labour Conference adopted the Convention No. 189 and Recommendation No. 201 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers. The new standards are a strong recognition of the economic and social value of domestic work and a call for action to address the existing exclusions of domestic workers from labour and social protection. Article 5 of Convention No. 189 calls for measures to ensure that domestic workers enjoy effective protection against all forms of abuse, harassment and violence. Hide

Following the Pilot/Pre-testing survey on violence against women, carried out within the work programme of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) during 2011, UNICRI, in partnership with IPSOS and HEUNI, is currenlty working on the FRA Violence Against Women Survey, involving 27 EU countries and 1 accessing country, Croatia. The survey will consist of 1,500 standardised interviews in each country concerning experiences of violence against women. This is the first survey carried out in the 28 countries. The data provided by the survey will be crucial for comparative analysis, for scientifically based information on the extension of violence against women and for developing and evaluating legislation and policies to fight violence against women. The project will end in November 2012. Hide

DPI’s UN Radio produced a variety of programmes in the six UN official languages plus Kiswahili and Portuguese on violence against women, including features on abuses suffered by women in conflict and post-conflict situations. Hide