Measures

In June 2008, DPKO/DFS developed Guidelines for integrating gender perspectives into the work of United Nations Police in peacekeeping missions and a checklist of gender equality considerations in addressing sexual and gender-based violence. In August 2008, DPKO/DFS briefed Heads of military components of peace-keeping operations during their annual meeting on Security Council resolution 1820 (2008) and the role of the military in its implementation. Hide

ECA, in partnership with the African Union (AU) and development partners, has set up the Network on Gender-Based Violence/Violence against Women (GBV/VAW), in Addis Ababa. Its members include Regional Economic Communities, the Swedish, Finnish, Danish and South African Embassies, United Nations agencies and civil society organizations. The Network is undertaking the following activities: review global and regional legal commitments on GBV/VAW and analyse obligations by States; review and recommend for strengthening AU reporting frameworks to facilitate monitoring progress and improve performance in implementation of commitments; compile good practices in addressing GBV/VAW in Africa. Hide

ECA’s African Center for Gender and Social Development (ACGSD/UNECA), in collaboration with UNDP regional gender programme for Africa, developed the African Women’s Rights Observatory (AWRO) website. Violence against women is one of the three thematic areas covered by the AWRO. The AWRO was officially launched on 28 August 2008, at the Conference of Ministers of Gender and Women’s Affairs in Addis Abba. Hide

In February 2008, the Economic Commission for Africa organized a high-level policy dialogue in Addis Ababa on national implementation of the Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) in Africa, in collaboration with the Office of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women. Hide

ECA collaborated in the organization of a seminar by the African Union Commission, held in April 2008 in Addis Ababa, to commemorate the fourteenth anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide, on the theme “Ending violence against women in conflict situations: lessons drawn from the Rwandan Genocide”. Hide

ECLAC initiated the development of a Gender Observatory, as a tool to support governments in analysing regional realities, monitoring gender equality policies and international agreements, and providing technical support and training to national mechanisms for the advancement of women, as well as to national statistical agencies in countries that request such support. Violence against women is one of four main issues of concern of the Observatory. Hide

Inter-agency regional workshops were held in Bangkok, Nairobi, and Johannesburg to facilitate roll-out of the Gender Handbook. The Gender-Based Violence Guidelines were translated into Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, Spanish and Portuguese.In June 2008, the IASC Sub Working Group on Gender released a SOP template for prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence in IDP settings, based on the UNHCR template. Hide

UNAIDS undertook two reviews focusing on violence against women and AIDS: (1) a review of the gender policies of the three major AIDS financing institutions – the World Bank, the US President’s Emergency Planfor AIDS relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) – with a view towards strengthening harmonization and coordination of approaches; and (2) a review of over 50 national strategic plans on AIDS to ascertain the degree to which gender issues were integrated. Hide

In April 2008, UNAIDS presented “Gender Guidance for National AIDS Responses” to its Programme Coordinating Board (PCB), on strategies to strengthen attention to gender issues within national AIDS programmes, including combating violence against women in the context of AIDS.UNAIDS, together with WHO, completed technical and policy guidance to support the integration of gender issues into national proposals to the Global Fund on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) for Round 8, with emphasis on better integrating programmes aimed at combating violence against women with AIDS services. Hide

UNAIDS participated in several workshops and fora at the International AIDS Society Meeting in Mexico which presented new information on violence against women. Hide