Measures

In Mexico, UNODC supported a referral network to coordinate institutional actions addressing violence against women. UNODC launched the Assessment Guide to the Criminal Justice Response to the Smuggling of Migrants, focusing on the special needs and areas of particular vulnerability of women. UNODC is implementing a project on gender-based violence and empowerment of victims in South Africa. In Central Asia, UNODC produced a training film on interviewing vulnerable victims and witnesses for prosecutors and law enforcement agencies. UNODC and UNFPA jointly trained law enforcement officers and shelter personnel who work with victims of human trafficking through a series of national and regional workshops. Hide

In April and June 2013, UNODC organized expert group meetings, held in Bangkok, to respectively develop the Handbook for Prosecutors dealing with cases of violence against women and girls and the Implementation action plan for criminal justice systems to prevent and respond to violence against women. Hide

In Mexico, UNODC supported mainstreaming national and international standards into local legislation regarding prevention, punishment and eradication of violence against women. The organization also provided 6 countries in West and Central Africa, North Africa and the Middle East and the Caucasus with legislative assistance to implement the Trafficking in Persons Protocol. Hide

UNODC carried out several interventions to address trafficking in persons. For example, in Colombia, it set up a strategy for the prevention of trafficking in persons, disseminated publications and carried out awareness raising measures, including conferences at schools, urban interventions, theatre performances and the production of a television series highlighting experiences of victims. In Mexico, it supported the “Blue Heart” campaign against human trafficking and initiated a pilot violence prevention initiative to reduce risk factors at municipal level through the development of family skills. In Côte d'Ivoire, UNODC implemented measures to prevent trafficking for sexual exploitation along the commercial route Lagos-Abidjan. Hide

UNODC supported the Cumbre de Mujeres y Paz (Summit of Women for Peace) in presenting in proposals from the perspective of women to the peace negotiations between the government and the FARC in Havana, Cuba. Hide

The Parenting Project Group of the WHO Violence Prevention Alliance, co-led by UNICEF and the University of Cape Town, launched the ‘Parenting Programmes for Preventing Violence: A Toolkit for Understanding Outcome Evaluations’ report with the aim of providing technical support to those implementing parenting programmes at the country level. Hide

WHO, in partnership with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Medical Research Council in South Africa, launched the first ever global and regional estimates of the prevalence and the health burden of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence against women. The report was widely covered by the media and underscored the need for addressing violence against women as a women’s health and public health problem, as well as a human rights and development concern. WHO is also conducting a randomized controlled trial of a counseling-empowerment intervention in antenatal care in South Africa. Hide

WHO participated as the Chair of the Sexual Violence Research Initiative Conference in Bangkok that is held every 2 years which also examined research related to intimate partner violence. Hide

WHO launched a programming tool: “16 ideas for addressing violence against women in the context of the HIV epidemic” during the16 days of activism campaign against gender-based violence which provides programme managers with effective interventions to prevent and respond to violence against women. Hide

At the 57th CSW, WHO along with Governments of Norway and Zambia co-hosted a high level panel side event on the health sector response to violence against women. A high level panel side event on violence against women was organized by the Governments of Belgium, USA, India, Zambia, Mexico, Norway and Netherlands at the World Health Assembly in May 2013, during which Ministers of Health proposed an agenda item on violence against women for the 2014 World Health Assembly. Hide