United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

The Violence Against Children Survey part of the Together for Girls Initiative (including UNICEF, UN Women, UNFPA, UNAIDS and WHO as partners) has collected prevalence of and circumstances surrounding violence, targeting females and males aged 13-24, and has already been completed in Kenya, Haiti and Zimbambwe. Results were released in Zimbabwe and Kenya, in May and Novemer 2012, respectively. The results will be released in Haiti, in early 2013. Hide

WHO, PEPFAR, UNFPA, UN Women and the University of British Columbia convened a panel on “GBV and HIV linkages: Taking stock of the evidence and setting an implementation research agenda” at the International AIDS Conference in Washington DC in July 2012. Hide

UN Women continues to manage the Secretary-General’s Database on Violence against Women, the first-ever, central repository on government measures to addres the issue. As of 31st December 2012, the Secretary-General's Database contained information on over 180 countries with 132 Member States having made formal submissions. Hide

UN Women’s flagship programme, Safe Cities for Women, is operating in 13 countries to develop models of urban spaces free from violence against women and girls. Five cities (Cairo, Delhi, Kigali, Port Moresby and Quito) are applying an impact evaluation methodology to contribute a solid evidence basis for what works. Cities are using various data collection methods, for example: multi-media and smart phone technology in Rio’s favelas; engendering of existing survey instruments in the Municipal Observatories of Quito; and institutionalization of safety audits in Cario. Hide

In March 2012, the Asia-Pacific Regional Coordination Mechanism Thematic Working Group on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (TWG-GEEW), co-chaired by ESCAP and UN WOMEN, established a Working Group on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). The Working Group strengthens interagency cooperation and collaboration in support of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the region and provides a forum to address issues related to this agenda, including sexual violence in conflict situations. ESCAP and UN Women provide a joint secretariat for the Working Group, which also supports the Regional Advisory Group in implementing its workplan to advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the Asia-Pacific region. Hide

In October 2012, on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child, UNFPA, UNICEF and UN WOMEN –co-hosted a high-level event in New York to address the issue of child marriage and called for renewed global action to end the practice. Hide

In Latin America, OHCHR and UN Women, together with the Spanish Federation of Human Rights Organizations and the Carlos IIII University of Madrid supported the formulation of a regional Protocol for the investigation of Femicide. The protocol will assist in strengthening national capacities to investigate, prosecute, punish and redress femicide. The Protocol will be promoted through, inter alia, regional and international human rights mechanisms. In Kosovo, OHCHR supported the development of a national action plan on Security Council resolution 1325. Hide

UN Women drafted and submitted two Secretary-General’s reports on “Intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women” (A/67/220), and “Trafficking in women and girls” (A/67/170). Technical inputs and expertise was also provided to the co-chairs of the General Assembly’s 67th Session on the resolutions on “Intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women” (A/RES/67/144) and “Trafficking in women and girls” (A/RES/67/145), respectively, as well as to Member States more generally. Negotiations on the two resolutions were monitored throughout the GA 67th Session. Negotiations on the General Assembly’s resolution on “Intensification of global efforts for the elimination of female genital mutilations” (A/RES/67/146) were also monitored. Hide

Under the “UNAIDS Action for Results: Outcomes Framework “ (2009-2011), UNFPA, UNDP, UN WOMEN, WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR and the MenEngage Alliance (Sonke Gender Justice and the Athena Network), also in close collaboration with the Interagency Working Group on Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV – supported countries to address the linkages between GBV and HIV/AIDS in National Strategic Plans; building effective partnerships to achieve this; and strengthening capacity to engage men and boys for promoting and addressing gender equality. Hide

UN Women supported new or amended anti-violence legislation in India, Maldives, Mexico, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Viet Nam - on a range of forms, including sexual harassment in the workplace, domestic violence, femicide, acid violence, and sexual offences. In both Viet Nam and Uganda, elements of anti-violence legislation have been incorporated into larger Family Development and Justice, Law and Order strategies, respectively. Hide