United Nations Population Fund

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

UNICEF and UNMIL collaborated with Ministry of Gender and Development in Liberia to convene a retreat on Child rape in October 2012. Also in Liberia, UNFPA supported the Ministry of Gender and Development to collaborate with civil society groups to launch and build capacity of the GBV observatory to help raise awareness of the referral pathway and issues rlated to teenage pregnancy, early marriage and rape. Several advocacy initiatives were undertaken by THINK and CEP (UNFPA funded partners) to address the issue of SGBV, including strengthening of six networks and four community outreach sessions. Dialogue was initiated with traditional leaders and men’s and women’s groups to address harmful Traditional Practices, resulting in the Ministry of Internal Affair’s announcement that FGM is prohibited and prosecutable. UN Women continues to expand the Peace Huts, emphasizing the role of women as peace builders and recognizes their key role in engaging with local authorities for prevention, increasing women’s voice and supporting them in engaging with authorities to improve access to justice, and provide active accompaniment of women and girls who are survivors of violence. Hide

In 2012, through the advocacy efforts of the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on FGM/C, 1,775 new communities publically declared their intention to abandon FGM/C, with Guinea Bissau becoming the 15th country where communities have announced their commitment to abandon. Since the establishment of the joint programme (2008), nearly 10,000 communities in 15 countries, representing about 8 million people have renounced the practice. Hide

In 2012, around 3,144 health facilities have integrated FGM/C in their reproductive health services, particularly in their antenatal and postnatal care, with the support of UNFPA. UNFPA has ongoing collaboration with the Auckland University of Technology to support health systems in Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Kiribati to better respond to survivors of violence, including through the development of protocols and multi-sectoral referral mechanisms, as well as training for doctors and nurses. Hide

In Liberia: UNFPA through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare promoted the availability of services to Survivors of violence including sexual violence through the One Stop Centre; UNDP supported the Ministry of Justice through the SGBV Crimes unit to launch the In Camera Trial Mobile Partitions countrywide; WHO supported the establishment of a Referral List for Board Certified Mental Health Clinicians in Liberia by County and trained them to provide basic SGBV Psychosocial counselling in accordance to available guidelines; UNFPA continued to support the Government to establish 5 safe homes; UNICEF supported the Ministry of Justice and other key stakeholders to develop and standardize the victim assistance framework; and UNMIL provided logistical support to the Women and Child Protection Sections of the Liberian National Police in 12 counties, to improve mobility, investigation, reporting and communication. Hide

The UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on Female Genital Mutilation supported 12 out of the 15 countries, where it works, to develop a legislative framework to address this harmful practice. Such legislation has been recently adopted in Kenya, Gambia, Guinea Bissau and Somalia. Hide

In 2012, UNFPA responded to crises under the GBV cluster coordination mechanism with special focus on the health needs of women and girls in Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Georgia, Guinea, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Hide

In November 2011, based on the recommendations of “The UNAIDS Action for Results: Outcomes Framework 2009-2011”, a multi-stakeholder meeting was held in Istanbul. UNFPA, in collaboration with UNDP, UNWOMEN, WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR and the MenEngage Alliance (Sonke Gender Justice and the Athena Network) and in close collaboration with the Interagency Working Group on Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV, will support select pilot countries for roll-out of policy development work in 2012 as identified in the Istanbul meeting. Hide

Three films on gender-based violence and the impacts of war on women were made in Afghanistan, Guatemala and Iraq and the films were broadcasted globally via various TV channels. UNFPA interventions in these countries on addressing the issue were focused on in each film. Hide

UNFPA developed and rolled out the compendium of case studies on engaging men and boys in gender equality and gender-based violence programmes in Africa and Asia. Hide