United Nations Development Programme

UNDP support for data collection, analysis, and research in the ECIS region has covered topics such as: services available to survivors of sexual gender-based violence in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia, the prevalence of domestic violence in Serbia, and an analysis of the legal and policy framework related to domestic violence in Croatia. Hide

In Sri Lanka, UNDP’s “Equal Access to Justice” project has undertaken a series of workshops targeting community-based organizations in plantation areas, in order to strengthen the support networks for survivors of gender-based violence at the local level. In these workshops several issues related sexual gender-based and domestic violence were discussed. Hide

UNDP supported the establishment of subregional networks of practitioners in South Asia and Southeast & East Asia to enhance the knowledge and capacity of several stakeholders to engage men and boys in gender-based violence prevention. The South Asia sub-regional network (The South Asian Network to Address Masculinities, SANAM), finalized a curriculum on masculinities and gender equality for practitioners, which has been used to provide training and mentoring on the issues of masculinities and gender-based violence to a selected group of ‘fellows’ from the region. Hide

In FYR Macedonia, survivors of domestic violence were supported by UNDP to start their own businesses or to be employed in the private sector through subsidized employment. Hide

In Nepal, UNDP and UN Women public awareness materials on gender-based violence and the Anti-Domestic Violence Act were distributed. UNDP also partnered with the Office of Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers to organize a public awareness event in support of the “16-days of Activism Campaign” against gender-based violence. Hide

In Sri Lanka, UNDP’s “Equal Access to Justice” project launched its “Community Legal Empowerment for Women” project in November 2010. The project targets also men and includes initiatives, such as legal awareness workshops, which address prevention and response mechanisms related to sexual gender-based violence; benefits of formally registering marriages. The workshops also seek to build effective referral pathways for those who are interested in accessing the projects. Two programs of training of trainers have already been conducted. Hide

In Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Serbia, UNDP supported the development of curricula and the training of judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement agencies on how to approach cases of sexual gender-based violence: capacity-building for monitoring trials related to sexual gender-based violence, in Bosnia and Herzegovina by targeting NGOs, and in Kyrgyzstan through the Ombudsman Institute. Hide

In Papua New Guinea, UNDP conducted numerous training sessions on awareness-raising and advocacy on violence against women; a Training of Trainers for staff of the Office for the Development of Women (ODW), National Council of Women (NCW), and the Gender and Development Branch of the Department of Community Development, to support strengthening coordination and communication between the three organizations to address and effectively respond to violence against women at the provincial and local levels. Hide

In Argentina, UNDP collaborates with national women’s organizations to help the effective implementation of the new law on the prevention and elimination of violence against women, the launching of a VAW Observatory, the development of local centres, and the training of local women on issues related to violence against women.In Papua New Guinea, UNDP was engaged with three national women’s organizations to conduct capacity assessments of the organizations themselves, using the Capacity Assessment Framework for Gender Mainstreaming. For the “Office for the Development of Women”, the engagement looked at its capacity in developing and monitoring the implementation of national policies to protect women from domestic violence. The engagement also included capacity development to support the development and implementation of strategies and action plans on violence against women of the three women’s organizations.Via the UN Gender Theme Group, UNDP Myanmar provided inputs into the National Action Plan on the Advancement of Women being prepared by the Ministry of Social Welfare, which may be submitted for cabinet approval in the beginning of 2011. Hide

Several initiatives in countries in the ECIS region were supported by UNDP to raise awareness and support advocacy work related to sexual gender-based violence. In Kosovo, documentaries were produced and a series of debates were held, including one on the possession of firearms and its potential impact on households and communities in Kosovo. In Kyrgyzstan, multi-stakeholder fora were organized. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, civil society organisations were supported to implement advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns. Several countries organized events and activities around the “16 days of activism” campaign to end violence against women. Kosovo held an SMS campaign and debates with students, Kyrgyzstan hosted a forum promoting the role of women in peace-building, and Croatia organised, in partnership with the Ministry of Interior and Croatian police, a nationwide awareness-raising campaign, where influential Croatian men participated, including the president. Hide