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The UN Trust Fund in Support of Actions to End Violence Against Women- Call for Proposals 2008

UN Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women is launching its annual call for proposals for 2008.The call continues to focus on supporting the implementation of national policies, laws and actions plans on ending violence against women and highlights the following categories of grant making.

a) Meeting the Implementation and Upscaling Challenge that envisions making grants to support larger-scale initiatives at national, sub-national and local levels based on multi-sector, multi-stakeholder partnerships and is intended to take to scale promising or already proven approaches on ending violence against women and girls.

b) Supporting Catalytic, Innovative and Learning initiatives with grants for programmes focused on expanding the global knowledge base on effective approaches to implement national laws and/or plans of actions by supporting the piloting, testing, evaluation, documentation and dissemination of innovative or promising approaches on ending violence against women and girls.

Interested governments, civil society organisations and UN Country Teams in partnership with governments and NGO’s from developing countries and countries in trasition are invited to submit initial concept notes (max. 5 pages), that meet with the core principles and focus of the call. The relevant documents relating to the call are listed below for your easy reference. Please note the deadline for receipt of concept of notes is 26 May 2008.

For more information you can Contact:
Joy Tonawai, Program Coordinator or Sally Cobb, Assistant program Coordinator
Concept Note Form
2008 Call for Proposal
Budget Summary
Contact Information

Violence against women is arguably the world’s most prevalent, pervasive, and systemic problem. It is a problem without borders, a universal scourge on women and their families that knows no boundaries of geography, culture or wealth. It has grown to epidemic proportions around the world, devastating lives, fracturing communities and prohibiting development. At least one in three women worldwide will be beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime — with the abuser usually someone known to her.

According to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, it is “perhaps the most shameful human rights violation.” Unless tackled systematically at all levels of society with zero-tolerance policies and a concerted effort by the international community and governments to make it socially unacceptable and a crime, gender-based violence will stall any real progress towards equality, development and peace.

Some Progress: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
In the last two decades, women’s organizations have taken the lead in moving the issue from the shadows into the public eye, taking innovative steps to focus world attention on the problem. Initiatives ranging from providing medical, legal, counseling and protection services, to drafting and lobbying for legislation, raising awareness and changing attitudes through advocacy, education and training, and building national, regional and international end-violence networks have led to dramatic changes in norms, laws, policies and practices in many countries.

These efforts have been supported by international standards and policies that recognize violence against women as a human rights abuse, such as the 1981 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) that obliges states parties to the convention to take all appropriate means to eliminate violence against women; the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1993; and the Beijing Platform for Action of the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, which explicitly acknowledges that the human rights of women include their right to have control over and decide freely on matters related to their sexual and reproductive health and sexuality, free of discrimination, coercion and violence. In 1996, the UN General Assembly also established the UNIFEM Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence Against Women; this is a unique grant-making mechanism that provides support to catalytic programmes in developing countries working to prevent gender-based violence.

Today, following global and regional commitments and treaties and the tireless efforts of activists, at least 45 nations have passed new laws that explicitly prohibit domestic violence, while more than 21 countries are drafting new laws. Twenty-five countries have adopted laws and policies addressing female genital mutilation, 16 countries have passed distinct legislation on sexual assault, 14 countries have adopted laws on sexual harassment, and another 46 have incorporated provisions related to sexual harassment in non-specific legal codes. Continued advocacy and NGO-government dialogues have led to responses that directly address female survivors of violence, such as special female police stations, community policing, gender-sensitive training for law-enforcement officials and the judiciary, women’s and people’s courts, and one-stop crisis centres.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
and the Sixteen Days of Activism Global Campaign

In December 1999, at their 54th Session, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring November 25th the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. This was in recognition of the magnitude of the problem and the urgent need for serious commitment by the world community to make finding solutions a key priority.

The origins of November 25th go back to 1960, when the Mirabal sisters, activists from the Dominican Republic, were violently assassinated for their political activism. The sisters, known as the “Unforgettable Butterflies,” became a symbol of the crisis of violence against women in Latin America. November 25th was the date chosen to commemorate their lives and promote global recognition of gender-based violence, and has been observed in Latin America since the 1980s.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an annual global campaign started in 1991 by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) at Rutgers University in the United States. The campaign begins on November 25th, runs through World AIDS Day on December 1st and ends on Human Rights Day on December 10th. Since it was started, more than 1,700 organizations in 130 countries have participated, using the annual campaign as an organizing strategy to call attention to gender-based violence and better resources to combat it.

The theme for 2004 is “For the Health of Women, For the Health of the World: No More Violence,” with specific emphasis on the intersection between violence against women and the spread of HIV/AIDS. The theme complements the theme of World AIDS Day 2004, on “Women and AIDS,” and also follows on the attention received at the International AIDS Conference in Bangkok in July 2004 on the growing disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls.

For more information, please visit Not a Minute More, UNIFEM’s web pages on November 25th and the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence.

UNIFEM’S EVAW TRUST FUND
The United Nations Trust Fund to Eliminate Violence Against Women will provide a grant of US$50,000 to Fiji’s Women Action for Change (WAC) for its 2005 programme.
The Trust Fund is a unique multilateral mechanism established by the UN General Assembly in 1996 and administered by UNIFEM. Grants are decided collectively by representatives of UN agencies and international NGOs.

The UNIFEM Trust Fund in support of Actions to Eliminate Violence Against Women is the only UN global grant-making mechanism that supports innovative community efforts to end violence against women worldwide. Since it was established in 1997, the Trust Fund has awarded over US $19 million to $263 initiatives to address violence against women in 115 countries.
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Since its establishment, the Trust Fund has granted US$8.3 million to 175 initiatives in 96 countries. Demand continues to outstrip supply. UNIFEM has received up to US$17.5 million in requests, with only about US$1 million to give out each year. “For every project funded, there are at least ten turned away. Over the last 8 years, we have learned from the innovative efforts of nongovernmental and governmental organizations worldwide, efforts that have made real progress on the issue. They must continue to be supported if there is to be an end in sight to violence against women. Our biggest obstacle is not a lack of ideas. It is a lack of resources,” said Noeleen Heyzer (UNIFEM’s Executive Director).

Donors to the 2004 grant-making cycle include Japan, Denmark, Finland, Trinidad and Tobago, as well as NGOs and private individuals.

For more information on the Trust Fund, click here

PACIFIC REGIONAL SCAN

In 2002, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) conducted a global assessment on actions to end violence against women to determine what the movement to end violence against women (VAW) had achieved since the Beijing Conference for Women, and identify gaps in action and impact. As part of that global assessment process, a Pacific regional scan was conducted by UNIFEM in 2002. The scan focused on violence against women and girls, actions by government and non-government organizations to eliminate violence against women, and the impact of support from UNIFEM’s programmes and projects. The scan concluded that actions to eliminate violence against women in the Pacific had mainly been initiated and sustained by women’s organizations and non-government organizations (NGOs) and that government implementation of commitments in international, regional and national plans of action, to eliminate violence against women, needed to be strengthened.

In February 2003, a regional workshop in Fiji on Strengthening Pacific Partnerships for the Eliminating Violence Against Women, was jointly organized by UNIFEM with the Commonwealth Secretariat and the two main regional intergovernmental organizations, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (FS) and the Secretariat for the Pacific Community (SPC). The workshop, attended by over 70 participants from 17 Pacific countries, exchanged information on Pacific government strategies for the elimination of violence against women, on the Commonwealth’s model of an integrated approach to EVAW and concluded with recommendations for strengthening GO, NGO and agency partnerships in EVAW strategies in the Pacific region . The Outcome Statement from the workshop reiterated the seriousness of the problem of gender violence in the Pacific, the need for actions to be taken in partnership with other organizations and agencies, and raised issues of the cost of VAW, the need for coordinated approaches to the problem and the need to address cultural and religious practices that victimized and oppressed women. The recommendations from the workshop were presented at the Forum Regional Security Meeting in June 2003.

As a follow up to the Pacific regional workshop of 2003, and drawing on the main conclusions of the scan conducted by UNIFEM in 2002 which provided detailed information on the work of women’s organizations and NGOs to eliminate violence against women and girls, UNIFEM identified the need to strengthen government commitments to eliminating violence against women in its programmes.

From December 2003 to March 2004, in preparation for developing a regional programme on EVAW, UNIFEM conducted a regional assessment to review current Pacific strategies on violence against women by government and non-government organizations, to identify needs and gaps.

Reviewing the overall framework of legislation, policies and programme, violence against women in conflicts and the role of the media and communications, the regional assessment built on the regional scan conducted in 2002, which primarily focused on EVAW activities by women’s organizations and NGOs. For the regional assessment, emphasis was given to reviewing government strategies to address VAW. Country visits were made to Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Samoa for in-depth interviews with government (GO) and non-government (NGO) personnel, to find out their experiences of VAW and views on EVAW strategies. Interviews were also conducted in Fiji with GO and NGO representatives and with representatives of UN agencies, regional organizations and regional training programmes based in Suva.

The general findings of the regional assessment and recommendations for programme interventions by UNIFEM, were presented at a two day consultation from March 29-30th 2004, which was attended by representatives from Pacific countries and UN agencies, with select expertise various in EVAW activities in the region. The consultation agreed with the findings of the regional assessment and the scan.

The main findings presented at the consultation were that responses to VAW in the region have been mainly carried out by women’s organizations and NGOs. Activities that were well established as strategies to respond to VAW were awareness raising, training, provision of services and support for women victims/survivors, and advocacy for legislative and policy reform. It was noted that national machineries for women were also key actors in awareness raising and conducting training on VAW, worked often in partnership with women’s groups and NGOs on VAW, and had conducted or supported research on VAW. Assessing the strategies to bring about change in policies and practices in relation to VAW, it was noted that the police and the judiciary were the main targets for awareness and advocacy on VAW, with efforts by women’s organizations and NGOs focused on better treatment of women victims/survivors of violence.

The assessment noted that many sectors in government were not involved in strategies to eliminate VAW or promotion of gender equality strategies. In government, it was assumed that EVAW and gender equality strategies were the responsibility of the national machineries for women.

National machineries for women have varying capacities and resources. Some national machineries are Ministries and have the mandate to review government policy and legislation, including responses to VAW while others are smaller divisions with the same mandate but not enough power or resources to do policy analysis or advise on government policies. The national machineries give high priority to violence against women as a problem and see government responses to implementation through CEDAW and national action plans as the best approach. National women’s machineries in many countries are the focal point and coordinate CEDAW and CRC Committees, which are existing mechanisms for advancing EVAW strategies.

In some countries, law reform proposals and advocacy were well underway and supported by women’s rights advocates, national machineries for women and government officials in interagency committees, but delays were sometimes reported as due to lack of decisions by higher officials or support by parliamentarians. The assessment noted that policy makers and high level officials, apart from personnel in the judiciary and parliamentary representatives, were not targeted for gender advocacy; policy analysis and review and research for advocacy at high levels of government, were also gaps in EVAW strategies.

PACIFIC REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS FOR ELIMINATING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

17-19 FEBRUARY 2003, SUVA, FIJI

OUTCOME STATEMENT

Violence against women is endemic in Pacific countries

1. The 1993 United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women defines Violence against Women as any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats or such acts, as coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.

2. The 1995 Beijing Platform for Action, endorsed by Pacific countries, agreed on a comprehensive set of recommendations to address the issue of gender-based violence. The UN General Assembly adopted GA Resolution 50/166, which emphasized the need for full implementation of the Platform for Action by governments and other social actors. Commonwealth Ministers of Gender Affairs reiterated their concern for the continued acts of violence against women in their 6th Women’s Affairs Ministerial Meeting in New Delhi (2000) which was expressed in the Commonwealth Plan of Action on Gender and Development. The 1994 Pacific Platform for Action endorsed by the Pacific Ministers identified violence against women as a critical area of concern and urged the Pacific to work towards eliminating violence against women and children.

3. The workshop expressed concern about the significant under-reporting of and the extent of violence against women in the Pacific Region.

Strengthening partnerships

4. A regional workshop on “Strengthening Partnerships for Eliminating Violence Against Women” was jointly organized by UNIFEM, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community from 17-19 February 2003. The meeting brought together representatives of government, non-government organizations (NGOs), civil society groups, regional-level inter-governmental organizations and international development partners, for a constructive dialogue. Participants came from 17 Pacific Island Countries and territories. The presentations and discussions focused on deepening an understanding of violence against women, sharing experiences and approaches, methodologies and training tools, good practices and the pressing need to institutionalise policy frameworks to support the elimination of violence against women at the local, national, regional and international levels.

5. The workshop acknowledged the work of the Pacific Women’s Network Against Violence Against Women. The workshop built and complemented current efforts of Governments, NGOs and other international and regional organizations who have undertaken a range of measures to address violence against women.

Action is required now

6. The participants recognised the workshop was timely, given two years after the declaration and adoption of the Millennium Development Goals by world leaders; and eight years after the Beijing Platform of Action and the Pacific Platform for Action, in which the elimination of all forms of violence against women was a key objective. The workshop therefore provided the Pacific region with an excellent opportunity to further explore and proposed recommendations to enhance levels of government commitment to implementation measures, establish stronger and more effective partnerships, and develop practical recommendations for eliminating violence against women at national and regional level.

Good Governance includes gender equality

7. The workshop noted that good governance is about the appropriate allocation and proper management of financial and human resources and the promotion of gender equality and equity. Yet men are the main decision-makers in the region and it is essential not to exclude or suppress the full potential of women.

8. The biggest challenge faced by women in many of the Pacific island societies is that of being acknowledged as equal partners in social, cultural, political and economic development in their communities, countries and territories. Women and women’s work are not recognized in many successful development efforts in the Pacific.

Some religious and cultural practices have victimized and oppressed women

9. The workshop discussed and agreed that violence against women is a priority issue for action in the Pacific region because it is a major human rights issue affecting women. There is a significant interplay between traditions, culture, religion, education, community expectations, the role of women and power relations in contributing to this problem.

10. The workshop considered the challenges and potential of culture and religion in eliminating violence against women. It was suggested that traditional reconciliation practices can promote a culture of silence towards victims and protects the perpetrators of violence.

11. The workshop strongly recommended that some cultural and religious practices need to be re-examined to support rather than victimize women.

Current approaches are uncoordinated

12. An integrated approach for addressing violence against women was presented as a model for developing regional and national plans of action to contribute to the elimination of violence against women. It requires a coordinated multi-sectoral policy and implementation framework. Central concepts include the need to view violence as a public, not private issue; to explore the root causes, not symptoms of violence only; and to develop action strategies with all stakeholders to avoid duplication of efforts and resources. Violence was recognised as a development issue.

Violence costs

13. The workshop discussed and viewed with great concern the high cost of violence on societies in particular the economic impacts of violence against women and children. Governments were urged to calculate the costs. Current ratios presented suggest up to 7% of GDP if direct and indirect costs are considered.

Regional approaches can help

14. The workshop heard of and acknowledged the ongoing work of the Pre- and Forum Regional Security Committee Meeting and the specialist law enforcement agencies, the Oceanic Customs Organisation, PILOM, South Pacific Chiefs of Police Conference, Pacific Island Immigration Directors Conference in conjunction with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, in the areas of sex crime legislation, capacity building through regional workshops with Police training and cooperation with NGOs to counter sex related and transnational crimes, for example pornography through internet, people smuggling and trafficking of persons especially women and children. The workshop urged that such agencies consider actions be included to eliminate all forms of violence but particularly violence against women and children. Support for community violence reduction approaches will enhance community safety and security.

15. Regional initiatives and programmes developed by multilateral agencies such as UNIFEM and other donors play a vital role in eliminating violence against women. The workshop urged a coordinated approach to ensure that efforts are complementary and to avoid duplication.

Law enforcement and cooperation is critical

16. The workshop was informed of the value of the Combined Law Agency Group (CLAG) concept and noted it as a tool to assist agencies in monitoring the activities of and investigate those perpetrating cross-border crimes or multiple crimes, including trafficking of people, and pornography and urged attention to impacts on women and children.

17. The workshop agreed that domestic violence legislation is essential. Existing laws need to be reviewed and concerted efforts be made to enact existing legislation where it exists in draft form.

Ethnic and armed conflict increases gender-based violence

18. The workshop viewed with concern the negative social and economic impacts of armed conflict on the lives of women and children. It therefore strongly urged governments, NGOs, churches, community leaders, regional and international institutions and development partners to take appropriate action to address issues and concerns for women and children arising from ethnic and armed conflict situations. The workshop also reaffirmed its support for the work that UNIFEM and other regional organizations are doing in the region in addressing women, peace and security issues including specific areas on:

Research, data collection and analysis

Capacity building

Information dissemination and advocacy on issues on violence against women and child abuse

Trauma and therapy counselling

Conflict resolution, human rights, good governance, legal literacy and restorative justice.

19. The workshop reiterated the important and often complex roles women play as peacemakers and bridge-builders in ethnic and armed conflict situations. The workshop therefore calls for recognition and involvement by government, NGOs, civil society, regional institutions and development partners to solicit necessary support for women to effectively play their role as bridge-builders and peace-makers.

20. The workshop also noted the involvement of youth in ethnic and armed conflict and viewed with concern the negative effects this has had on their livelihoods. It therefore called on governments, NGOs, women’s groups, churches, civil society, regional institutions, development partners to initiate and support development efforts aimed at addressing problems affecting youth as a direct or indirect consequence of ethnic and armed conflict.

Conclusion

21. As a critical area of focus under the Pacific Platform for Action, the Secretariat for the Pacific Community was encouraged to further the activities to eliminate violence against women and children.

22. Among the critical factors identified for the elimination of violence against women were:

The need for an integrated national response bringing together key government agencies, NGOs, religious groups and other relevant stakeholders.

The enactment of new legislation and/or the revision of existing legislation designed to more effectively protect and meet the needs of women.

Improve sex-disaggregated data collection and gender analysis.

Gender as a cross-cutting issue.

A high level of political will and commitment.

GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

23. The workshop urged, as appropriate, governments, NGOs, regional inter-governmental bodies, agencies, development partners, educational institutions, police, churches, broadcasters, media organizations, community and traditional leaders and other relevant stakeholders, to work with the following goals and recommendations:

National

- Highest political will and commitment is required to eliminate violence against women.

- Countries should be encouraged to ratify international human rights conventions like CEDAW, the Optional Protocols and the CRC, and implement regional agreements like the Honiara and Biketawa Declarations.

- Awareness should be raised to the economic costs of violence against women to spur governments on to curb it.

- Development and implementation of national plans of action to eliminate violence against women should be a priority.

- Co-ordinating bodies, organizational structures and strategies to address violence against women should be established.

- Increased resources and capacity building are required to develop National Women’s Machineries, key Ministries, agencies and organizations, to strengthen their efforts to eliminate violence against women.

- Increase the allocation which provide support services and counseling to survivors of violence against women.

- Efforts should be made to bring more men into the mainstream of work on violence against women.

- Strengthen consultations and partnerships between key ministries, NGOs, community leaders and churches, including women as representatives to negotiate peace and resolve conflicts.

- Address the negative impacts of ethnic and armed conflict.

- Explore opportunities within religious and cultural structures and practices to eliminate violence against women.

- Establish appropriate policies and codes of conduct to address sexual harassment in the workplace.

- Provide technical assistance and support to countries wishing to initiate new research, data collection and analysis on violence against women in Pacific countries and territories.

Regional

- Present the Outcome of this workshop to the SPC-organised 9th Pacific Women’s Conference and the Pacific Ministers’ for Women Meeting in 2004.

- Support and participate in, as appropriate, the UNIFEM Pacific programme on conflict and peace-building in four Melanesian countries.

- Support the further development of innovative, regional programmes designed by donors and NGOs to eliminate violence against women.

- Multilateral, donor and regional agencies to work together to ensure that their violence against women programmes are complementary and to reduce duplication of effort.

- Secretariat of the Pacific Community to coordinate regional research study on violence against women.

- Present the Outcome of this workshop to the Heads of Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP) as another channel to the Forum leaders.

- Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat to present the Outcome of this workshop to the Forum Regional Security Committee (FRSC) meeting to ensure that the impact of violence against women is considered by leaders at the 2003 Forum.

- The Specialist Law Enforcement agencies through the Pre-FRSC develop an action plan to:

(i) develop and review domestic violence legislation within the region in conjunction with ongoing work relating to sex crimes and ensure domestic violence is legislated against the region;
(ii) to increase training opportunities for law enforcement agencies]in collaboration with other agencies to implement gender sensitive responses and support “no-drop” policies which will take seriously and effectively address domestic violence and enhance human security situations; and
(iii) to develop and support methods for recording and analyzing sex-disaggregated data on violence against women by the Police and other agencies, for use at policy level.
(iv) FRSC to further develop the Community Safety Strategy of the Cook Islands for implementation in Forum Island Countries.
(v) The Specialist Law Enforcement agencies’ action plans be developed and presented to FRSC for endorsement.

- Present the Outcome of this workshop to the Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting to be held in Fiji in 2004.

Research and Education

- Regional, national and community-based research on incidences, responses and impacts of violence against women should be undertaken and shared widely.

- Develop relevant participatory research methods, gender indicators on violence against women, and sex-disaggregated data systems to be used by governments and NGOs for policy and programme development and action strategies.

- Efforts to eliminate gender-based violence through gender sensitive approaches should be incorporated within school curriculums and initiated in non-formal, continuing, adult and community education programs.

Media

- Media has a vital role and responsibility to play in fairly reporting on violence against women, and not perpetuate stereotypical images and violence against women. Better relations and information sharing should be developed to help in this regard.

- Public awareness and media campaigns on violence issues should be encouraged.

- Media and information, education and communications (IEC) materials in vernacular languages should be developed.