UNFPA has published a report titled Delivering as One on Gender-Based Violence.This report summarizes the proceedings and recommendations of the November 2010 global consultation on violence against women that brought together various stakeholders, including United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and representatives of the 10 pilot countries selected under the Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality.         
UN Pulse Permanent Link: Delivering as One on Gender-Based Violence Meeting Report

Handbook on Effective Police Responses to Violence against Women and a Training Curriculum were recently launched to improve capacity of law enforcement and national criminal justice systems in Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Southern Africa: UNODC works to help end violence against women

6 January 2011 - Violence against women is a worldwide problem and an issue that features prominently on the agenda of the United Nations. It presents itself in many forms - physical, sexual, psychological and economic - and in many countries around the world inequality and ignorance are sad realities which women face daily. Lack of services for survivors and often poor law enforcement responses make this issue a critical human security problem which affects women regardless of age, culture or location.

In Southern Africa, UNODC is working with officials and civil society to counter this through a range of programmes on gender-based violence. One such initiative is the implementation of a regional project aimed at developing effective law enforcement responses to violence against women in the region. As part of this work a new UNODC Handbook on Effective Police Responses to Violence against Women and a Training Curriculum were recently launched to improve capacity of law enforcement and national criminal justice systems in Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The Handbook is designed for first-responders such as the police, and assists in defining the issue, providing an overview of relevant norms and standards, and giving guidance on how to intervene. In particular, it focuses on how to investigate acts of violence against women - a process that requires considerable sensitivity. Complementing this, the Training Curriculum has been developed to equip local and national police with the knowledge and skills required to respond in an effective and appropriate manner to violence against women - specifically violence within intimate relationships. This includes measures to prevent violence against women, ways to respond to and investigate acts of violence, and resources to meet the needs of victims during and after an incident.

In addition to this regional-based, law-enforcement focused approach, UNODC is also working with communities in South Africa to provide local-level support to victims of gender-based violence. Several UNODC-supported 'one-stop centres' have been established across the country to provide legal, psychological and medical services to the survivors of violence as well as rehabilitation and support services for men in order to break the cycle of domestic violence.

In a bid to further the UN's response to this crime, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign in 2008. Aimed at preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls in all parts of the world, UNiTE calls on Governments, civil society, women's organizations, young people, the private sector, the media and the entire UN system to join forces in addressing the global pandemic of violence against women and girls.

a continental symposium aimed at strengthening capacity of civil society and government to work with men and boys on gender-based violence and HIV...

 A growing body of research has helped us to understand the origins and nature of the problems faced by the continent and the role of men and masculinities in these, as well as the opportunities and potential for change...

Sonke and the MenEngage Alliance are pleased to announce the MenEngage Africa Symposium to be held 5-9 October 2009...  It will bring together activists, policy makers, service providers and researchers working on gender, HIV, health, development and human rights and will produce clear country and region specific plans of action.

The symposium will include a range of presentations, skills building activities and work-plan development. Objectives of the meeting include:

* Developing shared vision of the need for work with men and boys in Africa and the policy, programming and action required
* Strengthening participants’ ability to implement multi-faceted approaches to working with men and boys on gender and AIDS
* Developing country and region-specific work-plans with clear, time-bound activities, outputs and outcomes
* Building and strengthening the MenEngage Alliance, the Pan-Commonwealth civil society network on HIV/AIDS and the Commonwealth Women’s Network in Africa.

Confirmed speakers include:

* Elhadj As Sy, UNICEF regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa;
* Gary Barker, International Center for Research on Women;
* Mbuyiselo Botha, Sonke Gender Justice Network;
* Rachel Jewkes, Medical Research Council, South Africa;
* Robert Morrell, University of KwaZulu-Natal;
* Anisha Rajapakse, Commonwealth Foundation;
* Warren Nyamugisira, the Commonwealth Foundation’s Civil Society Advisory Committee.

The symposium fee is $500 with a reduced fee for organisations headquartered in the global south. Funding for scholarships is available to be determined by criteria established by the steering committee.

For more information please contact Orly Stern - orly@genderjustice.org.za, or Regis Mtutu - regis@genderjustice.org.za. You can aslo visit : http://www.genderjustice.org.za/menengageafricasymposium

From AU Monitor

http://webapps01.un.org/vawdatabase/home.action

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has issued Addressing Gender-based Violence, a new strategy and framework for action paper (full text, pdf, 876 KB). This publication identifies priority areas for intensified action on gender-based violence and provides a common platform and technical guidance for UNFPA at country, regional and global levels.

UN Pulse Permalink

The Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) is pleased to invite you to its first conference, SVRI Forum 2009: Coordinated evidence-based responses to end sexual violence, to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 6 - 9 July 2009. The conference is aimed at promoting research on sexual violence, highlighting innovation and encouraging sharing and networking in the area of sexual violence.

This global event will bring together over 200 participants working on sexual violence as researchers, gender activists, funders, policy makers, service providers, survivors and others.

The conference is being organised by the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI). The SVRI is a global initiative that promotes and disseminates policy relevant, action-orientated research to reduce and respond to sexual violence through: identifying gaps; building capacity; supporting research; raising awareness; and building partnerships. We are building an experienced and committed network of researchers, policy makers, activists and donors to ensure that the many aspects of sexual violence are addressed from different disciplinary and cultural perspectives.

For more details on SVRI visit www.svri.org

Thanks to Fareeda Jadwat for this information.

In the context of this year's 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence and in the lead-up to negotiations on the mandate renewal for MONUC, UN Action has released a statement on sexual violence as a tactic of war in the renewed conflict in Eastern DRC.

This statement has been drafted in consultation with Nicola Dahrendorf, UN Action Senior Adviser and Coordinator on Sexual Violence in MONUC, and endorsed by all 12 UN Action members (DPA, DPKO, OCHA, OHCHR, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIFEM, WFP and WHO). UN_Action_StatementDRC FINAL (5).pdf

The statement can also be found at:
http://www.stoprapenow.org/16days.html

Thanks to Fareeda Jadwat for this information.

Learn more from the news story and press release.

UN Pulse Permanent Link: Women, Peace and Security debate

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has launched a new website, Stop Rape Now: UN action against sexual violence in conflict. The site provides suggestions for individual action, and links to agencies in the UN system working to end sexual violence.

Permanent Link: Stop Rape Now UN Pulse

UNITE to end violence against women

One in three women in the world is likely to be subjected to violence in her lifetime. The Secretary-General has launched a campaign to end violence against women, in conjunction with the opening of the 52nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women. Read the statement of the Secretary-General, watch the webcast (3 hours 11 minutes), or explore the work of the organization related to women.

Permalink