Publications

This information brief is intended for key population networks and other community-led and community-based organizations to help them better understand how to request funding support for community-led monitoring (CLM) in 2023-2025 applications to the Global Fund. The brief has been jointly developed by TREAT Asia/amfAR and the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC).

This report, which marks World AIDS Day 2022, unpacks the impact that gender inequalities, inequalities faced by key populations, and inequalities between children and adults have had on the AIDS response. It is not inevitable, however, that these inequalities will slow progress towards ending AIDS. We know what works—with courage and cooperation, political leaders can tackle them.

The 2022 Global Strategy progress report provides an assessment of the situation of women’s, children’s and adolescent’s health in this third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report presents abundant evidence showing that inequities persist despite great progress in reducing maternal and child mortality in the two decades leading up to the pandemic. It also showcases key drivers of women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health and well-being. It emphasizes that women’s empowerment and adolescent participation are pivotal to achieving the 2030 Agenda yet notes that there is a long way to go in reducing gender inequality and increasing young people’s meaningful opportunities to actively engage in community and civic life. 

UNFPA implements programmes addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in 153 countries and territories, many of which face humanitarian emergencies. Leading resources used by GBV practitioners include the Inter-Agency Minimum Standards for Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies Programming (the GBViE Minimum Standards) released in 2019 and the Essential Services Package for Women and Girls Subject to Violence released in 2015. Experiences across UNFPA have shown that GBV practitioners have faced challenges in determining when and how to use these tools and how to adapt different approaches to diverse contexts. This brief guidance note defines the distinct objectives of and links between these two resources. It supports GBV practitioners in navigating the use of both across a range of contexts. 

The Manual on Social Norms and Change is a revision of the initial version developed and published by UNFPA and UNICEF in 2016. It aims to contribute to create conceptual clarity and present programmatic interventions needed to address and facilitate a social norms change with focus on the elimination of female genital mutilation. The manual provides practical examples and theoretical concepts for understanding processes related to attitudinal and collective behavioural change and contains the following five key modules to be covered in a five-day workshop: Dynamic of Social Norms: Female Genital Mutilation, From Gender Inequality to Shared Positive Social Norms, Effective Legislative Reforms in Situations Calling for Social Change, Seven Common Patterns and Transformative Elements for Change and Putting It All Together.

This Technical Brief summarizes the previous Compendium on social norm change to achieve gender equality, which provides a framework for programmatic approaches to norm change at scale. The Technical Brief and Compendium present promising strategies, tested approaches and practical examples of social norm change. This includes a programme design framework that is relevant for different aspects of sexual and reproductive health and rights in various contexts. The publications build on previous work by UN agencies, civil society, academia and others.

The available evidence shows that there has been too little progress in preventing gender-related killings of women and girls. Concerted, urgent action is needed, to improve the knowledge base and strengthen responses to gender-related killings and other forms of gender-based violence against women and girls. By ensuring that every victim is counted, we can ensure that perpetrators are held to account and justice is served. By improving understanding of all types of gender-related killings of women and girls, we can strengthen prevention and improve responses. This paper features policy recommendations to support comprehensive and multisectoral approaches to prevent and address gender-related killings and other forms of gender-based violence against women and girls.

Every year, more than one billion children – or half of the world’s children – experience some form of violence. Exposure to violence compromises a child’s mental and social development, hampers educational outcomes, and reduces opportunities for gainful employment. It is estimated that physical, sexual, and emotional violence against children costs societies 3% to 8% of global GDP. Current data indicates that up to 50% of sexual assaults worldwide are committed against girls under the age of 16. Risks are particularly high in conflict-affected countries – globally, at least 72 million children are living among or near armed groups who have a history of perpetrating sexual violence against children.

UNDP’s Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025, aligned with its Strategic Plan, guides UNDP in its efforts to assist countries in accelerating progress on gender equality and the empowerment of women over the next four years. It aims to move beyond piecemeal efforts and to instead help countries to shift power structures and the economic, social, and political systems that perpetuate discrimination.

As gains in women’s rights remain fragile, it is important to prioritize funding for essential services that include sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) prevention and response in COVID-19 fiscal stimulus packages and new strategies. The Vanuatu experience of close partnership with women’s rights organizations shows the importance of sustainable funding for civil society organizations to tackle SGBV. This paper will explore engagement methods, approaches, and concrete strategies of UNDP work in Vanuatu to effectively support women’s rights and feminist movements in ending violence against women and girls as key actors for sustainable, equal and participatory development.