Violence Against Women

Every human being has the right to freedom from violence and freedom from fear. Ending violence against women and girls is possible and within reach. UN WOMEN’s vision for a secure and prosperous world is one in which women and girls are freed from systematic violence and abuse, thus enabled to thrive as equals. Only then can the strength of women’s empowerment and gender equality be fully unleashed to end poverty and foster peace and development for all.

UN WOMEN has a singularly strong record on violence against women: it is accredited as the UN organization to place the issue on the UN agenda in the 1990’s. Attesting to its early and leading role on the issue within the world body, in 1995 the general assembly designated UN WOMEN as the managing agent of the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women on behalf of the UN system.

In the context of UN reform, and the positive trend of increased focus on the issue by a wider range of UN entities, UN WOMEN is best placed to make a strategic contribution and impact addressing gender-based violence, based on its experience and expertise, and comparative advantages.

In line with the Report addressed to the Pakistani CEDAW committee, UN WOMEN plans to support the Government of Pakistan to amend some discriminatory legislation such as the Hudood Ordinance, and to adopt legal reforms aiming at ensuring to women a life free of violence.

EVAW Alliance joint Event to launch 16 days of Activism 2008

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international campaign originating from the first Women's Global Leadership Institute sponsored by the Center for Women's Global Leadership in 1991. The 16 Days of Activism campaign is commemorated each year from 25 November to 10 December across the world, to also mark the following days: 25 November (International Day for elimination of Violence Against Women); 1 December (International AIDS Day), 3 December (International Day for the Disabled) and 10 December (International Human Rights Day).The dates Nove... »

UN Trust Fund

United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women is managed by UN WOMEN on behalf of the UN system and was established in 1996 by the UN General Assembly. It is an essential source of funding to promote strategies and solutions that make women safer, strengthen courts, law enforcement and enhance services for women.It awards annual grants based on an open and competitive process. For 2008, an estimated US$15 million is available, the largest in the history of the UN Trust Fund, and triple that of the previous year. For Pakistan, the... »

EVAW Alliance

Keeping in line with its objective to reduce violence against women, UN WOMEN Pakistan launched EVAW alliance to mark 16 Days of Activism against gender based violence, 2007, with the aim to end violence all forms of violence against women through: i) strengthening coordination between stakeholders working on violence against women and ii) identification of common areas of intervention. This alliance is envisaged to function as a coordination platform on ending violence against women particularly in relation to provi... »