Within the context of COVID-19, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund) has remained fully operational, providing support to grantees and partners with the same commitment, passion and dynamism that they have come to expect.
In 2020, the UN Trust Fund swiftly responded to the evolving crisis by adjusting its operations. Immediate action taken included project reviews to enable quick reallocation of existing funds to enable grantees to respond efficiently to pressing challenges and safety of their staff, ensure institutional sustainability, manage potential organizational risks and make sure that women and girls receive essential support.
Through the synthesis of knowledge from civil society and women’s rights organizations, a key lesson was how multiple and overlapping crises – including the COVID-19 pandemic and the long-term consequences of natural disasters and human-made disasters, such as conflicts and war – continue to threaten the rights gained by women and girls and further raise the rates, severity and manifestations of violence against them.
One key message has also emerged: the need for core, flexible and long-term funding in the face of heightened risk of violence and the challenges facing front-line organizations.