Asia and the Pacific

Group of Indian women sitting for a group photo in a room holding up yellow certificates — Training of Indian women led by the Martha Farrell Foundation. Credit: Martha Farrell Foundation (India)

Bangladesh

Women's Education for Advancement and Empowerment (WEAVE) - Initiative Title: Prevention of Violence Against Girls and Women in CHT – Cycle 27

The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), home to eleven Indigenous communities, remains a region significantly impacted by socio-political conflict, economic instability, and the marginalization of its Indigenous populations. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), 53% of Indigenous women in the CHT experience domestic violence, and 67% of Indigenous girls are married off before the age of 18. Furthermore, cases of sexual violence in the region are severely underreported due to cultural stigma and fear of retaliation.

WEAVE, a women-led and women’s rights organization in has a strong track record on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Bangladesh through strong community engagement with marginalized populations. Their initiative aims to improve access to healthcare and services to 650 women and girls, particularly those of marginalized groups including indigenous communities, low-income groups, and survivors of violence. WEAVE will also work with an additional 1,400 health and education professionals and community members creating a supportive environment for women, girls, and adolescents at risk of GBV.

Focusing on SRHR, WEAVE will implement a five pronged approach: (1) Training community leaders to create a network advocating for women’s and girls’ rights; (2) Establishing four Safe Spaces for women and girls, providing vital resources for empowerment; (3) Implementing community sensitization initiatives through participatory methods; (4) Training protection institutions and justice system entities in effective GBV case handling; and (5) Offering multi-sectoral services for managing GBV cases, including psychosocial and legal support.

Cambodia

Cambodian Health and Education for Community - Project Title: CEDAW advocacy and community education to end violence against women – Cycle 25

In Cambodia, social norms and practices are deterring women survivors of intimate partner violence to report or seek help (only 43%), according to a study by UN Women and ASEAN. In addition, weak structures, local authorities’ limited knowledge on women’s rights and the COVID-19 pandemic have impeded access to justice for survivors of intimate partner violence.

Cambodian Health and Education for Community, a women’s rights organization, empowers youths, gender-based violence survivors, women in the lowest income group and people living with HIV by collaborating with local stakeholders to sustain their equal participation, well-being and dignity.

The project aims to improve prevention of intimate partner violence and rape of women and girls in Cambodia through changes in behaviour, practices and attitudes, and improve services for survivors and access to justice. It will be implemented in partnership with a network of over 30 unions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local officials and university debate clubs.

Project strategies include: (1) community-led education focused on violence within intimate partner relationships in rural districts; (2) national and international advocacy on gender equality and to strengthen laws and policies against intimate partner violence and rape, in collaboration with the Cambodian NGO Committee on the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (NGO-CEDAW); (3) awareness-raising to change attitudes through campaigns, art exhibitions, and community and university debates; and 4) improved access to quality sexual and reproductive health care and services for women, including women survivors of violence; lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex people; women living with HIV; and youth.

Cambodian Women's Crisis Center (CWCC) - Project Title: Join Us for Social Transformation (JUST) - Cycle 25

The COVID-19 pandemic worsened gender inequalities and intersecting discrimination faced by women in Cambodia, further barring them from accessing services and economic opportunities.

CWCC, a women-led, women’s rights organization, works to empower marginalized women and girls through protection and prevention initiatives.

CWCC will implement the JUST project in partnership with ADD International. The project will focus on preventing and responding to violence against marginalized women (women living with disabilities, women entertainment workers and/or self-identified sex workers, women in Cham communities and lesbian, bisexual, transgender women and intersex people) in 10 districts in 6 provinces. It will address inequitable social norms, stigma and discrimination; improve the response of duty bearers; and provide essential services and opportunities for women’s voices to influence policy development.

Project strategies include: (1) engaging with community service organization representatives for each group of marginalized women; (2) engaging marginalized women to build their agency; (3) engaging duty bearers by developing and increasing gender-based violence response working groups to challenge negative social norms that prevent marginalized women from accessing essential services; and (4) influencing and advocating for inclusion in national plans and strategies.

CWCC has received funding from the UN Trust Fund on three previous occasions for projects to promote women’s rights and prevent violence. In 2018, ADD International and CWCC collaborated to provide prevention and response services for women and girls living with disabilities in Cambodia.

Fiji

Medical Services Pacific (MSP) - Project title: Sensitizing the Stakeholders and Communities involved in Prevention of Violence against Women and Girls in Fiji – Cycle 25

In Fiji, violence against women and girls is widespread: 64% of women have experienced intimate partner physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. This violence often goes underreported due to stigma, shame, lack of access to services, and so on.

Medical Services Pacific is a women’s rights organization based in Fiji working to promote women and girls’ access to resources to create a world more safe, equal and just. They work specifically on providing quality and accessible sexual and reproductive health care and social services.

The project aims to address violence against women and girls at the community level by engaging community leaders, gatekeepers, men and boys, youths, women and girls through information sessions, demonstrations, case scenarios, group work, empowerment and talanoa (interactive dialogue) sessions. Its goal is to promote and protect women’s human rights by improving the prevention of gender-based violence in the Central and Northern parts of Fiji.

In 2013, MSP received a grant from the UN Trust Fund to implement a project focusing on providing integrated services and information on sexual and reproductive healthcare to women in their workplace.

India

Jan Sahas Development Society - Project Title: PR3 Initiative towards reduction in prevalence of sexual violence against women and girls in India – Cycle 25

Violence against women is systemic in India with over 29% of ever-married women aged 15-49 years experiencing intimate partner physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime according to a 2021 report from the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) and ICF. However, due to a culture of victim-shaming and silence, only a small fraction of women survivors of rape file complaints. In addition, socio-economic and institutional barriers make it difficult for women and girls to access justice. These challenges are often compounded if the survivors are members of India’s marginalized communities, particularly if they are Dalits or Muslims.

Jan Sahas, a women-led, women’s rights organization, works to prevent and end all forms of gender- and caste-based violence against marginalized women and children in South Asia. It aims to ensure that marginalized women and girls have access to their civic and political rights, and are socially and economically empowered to challenge violence, injustice and indignity.

The project aims to create responsive state institutions and social systems that deter perpetrators of violence and reduce the incidence of sexual violence, through focused interventions at the individual, community and stakeholder levels with the existing model of PR3 (Prevention, Response, Rehabilitation, and Systemic Reform). It will target eight districts in three states: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The project will focus primarily on marginalized women and girls facing multiple intersecting forms of discrimination (Dalit and Tribal women, Muslim women, single women) using a multisectoral approach to address their needs.

The project aims to: (1) reduce the prevalence of sexual violence among women and girls through awareness-raising of community members and empowering young girls; (2) develop an effective response system by building women’s and girls’ knowledge and awareness of their rights, protective laws and specialized support services; (3) ensure the right of survivors to attain comprehensive rehabilitation; (4) improve the institutional response to sexual violence survivors; and (5) strengthen the civic movement against sexual violence by establishing and facilitating community-based, survivor-led organizations to monitor state mechanisms’ practices and advocate for better protection protocols.

Centre for Catalyzing Change - Project Title: Manjari: Moving towards a child marriage (CM) free society – Cycle 24

The project of the Centre for Catalyzing Change, an organization that works to empower women to realize gender equality, aims to reduce child marriage by protecting the rights of girls. The project will target areas that have a high gap in literacy rates between urban and rural residents and are home to large tribal populations. It intends to work with 4,500 rural girls aged 10-19 now living in the Basia and Palkot areas of Gumla, a city in Jharkhand state, where child marriage reportedly affects nearly one in four young women aged 15-19. In addition, awareness-raising training sessions will be run for 3,000 boys and men as well as teachers, school principals, government officials and frontline workers.

Strategies will include: (1) promoting access to education for girls; (2) equipping at-risk adolescent girls with knowledge and life skills to help them counter child marriage; (3) adopting a multi-sectoral approach; (4) linking adolescent girls with livelihood opportunities, (5) operationalizing child protection structures and building the capacity of key government departments to prevent child marriages and reduce school drop-out rates; and (6) influencing public opinion about child marriage.

Martha Farrell Foundation - Project Title: Making Institutions Accountable towards Women Domestic Workers: Effective Implementation of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 – Cycle 24

India’s over 4 million domestic workers commonly experience harassment, humiliation, blackmail, maltreatment and non-payment of wages, situations exacerbated by COVID-19.

The Martha Farrell Foundation’s project intends to operate in 13 districts of the Delhi National Capital Region, aiming to improve the effectiveness of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2013 to prevent violence against domestic workers. It aims to overcome the “culture of silence” around the issue of violence, promote collective learning, and empower women domestic workers to reduce their vulnerabilities, exercise their rights and demand justice for sexual harassment in the workplace.

The project will (1) establish 13 local committees that are required to be set up under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2013; (2) develop capacity by training relevant public officers to effectively prevent sexual harassment of domestic workers and respond to their complaints; (3) strengthen coordination among civil society organizations, trade unions, police and district administrations to ensure accountability of institutions mandated to respond to violence against women; (4) improve prevention of violence against women workers; and (5) reinforce implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2013.

Organization for Community Development (OCD) - Project Title:Stop Violence Against Women of the Mukkuvar Indigenous Fisher Folk Community of India: From Zero Concern to Sustainable Care – Cycle 24

The Mukkuvar indigenous marine fisher community in India’s Tamil Nadu state saw an increase in violence against women after COVID-19 response measures. The geographical and cultural isolation of the community means that the issue of violence against women has been largely unaddressed.

During its project, the Organization for Community Development, a small, women-led organization, will work with the most marginalized fisherwomen in selected villages in Tamil Nadu to address the sharp increase in gender-based violence. It aims to strengthen community-based women’s groups, focus on women who are particularly vulnerable to violence, and economically empower women to allow them to leave abusive relationships.

The project will: (1) raise awareness of the rights of women and the impact of the pandemic on gender-based violence, engaging respected community elders and community governance systems; (2) establish community structures that can respond to violence against women, including rehabilitation of survivors; (3) ensure that professional services for survivors of violence are available and accessible; (4) establish structures at village, cluster and district levels to address violence against women; and (5) foster awareness of women’s rights within the Mukkuvar community and engage traditional indigenous governance structures so they prevent violence against women and girls.

Indonesia

Women Solidarity for Humanity and Human Rights - Initiative Title: Pathways to Address Integrated Violence and Health Services for Women Survivors of Violence – Cycle 27

In Indonesia, marginalized women—survivors of violence, female sex workers, women living with HIV, and those of diverse genders and sexualities—face systemic barriers to justice and essential services, compounded by social stigma and discrimination. Women survivors of violence also face increased rates of HIV transmission with the number of gender-based violence (GBV) cases of women living with HIV rising dramatically from 4 cases in 2019 to over 200 in just one year, according to the country’s National Commission of Violence against Women.

Women Solidarity for Humanity and Human Rights is a women’s rights organization and an influential advocate for marginalized communities, which brings expertise in legal advocacy and health service integration. The organization’s strength lies in empowering vulnerable women through education, capacity building, and advocacy. This initiative aims to dismantle systemic barriers, empower over 1,800 marginalized women, and improve access to justice and support services, creating a safer, more equitable environment for them.

The initiative’s dynamic approach will enhance the quality of integrated gender-based services across seven provinces Central Java, East Java, Jogjakarta, West Java, Banten, East Nusa Tenggara, and East Kalimantan and will utilize the following approaches: (1) Targeted approach to reach vulnerable women include women living with HIV, sex workers, transwomen, lesbians and more; (2) Violence awareness and education on the Law on Sexual Violence Crimes (TPKS) for law enforcement and healthcare workers; (3) Capacity building to equip survivors and service providers with the skills to navigate justice systems and access GBV and HIV-related support; (4) Advocacy to advance regulations supporting the full implementation of the TPKS law; and (5) Service Integration between health and GBV services to provide comprehensive, survivor-centered care.

Mongolia

National Center Against Violence - Project title: Strengthening capacity of local civil society organizations on the rights of people with disabilities and on responding to gender-based violence against women and girls with disabilities – Cycle 26

A 2017 study found that 58% of women and girls had experienced some form of violence – physical, sexual, emotional and economic – in Mongolia. Women and girls living with disabilities additionally face specific forms of discrimination and hardship that limit their opportunities to access education and make decisions about their reproductive and family life. There is also a lack of awareness about the rights of people with disabilities.

National Center Against Violence is a women-led women’s rights organization working to eliminate sexual and domestic violence against women and children. The project aims to strengthen the capacity of 18 local civil society organizations to enhance access to specialized services for women and girls living with disabilities at risk or survivors of violence in the capital Ulaanbaatar and the provinces of Darkhan-Uull, Bayakhongor, Dornod and Bayan-Ulgii in Mongolia.

Project activities include: (1) providing mentoring and specialized services to women and girls living with disabilities who are survivors of violence; (2) training the supported civil society organizations on survivor-centred violence against women and girls living with disabilities (VAWGWD) prevention and response mechanisms; (3) developing a plan to provide inclusive specialist services for survivors of VAWGWD; (4) multi-stakeholder meetings to advocate for inclusive specialist services for survivors of VAWGWD; and (5) awareness-raising on VAWGWD prevention and referral mechanisms, including a survivor-led conference and social media advocacy campaigns.

Save the Children Japan - Mongolia Office - Project Title: Protecting Girls from Violence and Exploitation in Mongolia – Cycle 24

Mongolia made improvements in ending violence against women and girls, but harmful practices have escalated during the COVID-19 crisis, reversing some of the gains. The pandemic has exacerbated existing gender inequalities and contributed to a drastic rise in gender-based violence, while also jeopardizing prevention efforts and service availability.

Save the Children Japan – Mongolia Office, through this project, seeks to protect adolescent girls by supporting existing services to incorporate COVID-19-aware responses; use survivor-centred, trauma-informed approaches to respond to and care for survivors; raise awareness among adolescent girls of available assistance; and empower girls through promoting peer support in the COVID-19 context. The goal is to better protect girls from increased risks of violence and exploitation due to the pandemic in five low socio-economic districts of Ulaanbaatar. The project aims to provide COVID-19-aware activities to 1,500 school children; give online access to girls aged 12-18 to information and resources on gender-based violence; and improve data collection on violence, exploitation and trafficking of girls.

The strategies to achieve this include: (1) developing an interdisciplinary COVID-19-aware training package on gender-based violence prevention, response and aftercare services; (2) training professionals, staff of women’s shelters, district hospital psychologists and psychiatrists, family medical clinicians, teachers and school administrators; (3) running peer-driven activities on gender-based violence prevention and protection at 15 district schools; and (4) disseminating “You Are Not Alone” messaging targeting adolescent girls.

Myanmar

The Ara Trust - Initiative Title: Moving Beyond Crisis - Cycle 27

In the wake of Myanmar's 2021 military coup, Burmese refugee women in India face acute vulnerabilities, including heightened risks of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). These women often struggle to access vital support services amidst the ongoing refugee crisis. For instance, UNHCR estimates that 1 in 5 refugee and internally displaced women have faced sexual violence with its resulting profound impact on both individuals and the fabric of their communities.

The Ara Trust is dedicated to advocating for the rights and welfare of marginalized communities, particularly refugees. Their localized approach and expertise in addressing the specific needs of displaced populations position them as key players in providing essential support and advocacy. By establishing an inclusive legal framework that protects refugees and addresses their long-term needs, the initiative aims to enhance systemic support, ultimately mitigating vulnerabilities for Burmese refugee women and girls in a challenging protection environment.

The initiative focuses on: (1) Delivering immediate access to SGBV-specific counseling and psychosocial support for survivors; (2) Ensuring sustained access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services; (3) Enabling refugee women and their communities to identify and report instances of SGBV encountered during displacement; and (4) Empowering survivors to engage with international efforts against conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) by connecting them with judicial and investigative bodies.

CARE International in Myanmar - Project title: Women Lead in Ending Violence Against Women – Cycle 26

In Myanmar, protracted conflict, health and humanitarian crises put women and girls at heightened risk of violence. A recent UN Women and UNDP report shows that almost one in three women do not feel safe in their own ward/village during the day.

CARE International in Myanmar is a women-led humanitarian and development international civil society organization dedicated to creating a world of hope, inclusion and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and all people live in dignity and security. The project aims to ensure that women and girls have increased leadership in violence against women and girls (VAW/G) prevention and response mechanisms through promoting a positive change in knowledge, attitudes and practices, and ensure the provision of quality survivor-centered specialist services in the Shan states, an area affected by protracted conflict as well as health and humanitarian crises. It will be co-implemented with The Fifth Pillar organization.

Project activities include: (1) providing emergency helpline support, cash assistance and legal representation to women and girl survivors of violence; (2) establishing women-led groups and providing capacity-building training, and technical and financial support for them to develop and implement action plans to prevent and end violence against women and girls (VAW/G); (3) participatory workshops on women’s rights and ending VAW/G; (4) training community and local leaders on VAW/G prevention and response mechanisms; (5) multi-stakeholder exchange visits to foster peer-to-peer learning on VAW/G and collective action; (6) awareness-raising on VAW/G prevention and referral mechanisms, including advocacy campaigns targeting men and boys; and (7) developing survivor-centred guidance notes and documents on VAW/G prevention and response mechanisms.

Nepal

Nepal Disabled Women Association - Initiative title: Inclusive Governance, Nurturing Independence, and Transforming Environments for Women and Girls with Disabilities in Nepal (IGNITE) - Cycle 27

In Nepal, gender inequalities are pervasive, with alarmingly high rates of violence against women, particularly in regions like Madhesh Province, which ranks highest in multi-dimensional poverty in the country. Women and girls with disabilities in the province face severe intersectional discrimination and multiple forms of violence, including rape, domestic violence, witchcraft accusations, and forced abortion, while lacking family support and access to justice due to societal stigma and cultural preferences for mediation over formal reporting.

The Nepal Disabled Women Association (NDWA), a leading advocate for the rights of women and girls with disabilities, has been championing their needs for over a decade. Their deep-rooted understanding of local contexts and collaborative approach has reached 35 districts serving 25,000 community members across the country. This initiative aims to transform environments, enhance access to services, and advocate for the rights of women and girls with disabilities, leading to improved legal frameworks and increased awareness of their unique challenges.

NDWA’s proposed initiative employs several strategies: (1) Launching awareness and mass media campaigns in 160 communities to promote behavior change; (2) Strengthening service providers and piloting accessible service delivery in two districts, with plans to expand to eight more; and (3) Advocating for policy reforms and budget support to ensure disability- and gender-responsive legislation.

Tarangini Foundation - Initiative Title: Rupantaran – Cycle 27

In Nepal, harmful practices of Taani Bibaha (forced/ abduction marriage), child marriage and dowry related violence are fueled and maintained by outdated social and cultural norms, and more prevalent in rural districts like Dhanusha, Udayapur, and Rukum East. Indeed, around the country 22% of women have experienced physical violence and 7% have experienced sexual violence some time in their life. [1]

Tarangini Foundation, a women-led organization empowers marginalized communities through targeted interventions that challenge harmful practices and promote women's rights. This initiative aims to strengthen women's advocacy, improve gender-based violence (GBV) response mechanisms reaching an additional 480 community members and authorities, and foster collaboration for lasting social change, empowering women and girls to lead efforts for their rights and well-being.

Key activities include: (1) Capacity building for 120 women and girls including from indigenous communities to prevent and respond to GBV; (2) Strengthening GBV response systems with local referral mechanisms and protection clusters; (3) Survivor support offering psychosocial services, safe houses, and vocational training; (4) Engaging men and boys to drive social change against GBV; (5) Local government collaboration to enhance understanding of human rights; and (6) Mapping GBV responses to improve accountability and response to cases.

SETU Nepal - Project title: Empowering women living with HIV and relevant duty bearers to prevent gender-based violence and challenge stigma and discrimination in community and health-care settings in Nepal – Cycle 26

Despite Nepal’s Constitution guaranteeing women the right to safe motherhood and reproductive health, and freedom from any kind of violence, women and girls living with HIV/affected by AIDS continue to face discrimination and violence in all areas of life while lacking access to specialist services. 

SETU Nepal is a women-led women’s rights organization working to end discrimination, violence, and exclusion against women and children, especially those living with HIV/affected by AIDS. The project aims to empower women living with HIV (WLHIV) who are at risk or survivors of violence and challenge associated stigma and discrimination in community and healthcare settings to enhance their access to inclusive specialist services in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Makwanpur and Nawalparasi West districts in Nepal.

Project activities include: (1) providing inclusive specialist services to WLHIV survivors of violence against women and girls (VAW/G), including shelter, psychosocial support and livelihood assistance; (2) training WLHIV at risk or survivors of violence on women’s rights and VAW/G prevention and inclusive referral mechanisms; (3) training key stakeholders and organizing multi-stakeholder workshops on VAW/G prevention and inclusive response mechanisms for WLHIV survivors to foster peer-to-peer learning and collective action; (4) mapping the available inclusive specialist services and referrals, and developing a reporting guideline on VAW/G and against discriminatory attitudes targeting WLHIV survivors; and (5) awareness-raising on VAW/G and discriminatory attitudes against WLHIV survivors of violence, including organizing community dialogues, producing a video documentary, and disseminating advocacy material.

Shakti Milan Samaj - Project title: Prevention of violence against women living with HIV and women survivors of sex trafficking – Cycle 26

Despite Nepal’s Constitution guaranteeing women the right to safe motherhood and reproductive health, and freedom from any kind of violence, women and girls living with HIV and/or affected by AIDS, survivors of sex trafficking and those in the lowest income group continue to face many forms of discrimination and violence in all areas of life while lacking access to specialist services. 

Shakti Milan Samaj (SMS) is a constituent-led women’s rights organization dedicated to protecting and empowering women and girls living with HIV and/or affected by AIDS (WGHA) and survivors of human trafficking in Nepal. The project aims to prevent and end violence against women and girls (VAW/G), including WGHA, survivors of sex trafficking and those in the lowest income group, in Kathmandu and the Bagmati Province in Nepal.

Project activities include: (1) providing emergency assistance, shelter and psychosocial support to WGHA who are at risk or survivors of violence and/or sex trafficking; (2) training WGHA at risk or survivors of violence and/or sex trafficking and other key women stakeholders on VAW/G and inclusive referral mechanisms, and organizing peer-to-peer exchanges to foster learning and collective action; (3) implementing capacity-building programmes for health service providers on VAW/G prevention and inclusive response mechanisms for WGHA;(4) awareness-raising on VAW/G and discriminatory attitudes against WGHA survivors; and (5) producing a report on psychological and emotional violence against WGHA and/or their sex trafficking.

Center for Dalit Women Nepal - Project Title: Establish Mechanism and Strengthen Sub-National Policies to Combat Violence Against Dalit and Marginalized women and Girls – Cycle 24

Violence against women and girls in Nepal, already prevalent, increased rapidly during the lockdown instituted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, there was a sharp rise in physical violence, child-marriage, dowry-related violence and violence in public spaces.

The project of the Center for Dalit Women Nepal, a local women’s rights organization, aims to help build communities free of all forms of gender-based violence against women from Dalit and marginalized communities.

Project strategies include: (1) mobilizing elected women representatives, women leaders, inclusive solidarity networks and other relevant structures towards evidence-based policy advocacy ; (2) digitalizing the online training programmes and mobilizing social media; (3) achieving structural changes through psycho-social counselling; (4) empowering local bodies, police personnel and others to advance gender equality; (5) mobilizing the media to educate people about women’s rights and gender-based violence; and (6) raising men’s awareness about violence against women and girls.

Pakistan

Shirkat Gah-Women's Resource Centre - Project Title: Hum-Qadam-Partners for Change – Cycle 24

Violence against women and girls, already endemic in Pakistan, has spiralled during the COVID-19 pandemic, with increased domestic violence and risks of child/early marriage at a time of disrupted prevention and response services. Lockdown measures have prevented women and girls from seeking help and reporting cases as they were trapped with abusers, and lacked privacy or telephones to make calls.

Shirkat Gah-Women's Resource Centre is a local women’s organization that assists women and marginalized communities across Pakistan. Its project aims to ensure that women and girl survivors and those at risk of domestic violence and child/early age marriage have enhanced access to robust community support, improved remote guidance tools and more COVID-19-appropriate protection systems in the regions of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan.

The project aims to: (1) change the local ecosystems in selected communities; (2) enhance remote access to practical information and guidance in 16 districts; (3) help institutionalize necessary measures to improve responses to violence against women and girls; and (4) confront the challenges showcased by COVID-19 – the lack of information for women and girls; the paucity of resources to support them when confronting violence; weaknesses in social protection systems; and inadequate remote information and guidance systems on violence against women and girls.

Solomon Islands

Family Support Centre Trust Board - Initiative Title: Women and Girls Accessing Essential, Safe and Secured GBV Services in Solomon Islands – Cycle 27

In the Solomon Islands, the majority of gender-based violence (GBV) services are concentrated in the capital Honiara, leaving women and girls in provincial areas with inadequate support. This geographical disparity creates significant barriers to accessing essential, safe services for marginalized populations, while GBV is a critical issue, with approximately 64% of women aged 15–49 reporting experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lives- one of the highest rates in the world.[2]

The Family Support Centre Trust Board has been at the forefront of advocating for women's rights and providing critical support services. Their establishment of GBV Provincial Committees empowers local communities and enhances the accessibility of vital resources, demonstrating a commitment to combating GBV across all nine provinces. This initiative aims to enhance the capacities of GBV Provincial Committees, increase service accessibility for women and girls, raise awareness in educational settings, and foster a supportive network for sharing best practices. Ultimately, it seeks to create a safer environment for women and girls, including women and girls with disabilities, in the Solomon Islands, ensuring they can seek help without barriers.

The initiative employs key strategies, including: (1) Strengthening GBV Provincial Committees through comprehensive training and collaboration with SafeNet partners; (2) Building partnerships with schools to promote women's rights and raise awareness about domestic violence; (3) Collaborating to identify and address gaps in the referral system; (4) Developing an impactful communications strategy to inform communities about available GBV services; (5) Establishing a Community of Practitioners for effective knowledge sharing; and (6) Training local counsellors to provide trusted and empathetic support to survivors.

Sri Lanka

Stand Up Movement Lanka - Project Title: Every Woman Counts – Cycle 24

In Sri Lanka, a country still suffering tensions, civil unrest and extensive militarization of certain areas in the post-conflict era, violence against women is pervasive. Implementation of a recent legal framework to stigmatize such violence has been slow. In this context, the risks of violence facing self-identified sex workers are particularly high, exacerbated by continuing social stigma and, since early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic.

The project to be run by Stand Up Movement Lanka will focus on self-identified sex workers in the capital Colombo, Gampaha city in Western Province, Polonnaruwa, Galle, where the pandemic has made women even more vulnerable to violence, particularly at the hands of police, and denied them access to COVID-19 emergency relief. The project aims to create an environment of respect for the basic rights of self-identified sex workers.

Among the project’s strategies are: (1) strengthening self-identified sex workers’ networks and self-help practices; (2) developing a network of pro-bono lawyers to support self-identified sex workers; (3) conducting comprehensive research on the conditions of self-identified sex workers in the four target districts; and (4) nourishing empathy towards self-identified sex workers to help them access basic services without discrimination.

[1] Ministry of Health, Nepal; New ERA; and ICF. Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2016. Kathmandu, Nepal: Ministry of Health, 2017. Available at: https://dhsprogram.com/publications/publication-fr336-dhs-final-reports.cfm. Accessed October 2024.

[2] UNFPA Pacific Sub-Regional Office. Solomon Islands Family Health and Safety Study: A Study on Violence Against Women and Children. Available at: https://pacific.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/SolomonIslandsFamilyHealthandSafetyStudy.pdf. Accessed October 2024.

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