Grantees, 22nd cycle (2019)

In response to the UN Trust Fund’s 22^nd Call for Proposals in 2018, the UN Trust Fund received 1,086 applications from 108 countries and territories for a total value of USD 434 million. In total, 24 organizations in 21 countries and territories were awarded grants for a total amount of USD 9.2 million.

This round of funding includes five new projects working to prevent and end violence against women and girls with disabilities. In addition, four projects support the needs of women and girl refugees and internally displaced survivors of violence in the context of forced displacement and humanitarian crises.

The UN Trust Fund’s 22^nd cycle of grants also prioritized support to women-led, women’s rights and small organizations. Of the projects funded, 22 are women-led organizations.

 

Africa (3) | Arab States (1)
Asia and the Pacific (7) | Europe and Central Asia (7) | Latin America and the Caribbean (7)

Africa

Eswatini

Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse

Project Title: Leave No One Behind: Towards a VAW/G free Eswatini

Description: Violence against women and girls in Eswatini remains endemic, particularly for those living with disabilities and refugees. In this UN Trust Fund-funded project, the Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse is working to end violence against women and girls by changing attitudes about gender, improving delivery of services to those who have experienced violence, and raising awareness about refugee rights and the rights of young women and girls with disabilities.

The project is being implemented in communities in Lumombo region, including the Malindza refugee camp. Key activities include:

• promoting existing services through a “Stop the Bus” model, which reaches remote communities;
• empowering girls and young women through mentoring and life skills training;
• addressing violence by caregivers against women and girls with disabilities through training; and
• using dialogue to challenge perceptions of disability.

Kenya

HIAS Refugee Trust of Kenya

Project Title: Community Based Prevention of Violence Against Refugee Women and Girls in Nairobi

Description: Acceptance of violence against women and girls is widespread in Kenya and extends to the refugee communities in Nairobi. HIAS Refugee Trust of Kenya is seeking to change this attitude through this UN Trust Fund-supported project in Eastleigh, Kawangwara and Koyole – three locations in Nairobi county that are home to many refugees. The project works to encourage men to reject interpersonal violence; increase women’s reporting of violence; enhance practices by community leaders and police to prevent violence against women and girls; improve the accountably and attitudes of programme staff on the prevention of violence; and provide training for men, groups of women and girls, community refugee leaders and staff.

Kenya

Forum For Women in Development and Democracy and Justice

Project Title: Strengthening SGBV emergency response for refugee hosting communities to secure access to services for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) refugees.

Description: Trafficking of refugee adolescent girls and young women is growing in Nairobi because of their age and the disruption of their social networks. As a result, they are at risk of being exploited and abused or forced into marriage.

This project, which is supported by the UN Trust Fund and implemented by Forum for Women in Development and Democracy and Justice, is working to reduce the risk of women to sexual exploitation, abuse and violence in areas of high refugee concentration in Nairobi and Kajiado County. The project builds on the organization’s current programming to end gender-based violence and is:

• providing leadership and life skills training to help people identify warning signs and risks of trafficking and illegal recruitment;
• engaging with women-led media to disseminate information about activities related to gender-based violence;
• providing job skills training; and
• building the capacity of health staff and communities to prevent violence against women and support survivors. 

Arab States

State of Palestine

Palestinian Counseling Center

Project Title: Life Without Violence: women and girls have increased access to justice and EVAW services

Description: Women living in East Jerusalem and Area C are largely excluded from government services for survivors of violence, and few NGOs have the capacity to ensure women’s safety. The problem is compounded by the prevalent culture that permits and excuses violence against women and discourages survivors from reporting. This leaves women at high risk of violence and with little recourse to justice and essential services.

The Palestinian Counseling Center, a mental health NGO for women, youth and children, is running this UN Trust Fund-funded project to enhance women’s protection against violence. The project aims to:

• build the capacity of community-based organizations;
• enhance women’s knowledge about gender-based violence, and increase their economic opportunities;
• empower women leaders to support others in the community; and
• increase access to government services through a revised national referral system that will allow for referrals between women-led community-based organizations and national institutions.

Asia and the Pacific

Indonesia

Organisasi Harapan Nusantara (OHANA)

Project Title: Ending Violence Against Women and Girls with Disabilities in Indonesia

Description: In Indonesia, often women and girls with disabilities live in poverty or live in isolation in villages or institutions. Service providers, local authorities and community leaders are not fully equipped to meet their needs, and gender-based violence prevention efforts and services are often inaccessible to women with disabilities. 

Through the funding of a UN Trust Fund small grant, the women-led organization OHANA is implementing this project to end violence against women and girls living with disabilities in five districts of Yogyakarta city. The project is working with women and girls with low education and literacy levels, and those living in poverty and in rural areas. Activities include:

• capacity building for health and social service providers and mental health institutions to provide inclusive and accessible services;
• outreach and education through campaigns and workshops;
• “ohana circles” for survivors that provide information and referrals to service providers; and
• advocacy at the national level on a pending law to end sexual violence.

Nepal

Nepal Disabled Women Association

Project Title: Inclusive Partnership Against Violence (INPAV)

Description: Nepal Disabled Women Association, a women-led organization, is working in consortium with others to implement this UN Trust Fund-supported project in various districts of the country. The project is addressing the growing violence against women and girls with disabilities in Nepal, and the limitations of existing policies and programmes to meet their needs or engage with them to find solutions. The project aims to:

• empower women and girls with disabilities to prevent violence and achieve justice;
• strengthen gender-based violence services and mechanisms;
• establish self-help groups to carry out awareness campaigns and advocacy; and
• develop the capacity of women with disabilities to access services and campaign to end violence.

Bangladesh

Badabon Sangho

Project Title: Confront land displacement induced violence against women and girls

Description: Public and private land investments have led to the displacement and harassment of women landowners in southwest Bangladesh. This has happened in the context of women facing high levels of physical, sexual and psychological violence by their families and the community, particularly in rural areas.

Through the funding from a UN Trust Fund small grant, this project is supporting women who have been or remain at risk of being displaced in four sub-districts of Bagerhat district in southwest Bangladesh. Key activities include educating women about their rights and gender-based violence while linking them with public services; raising awareness about violence against women, including in activities that involve men and boys; and engaging with police, land officials, elected bodies and legal aid committees to improve responses to violence against women.

Viet Nam

Hagar International in Vietnam

Project Title: Building capacity of duty bearers and beneficiaries to improve access to services for women and children survivors of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence and change community’s attitude and behaviour towards violence against women.

Description: Survivors of gender-based violence in Viet Nam have limited access to high quality, comprehensive services, and often receive little support from their communities and local authorities.

This UN Trust Fund-funded project, implemented by Hagar International, is addressing the current situation to aid survivors to heal and thrive, with a special focus on women and girl survivors of trafficking, indigenous people, ethnic minorities, and women and girls living with disabilities. It is being implemented in four communes in Nghe An and Yen Bai provinces, which incur high levels of human trafficking due to poverty. The project delivers trauma-informed multi-sectoral care to survivors; improves community support for survivors; increases awareness of violence against women and girls; and expands a care centre that offers short-term, safe accommodation and services to survivors.

Pakistan

Rozan

Project Title: Improving Post shelter lives of women survivors of violence

Description: In Pakistan, shelters can provide secure spaces for women survivors of violence. However, a lack of follow-up mechanisms and institutional support once women leave shelters puts women at risk of further violence. Barriers to their reintegration into society include economic dependence, community disapproval and, at times, bias of service providers.

These problems are being addressed by this UN Trust Fund-funded project, which is being implemented by the NGO Rozan in two shelters in Hyderabad city and one in Sukkhur city. Through the implementation, the project aims to improve attitudes of service providers; raise general awareness about violence against women; promote a positive perception of women survivors of violence; and enhance social and economic reintegration of survivors.

Activities include awareness and sensitization training for service providers and the wider community, and economic skills training for survivors.

India

International Foundation for Crime Prevention and Victim Care

Project Title: Begin Anew- Comprehensive support services to women burn survivors

Description: The International Foundation for Crime Prevention and Victim Care is implementing a project with a small grant from the UN Trust Fund to improve protection of women impacted by burns that were either self-inflicted or inflicted by relatives in the context of domestic and intimate partner violence. Women with these injuries need specialized care and rehabilitative support services to help them reintegrate into society.

This project, which is being implemented in India, is offering comprehensive assistance to victims, including by strengthening essential public health services and reinforcing a multi-sectoral support network. It is working collaboratively with many stakeholders, including burn survivors, heath care institutions, legal entities, civil society organizations and employment institutions, to ensure improved support for burn survivors.

Philippines

Institute of Politics and Governance, Inc.

Project Title: Promoting Safe Public Spaces for Women and Girls in Marikina City, Philippines

Description: Sexual harassment and other forms of violence in public spaces remain a major concern for women and girls in the Philippines. Despite legislation that defines and penalizes gender-based sexual harassment in public spaces, workplaces, educational institutions and online, limited regulations exist to enforce it. 

This project, which is being implemented in Marikina city with a small grant from the UN Trust Fund, is campaigning for policies in schools, communities and local government that oppose and penalize sexual harassment in public spaces, and encourage women and girls to report harassment. Activities include consultation and dialogue with different stakeholders, awareness raising on harassment and the law, and public campaigning.

Europe and Central Asia

Ukraine

NGO Club Eney

Project Title: Women Initiating New Goals of Safety in Ukraine

Description: Over 1 million women a year experience physical or sexual violence in Ukraine. This project, funded by a small grant from the UN Trust Fund, is working to prevent gender-based violence and the spread of HIV in the cities of Poltava and Cherkasy. Its efforts are focused on women who use drugs, women living with HIV and internally displaced women, all of whom are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence.

The project, which is run by the NGO Club Eney, is adapting and implementing an evidence-based intervention called WINGS (Women Initiating New Goals of Safety). It is also working to improve access for at risk women to essential, safe and adequate services, and raising awareness about gender-based violence in communities. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Center of Women's Rights

Project Title: New approach, new model for better position of women in system of protection from violence

Description: In Bosnia and Herzegovina, survivors of gender-based violence have limited access to information about their rights, and often struggle through a formal and bureaucratic judicial system. As a result, survivors can be left isolated, are often re-traumatized, and rarely benefit from protection mechanisms.

This project, implemented by the Center of Women's Rights, funded by a small grant from the UN Trust Fund, is improving protection mechanisms for survivors of intimate partner violence. It is focusing on strengthening the capacity of judges and prosecutors to deal with such cases and increasing social workers understanding of gender-based violence.

Serbia

Association Fenomena

Project Title: The Power to Prevent Gender-Based Violence in Serbia

Description: Gender-based violence remains entrenched in Serbia. One in two women has suffered interpersonal violence, a form of abuse that is widely accepted and tolerated, even among young people.

This project, implemented by the women-led Association Fenomena with the support of a small grant from the UN Trust Fund, is working to transform harmful attitudes, including victim-blaming, and to change behaviour. It is using proven and innovative education and campaigning methods to educate women, youth, journalists, education institutions and the public at large about gender-based violence. It is also encouraging survivors of violence to call helplines and access the services they need.

Albania

Shelter for Abused Women and Girls

Project Title: Offering protection and empowerment to women and girls, including LBT (Lesbian, Bisexual, Transexual) women.

Description: For the first time, two well-established shelters – the Shelter for Abused Women and Girls and the Streha Center for lesbian, bisexual and transgender women survivors of domestic violence – are joining forces to end violence against women and girls in Albania.

The project, which is supported by a UN Trust Fund small grant, focuses on the delivery of empowering, gender-responsive, multi-sectoral services in four remote areas of Albania – Vorë, Lushnje, Shkoder and Skrapar. Survivors of violence benefit from programmes offered by both shelters, including counselling, psycho-social support, and advice on legal, housing and employment issues. The project is also developing the capacities of police and judicial officers, social workers, medical personnel and educators through training and coaching.

Tajikistan

International Alert

Project Title: Zindagii Shoista - Living in Dignity

Description: International Alert, funded by the UN Trust Fund, is scaling up its earlier pilot intervention in rural Tajikistan to prevent and end physical, emotional and sexual abuse of women, as well as address high rates of depression and suicide.

The project is focusing on changing gender attitudes and practices at the family level, improving mental health and finances, and decreasing violence. Its activities include increasing women’s social empowerment, raising awareness about violence against women and girls and building an understanding of women’s economic contribution to families.

Armenia

Women's Resource Center

Project Title: Improving Response Mechanisms of State to Address Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment in Armenia

Description: This project, supported by the UN Trust Fund and run by the Women’s Resource Center, is working to change the discriminatory narratives, attitudes and behaviour of state and non-state actors towards sexual and gender-based violence. It is being implemented in the capital Yerevan and three regions of Armenia where sexual violence is particularly prevalent. The project is:

• developing better response mechanisms to cases of violence;
• increasing the capacities of key government agencies to strengthen gender-sensitive approaches of investigators, social workers, psychologists and health professionals;
• establishing coordination between relevant agencies, civil society organizations and service providers;
• running a nationwide awareness raising campaign to end the stigma attached to sexual and gender-based violence; and
• developing an advocacy plan for legislative changes.

Latin America and the Caribbean

Colombia

Corporación Sisma Mujer

Project Title: Estrategia de acceso a la justicia para mujeres víctimas de desplazamiento forzado y violencia sexual en Colombia

Description: This project is working to ensure that women survivors of sexual violence and forced displacement in Bolívar, Chocó, Valle del Cauca and Nariño departments in Colombia can exercise their rights to truth, justice, reparation and non-repetition of abuses. Funded by the UN Trust Fund, it is being implemented by Corporacion Sisma Mujer, a Colombian feminist organization that works with women who have experienced violence and discrimination in private, public and armed conflict settings.

The project is building the capacity of the organization Mujer Sigue Mis Pasos (Woman Follow My Steps) to reduce impunity for sexual violence and forced displacement, and aid the emotional recovery of survivors by improving their access to transitional justice.

Colombia

Corporación Con-Vivamos

Project Title: Mujeres y hombres jóvenes rompiendo moldes para erradicar la violencia machista contra las mujeres y niñas en Colombia

Description: This UN Trust Fund-funded project is being implemented in Medellín by Corporación Con-Vivamos to transform social attitudes that normalize gender inequality and violence against women. The project works to identify sexist behaviour, practices and attitudes in families, schools and public places; strengthen the role of youth in challenging gender-based violence; and improve the collaboration between civil society organizations and the media to promote activism to end harmful attitudes and behaviour against women and girls.

The project is working with female political activists; indigenous women; lesbian, gay and transgender women; and women and girls in general, with a focus on adolescent girls and young women.

Guatemala

Sida y Sociedad ONG

Project Title: Mujeres trabajadoras sexuales por el derecho a la identificación

Description: The women-led Sida y Sociedad ONG organization is running this project to reduce gender-based violence and promote the defense of human rights of women migrants and particularly at risk women in Escuintla, Guatemala. Funded by a small grant from the UN Trust Fund, the project is helping women migrants obtain official identification to be able to access legal services, health care and psychosocial support, and reduces the risk of violence.

The project’s main beneficiaries are encouraged to become active members of community and institutional networks that raise awareness of violence against women migrants and sex workers and propose ways to address and respond to violence.

Argentina

Fundación para Estudio e Investigación de la Mujer

Project Title: Previniendo el matrimonio y las uniones infantiles: una forma de VCMN en Argentina

This project is campaigning against child marriage in Argentina. Supported by a small grant from the UN Trust Fund, the project is being implemented by FEIM, a small, women-led organization that works to end violence against women and defend children’s rights.

The project is studying the incidence and realities of child and early marriage based on statistics and focus group discussions with children, families and government officials. FEIM will use the findings to campaign to reform the law, which is too flexible to allow strict enforcement of the minimum legal age of marriage. The project is also developing methods to better identify situations likely to lead to child marriage and raise public awareness of the issue.

Argentina

Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales

Project Title: La reforma de prácticas hospitalarias y judiciales para erradicar la violencia contra las mujeres con discapacidad mental asiladas en el Hospital Psiquiátrico Dr. Alejandro Korn, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Description: The UN Trust Fund is supporting this project to end systemic violence against women with living with mental disabilities in the Dr Alejandro Korn psychiatric hospital in Buenos Aires. The project, which is being implemented by Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (Centre of Legal and Social Studies):

• campaigns to end violent practices in the hospital, including forced surgical contraception and forcible adoption of children;
• works to ensure women patients have access to justice; and
• advocates for the hospital to adopt a programme to prevent and eliminate gender-based violence.

To achieve these goals, the project is establishing a centre to help enable women to access justice; train hospital staff and legal officials; raise women’s awareness of gender-based violence; and to file a landmark lawsuit to recognize the rights of women living with disabilities and any violence committed against them in the hospital.

Peru

Paz y Esperanza

Project Title: Una vida digna y sin violencia para las niñas y mujeres con discapacidad en Lima, Cusco y San Martín – Perú

Description: Even though ending violence against women and girls in Peru is a public priority, there is limited awareness of such abuse of women and girls with disabilities. Moreover, women with disabilities also have limited access to services that are normally available to survivors of violence.

This project, implemented by Paz y Esperanza (Peace and Hope), funded by the UN Trust Fund, is working to increase access to services for women living with disabilities in Lima, Cusco and San Martin regions. The project:

• campaigns to make visible the experiences, needs and rights of women with disabilities, with a focus on preventing and ending violence against them;
• improves access to and strengths multi-sectoral services for women and girls with disabilities who have experienced violence;
• empowers a generation of leaders of women with disabilities through training; and
• hosts discussions to assess existing policies, plans and strategies that address preventing and ending violence against women with disabilities.

Mexico

Instituto para las Mujeres en la Migración, A.C.

Project Title: Contribución a la protección internacional de México a mujeres víctimas de violencia de género

Description: An unprecedented number of women and girls from Central American countries are seeking asylum in Mexico, many of whom are survivors of gender-based violence. However, Mexico’s refugee law does not recognize this form of violence as a reason for granting refugee status. In addition, many border control staff and refugee authorities assisting asylum-seekers often lack experience, knowledge and capacity to address the needs of survivors of gender-based violence.

Supported by the UN Trust Fund, this project is strengthening protection measures offered in Mexico to female asylum-seekers who are survivors of violence. It is working to improve service provision – including legal aid, medical and psychological assistance, and expert advice – during the asylum process. It is also gathering information and developing public policy recommendations to better serve the needs of women and girl asylum seekers.