Women’s Affairs Technical Committee implemented the three-year project “Gender Justice to End Violence against Women and Girls” across four governorates in the West Bank of the State of Palestine with the support of the UN Trust Fund from 2018 to 2021. The project aimed to address violence against women and girls by improving access to formal and informal justice systems for survivors of violence, focusing on refugee and internally displaced women and girls. The final evaluation found that key judicial actors as well as community-based women leaders and practitioners had gained enhanced capacity to detect and respond to cases of gender-based violence and provide referral services, and media advocacy campaigns increased the visibility of such violence and promoted the agency and rights of women and girls to access justice.

In the State of Palestine, the Stars of Hope Society implemented the "HEMAYA” project in partnership with the Social and Economic Policies Monitor (Al-Marsad) with the support of the UN Trust Fund for over three years in 2018-2022. The project aimed to support women and girls with disabilities who were survivors of violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to safely access adequate and appropriate support services. The final evaluation found that the project’s strategy was highly relevant and achieved significant changes for women and girls with disabilities. 

The Association for Combating Trafficking of Human Beings and All Forms of Gender-based Violence (Atina) implemented the project "Making a difference for refugee women and girls in Serbia” for over three years in 2018-2021 with the support of the UN Trust Fund. The project aimed to ensure that refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls in Serbia were better protected against violence. The final evaluation found that the project was very successful in achieving its goals and outcomes, with most of the results exceeding targets. 

In Serbia, Mental Disability Rights Initiative of Serbia (MDRI-S) in partnership with women’s rights organization FemPlatz implemented the project “Accessible Services for Women with Disabilities Survivors of Custodial Violence” between 2019 and 2021 with the support of the UN Trust Fund. The twice-funded project aimed to ensure that women and girls with mental disabilities have greater support to live their life free of custodial violence. The final evaluation found that, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the project partially achieved its goals. 

In the State of Palestine, the Community Media Center implemented a two-year project "Stop violence against women” with the support of the UN Trust Fund. The project aimed to prevent and end violence against women through media outlets and social media sensitization. The final evaluation found that the project’s strategy was highly relevant and achieved significant changes in the targeted communities.

This independent, final evaluation presents the findings of the cluster evaluation of three small grant projects implemented between March 2017 and February 2020 and funded by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women:1. “Improving Access to Life With No Violence for Women Survivors in Central and Northern Montenegro”, implemented by SOS Hotline for Women and Children Victims of Violence, Niksic;2. “Empowering Survivors of Domestic Violence in the Tetovo Region”, implemented by Women’s Forum–Tetovo in Montenegro; and3. “Actively and Publicly Combating Discrimination – Gender Based Violence”, implemented by the Center for Girls in Serbia. The final evaluation found that the empowerment and awareness-raising strategies implemented by the projects were effective, innovative and well adjusted to the target groups.

Women Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling implemented the “Promote women's access to social and legal services in the West Bank and East Jerusalem” initiative between March 2017 and February 2020 with support from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that the project provided a unique model of combined social and legal support to end gender-based violence.

The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women funded “Addressing Violence Against Syrian Refugee Women in the Kurdistan Region of Northern Iraq”, a project implemented by Women for Women International . The project aimed to support women affected by conflict, including Syrian refugees, members of the host community, and internally displaced populations in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. The evaluation found that the project was effective and improved the lives of the intended beneficiaries.

From March 2017 to February 2019, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women provided funding to Asuda for Combating Violence against Women for its initiative “Improving the Response Mechanisms to Sexual and Gender-based Violence against Syrian Refugee Women and Girls in Iraqi Kurdistan”, which was run in partnership with the Ceasefire Center for Civilian Rights. The initiative included all actors involved in the issue of sexual and gender-based violence in the context of a displaced population. The final evaluation found the project had improved community and stakeholders’ responses and social attitudes towards sexual and gender-based violence in Syrian refugee communities, and that the project’s strategy should be used as a model for other initiatives in a similar cultural and humanitarian context.

The Women’s Studies Centre in the State of Palestine implemented the project "AMAN – Combating Sexual Violence in the Palestinian Society" between January 2016 and December 2018, supported by funding from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that the project increased awareness of school-aged girls on what constitutes sexual harassment and abuse, and left school-aged girls and boys better able to identify channels to report harassment and abuse.

The project “Preventing Violence through Creating Safer Schools” was implemented in Guyana by Help & Shelter between January 2016 and January 2019 with financial support from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that school-aged girls who participated in the project felt more confident to speak out against violence and to seek support. Secondary school students trained during the project better understood gender-based violence and gained knowledge of laws related to gender-based violence, domestic violence and children’s rights.

The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women provided funds for the Autonomous Women’s Center’s project “No Tolerance for Gender Based-Violence” between January 2016 and December 2018. The initiative disseminated information, changed individual attitudes, raised awareness about gender-based violence, and facilitated advocacy activities. The final evaluation found that the Center increased youth understanding of gender-based violence and contributed to changing boys’ attitudes about it.

The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women provided funds for the Association of Roma Novi Bečej from January 2016 to December 2018 to support its initiative “No More Victims ¬– Roma Women and Girls Respond to Violence”. The final evaluation found that the project significantly contributed to ending violence against women in Novi Bečej municipality, particularly through education and improved service provision.

From January 2016 to January 2019, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women provided funds for the Provincial Secretariat for Health, Social Policy and Demography’s initiative “STOP–CARE–CURE: A Stronger Institutional Response to Gender-based Violence in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina”. The final evaluation found the project improved protection against gender-based violence and established pilot centres for survivors.

The project “Combating Gender Based Violence”, implemented by the Psycho-social Counselling Center for Women in collaboration with QADER for Community Development and Almuntada, was funded from January 2015 to December 2017 by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation concluded that the project had empowered women and girls to talk about issues of violence both within and outside the family context.

The project “Deinstitutionalize and End Violence against Women with Disabilities in Custodial Institutions”, implemented by Mental Disability Rights Initiative of Serbia, was funded from January 2016 to January 2018 by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that the project successfully brought the perspectives and experiences of women with disabilities in institutions to the attention of decision-makers, prompting institutional and policy change.

ALAFIA received funding from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women to implement the project “Eradication of harmful customary widowhood practices that can lead to HIV/AIDS infection” in 24 villages in Togo. The final evaluation showed that the project ended degrading and humiliating widowhood rites against women in these villages and established the principle of equal sharing of inheritance between women and men.

The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women allocated funds to B92, a Serbian broadcasting organization, for its initiative “Safe House Economic Empowerment” that ran from December 2013 to February 2016. The project aimed to empower girls to understand violence and prevent intimate partner and non-partner gender-based violence. The evaluation found that the project significantly contributed to ongoing efforts in Serbia to end violence against women and girls.

The project Integrated Response to Gender-Based Violence against Women in Serbia was implemented by the UN Country Team in Serbia from November 2012 to October 2015 and received a three-year grant from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that the project had contributed significantly to the building of an integrated response of the UN Country Team, the Serbian Government and development partners to violence against women by improving capacities of key stakeholders to implement measures to address the violence.

The project Towards a Comprehensive System to End Violence against Women in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina was implemented by the Provincial Secretariat for Labour, Employment and Gender Equality from January 2009 to December 2012, with three-year grant support from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation recognized the positive impact of the project on women beneficiaries and on national policy and the legislative framework.