Refugee Consortium of Kenya implemented the three-year project “Towards Improved Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Among Urban Refugees Project” in Nairobi and Garissa counties, with the support of the UN Trust Fund, from 2018 to 2021. The programme primarily aimed to enhance community-based support for women and girl survivors of violence, particularly refugees and asylum seekers; improve reporting and conviction rates of gender-based violence cases; and strengthen the coping mechanisms and practical skillsets of survivors. A final evaluation revealed that the project substantially increased the knowledge and awareness of gender-based violence among women and girl survivors, as well as key judicial, medical, official and religious actors, which in turn improved survivors’ perception of self-worth, their confidence in institutional mechanisms, and their ability to seek and access support.

HIAS Refugee Trust of Kenya (HRTK) implemented the three-year “Community-Based Prevention of Violence against Refugee Women and Girls in Nairobi" project in 2019-2022 with the support of the UN Trust Fund. The project aimed to change the gendered drivers of violence against women and girls in urban refugee communities. The final evaluation found the project interventions were relevant to the communities’ needs and were successfully implemented.

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 Kenya, the Centre for Rights, Education and Awareness and its partner Kenya Women Parliamentary Association implemented the “Wajibika project” for three and a half years from September 2018 with the support of the UN Trust Fund. The project aimed to better protect women and girls against gender-based violence through implementation of effective national legislation, policies, accountability structures and national action plans. The final evaluation found that, despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was successfully implemented. 

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.

The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women funded Trocaire’s initiative “Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls in Nakuru and Nairobi Counties” in Kenya for three -years. The objective was to reduce violence, abuse and discrimination against adolescent girls and young women, as well as stigmatization of these women and girls, in eight informal settlements. The final evaluation found that the project’s strategy was highly relevant and successfully implemented.

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.

The project “Improving the Well-being of SGBV Survivors Among Syrian Refugees and Vulnerable Jordanian Women” was implemented by the Arab Women Organization of Jordan (AWO) between April 2017 and March 2019, supported by a grant from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The initiative aimed to enhance the response to sexual and gender-based violence in two of Jordan’s regions, Irbid and Mafraq, by improving social protection and prevention mechanisms. The final project evaluation found that it was highly effective and reached over seven times the target number of 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.

War Child Canada implemented the project “Safeguarding Women and Girls Affected by the Syrian Crisis in Jordan” from June 2017 to May 2019 with support from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that the project empowered women and girls in Sahab and Nuzha (Amman) to better access available protection and support services, improved their well-being and coping skills, and increased their awareness of their 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 International Institute of Rural Reconstruction implemented the project “Stop Violence against Women and Girls in Samburu, Marsabit, and Isiolo Counties in Northern Kenya” from January 2016 to December 2018 with funding from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that the project increased awareness about the harmful effects of sexual and gender-based violence, and changed attitudes to female genital mutilation or cutting, beading and child marriage. The project also improved access to support for survivors of violence.

Society Without Violence received funding from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women for its initiative “Integration of gender and gender-based violence subject into educational curriculum in the frames of National 211-215 Strategic Plan” in Armenia from January 2014 to December 2016. The project aimed to empower girls to understand violence and prevent intimate partner and non-partner gender-based violence. The final evaluation found that the project increased awareness on issues related to gender and gender-based violence.

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.

Between January 2016 and December 2018, the Africa Alliance of YMCAs implemented the project “A Real Man Is” in Zambia and Kenya, with funding from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that the project left women and girls feeling safer and better protected from violence, and increased the engagement of men and boys in initiatives aimed at protecting women from physical and sexual violence.

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 “Know Her Rights”, implemented by the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development in Jordan, was funded from January 2016 to January 2018 by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation concluded that collective action is needed to prevent violence against women, and that the project had successfully engaged various actors representing government, media, education and health.

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.