In the Murewa, Goromonzi and Kwekwe/Zibagwe districts of Zimbabwe, the Family AIDS Caring Trust (FACT) implemented a three-year project, “Voices from the Fringes: Sex Workers and Adolescent Girls and Young Women Action against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence”, supported by the UN Trust Fund under the Spotlight Initiative. This project aimed to promote women’s sexual and reproductive health rights and address sexual and gender-based violence by bringing the marginalized voices and concerns of female sex workers, adolescent girls and young women from the fringes to the fore in the interventions to end such violence. The final evaluation found that the project’s objectives were covered effectively and that the project surpassed its target of 18 solidarity groups for female sex workers, adolescent girls and young women.

In Zimbabwe, Voluntary Services Overseas in collaboration with Women and Law in Southern Africa implemented the “SPEAK IT LOUD” project with the support of the UN Trust Fund under the Spotlight Initiative. This three-year project centred on amplifying the voices of women’s movements to address violence against women and girls in Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West and Manicaland provinces in Zimbabwe. The final evaluation found that, despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the denial of a no-cost extension, the project achieved in part its goals.

Hagar International implemented the three-year project “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” in Nghe An and Yen Bai provinces in Viet Nam with the support of the UN Trust Fund from 2019 to 2022. The project aimed to address violence against women and children in four communes by improving access to services for survivors, enhancing multi-sectoral coordination of services, and changing community members’ attitudes and behaviour towards gender-based violence. The final evaluation revealed that the project substantially contributed to reducing rates of violence against women and children, improved survivors’ ability to identify and respond to violence, and strengthened the capacity of officials, village leaders and women’s union members to provide emergency support and referral services.

Leonard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe implemented a three-year project “Access to Justice for Girls and Women with Disabilities in Zimbabwe” with the support of the UN Trust Fund. The project aimed to ensure that girls and women with disabilities have improved safety and access to justice. The final evaluation found that the project was successfully implemented through its strategic pillars of response and prevention.

Kvinna till Kvinna received funding from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women to implement the project “Women human rights defenders’ holistic approach to end gender-based violence in a challenging context in Lebanon” in partnership with two non-profit Lebanese organizations – KAFA and Association NAJDEH. The final evaluation showed that the project was significantly relevant to the local context.

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.

In March 2017, the Association Malienne pour le suivi et l’orientation des pratiques traditionnelles néfastes (AMSOPT) launched the initiative “Information and Sensitization against the Practices of FGM/C and Child Marriage in 30 Villages in Kayes Region”, supported by funds from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that the project contributed to a public commitment to abandon FGM/C and child marriage in 26 villages, and that the dialogue established between youths and adults on FGM/C and child marriage allowed an open and frank discussion on sensitive issue in the target communities.

The Institute for Development and Community Health in Viet Nam implemented the initiative “Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence against Pregnant and Lactating Women” in Kien Xuong district, Thai Binh province, 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 improved knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in pregnant and lactating mothers, and increased the ability of communities and families to prevent violence.

The project “Access to Justice for Girls and Women with Disabilities – Zimbabwe”, implemented by Leonard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe, 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 made significant changes to the lives of girls and women with disabilities, particularly relating to women’s empowerment, court cases, access to medical services, and capacity development of civil society organizations.

Plan International received a grant from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women for its three-year project “Gender Responsive School Pilot Model” in Viet Nam. The final evaluation found that the project was highly relevant and efficient at capacity development in the 20 schools with which it engaged, improving knowledge and influencing government policies.

The project Traditional Leaders Championing Prevention of Domestic Violence in their Communities in Lesotho and Malawi was implemented by the Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS) from September 2011 to August 2014 and received a three-year grant from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that in general, the project brought about positive behaviour change within communities in the fight to eliminate harmful cultural practices.