In Mexico, the Instituto para las Mujeres en la Migración, A.C. (IMUMI) implemented the project “Contribution to the international protection of migrant women survivors of gender-based violence in Mexico” from 2019 to 2022 with the support of the UN Trust Fund. The project aimed to build a support strategy for migrant women and girls who had survived gender-based violence so they have greater access to international protection in Mexico. The final evaluation found that despite structural and operational challenges, the project’s activities were achieved and its objectives were covered effectively.

Integrated Disabled Women’s Activities (IDIWA) organization implemented the three-year project “Eliminating Sexual and Gender-Based Violence against Women and Girls with Disabilities” in Uganda with the support of the UN Trust Fund. The final evaluation revealed that IDIWA successfully carried out the planned project activities and made a significant contribution to systematizing the process and involving various actors to address and respond to sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls with disabilities and other women.

Women for Afghan Women implemented a three-year project, “Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Returnee Communities (PARGIRC)”, with the support of the UN Trust Fund. The project aimed to improve access of vulnerable populations to essential, safe and adequate multi-sectorial services. The final evaluation found that the project raised awareness about gender-based violence and helped survivors to access legal assistance and psychotherapy.

The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Cameroon implemented a three-year project, “Making Violence against Women and Girls History in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon”, with the support of the UN Trust Fund. The project aimed to ensure that women and girls in the two regions were better protected from violence and empowered to realize their right to live free from violence. The final evaluation found that the project helped make women more aware of gender-based violence, more willing to talk about it, and more confident to approach legal services to demand justice; and were advocating for the promotion of their rights.

The National Union of Women with Disabilities of Uganda implemented a three-year project, “Reducing Violence Against Women and Girls with Disabilities in Amuria District of Uganda”, with the support of the UN Trust Fund. The project aimed to decrease physical, sexual, psychological and emotional violence against women and girls with disabilities (WGWD) in the three sub-counties in Amuria district by 2021. The final evaluation found that the project fully met its objectives and was instrumental in addressing the practical and most pressing needs of WGWD.

The Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS) implemented a four-year project, “The reform of hospital and legal practices to eradicate violence against women with mental disabilities isolated at the Dr. Alejandro Korn Psychiatric Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina”, with the support of the UN Trust Fund. The project aimed to improve the quality of life of women with psychosocial disabilities who use the hospital, and increase their chances of living free of violence within the hospital and in their communities. The final evaluation found that the project effectively covered its objectives and achieved its planned activities.

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.

Fund for Congolese Women (Fonds pour les Femmes Congolaises) implemented a three-year project, “Prevention and Reduction of Violence in Schools”, with the support of the UN Trust Fund. The project aimed to ensure that 600 girls in 10 target provinces feel safer and better equipped to protect themselves against sexual violence in schools in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The final evaluation found that girls in schools had increased knowledge of the rights of women and girls, the various forms of sexual violence, and the laws against sexual violence.

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.

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 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. 

The Cameroon Association for the Protection and Education of the Child (CAPEC) implemented the three-year project “Community-based Prevention of Sexual Violence on Women and Girls” in Cameroon between 2020 and 2022 with the support of the UN Trust Fund. The project aimed to improve: access to services for survivors of violence against women and girls; and existing policies and laws to guarantee friendly environments for women and girls. The final evaluation found that project had achieved its main objectives and constructively addressed the challenges posed by COVID-19.

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 UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women provided funding to Pragya’s initiative “Comprehensive Primary Prevention Programme Addressing Violence against Ethnic Minority Women in India”. Implemented in five states, the project tackled violence against tribal women in broad areas – legal and political; youth education; prevention mechanisms; and support services. The evaluation concluded that the project significantly contributed to positive change in the lives of women in the targeted communities, and that knowledge generation will help sustain the progress made.

As a part of a six-year project, the Victims Support Section of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, in collaboration with the Transcultural Psychosocial Organization Cambodia and the Cambodian Defenders Project, implemented Phase 2 of the Non-Judicial Gender Project. The final evaluation concluded that the project significantly contributed to positive change in the lives of target groups through transitional justice activities and initiatives to improve their access to psychological services and rehabilitation.

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.

Women Judges Association of Malawi implemented the project “Women Judges Lead the Fight to Demand Justice and Accountability for Sexual Violence Survivors in Malawi” between March 2017 and February 2019, supported by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that the project achieved criminal justice reform, empowered women and girls to access justice, and increased the confidence of judges and magistrates to work with laws relating to gender-based violence.

From January 2016 to March 2019, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women provided funding for “Fathers are Here for Gender Equality”, a project run by the Mother and Child Education Foundation (ACEV, a twice-funded grantee) to change men’s attitudes to gender equality and violence against women and girls. The final evaluation found positive changes in families; at least 10 per cent of fathers who had used violence according to their spouses stopped doing so after participating in the training.