The Pacific Regional Rights Resource Team of the Pacific Community implemented the three-year initiative “Increasing women's access to justice: a project to implement the FPA in Solomon Islands” with support from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women and the Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The final evaluation found that this pilot project helped to advance provisions of the country’s 2014 Family Protection Act (FPA) and contributed towards its implementation.

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 Sahayog Society for Participatory Rural Development’s project “Partnering for Change” for three years. The project aimed to change gender relations and gender-biased social norms in order to increase gender equality and prevent violence against women. The final evaluation found that the project achieved significant changes in the target communities.

Between April 2017 and April 2020, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women funded the “Ranavalona Project: prevention, care and access to justice for girl survivors of sexual exploitation in Madagascar”, implemented by ECPAT France. The project primarily targeted 97 child survivors of sexual exploitation through a psychosocial and socioeconomic reintegration programme. The final evaluation found that the project’s strategies were successful and particularly efficient.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Sexual Offences Awareness & Victims Rehabilitation (SOAR) Initiative implemented the project “Mobilizing Communities to end Sexual Based Violence Against Girls in Dushe local District of Abuja Municipal Area Council” with support from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found the project had improved girls’ experience of safety and support in schools and their communities.

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 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.

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.

The Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand implemented the project “The Empowerment and Capacity Building of Lesbian and Transgender Women to Mitigate Violence, Stigma and Discrimination based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” with funding from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation concluded that the project had positively influenced the government and increased the confidence and self-esteem of project participants.

The project “Kick against Violence”, implemented by Skillshare Nepal, was funded by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women from January 2016 to December 2017. The final evaluation concluded that the project contributed to behaviour change in girls and boys, specifically by increasing confidence to report gender-based violence and encouraging cooperation and respect among students.

The project “Curb Early Child Marriage Through Human Rights Education and Advocacy in Sindh, Pakistan”, implemented by the Sindh Community Foundation, was funded from January 2016 to December 2017 by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that the project had increased knowledge and shifted attitudes about the protection of girls from early marriage as well as the legal consequences of the Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act 2013.

The project “Improvement of Conditions for Access to a Life Free of Gender Violence for Women in El Salvador”, implemented by the Asamblea de Cooperación por la Paz, was funded by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women from January 2015 to December 2017. The final evaluation concluded that the project increased the capacities of women and youth related to local civil services, enabling their participation in local decision-making.

The project “Abolition of Chhaupadi in the Far- and Mid-Western Regions of Nepal”, implemented by Restless Development Nepal, was funded from January 2015 to December 2017 by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found the project had significantly increased rejection of chhaupadi practices and that the national law that criminalizes such practices was contributing to the sustainability of the project’s results.

The project “Strengthening Women Survivors of Violence”, implemented by Asosiasaun Chega! Ba Ita, was funded from January 2015 to December 2017 by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that the project contributed to intergenerational collaboration amongst the women beneficiaries and strengthened relationships with civil society partners to support survivors of violence.