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.

Cambodia Women’s Crisis Center, in partnership with ADD International, implemented the project “Promoting Women’s Dignity” with support from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The project aimed to improve quality service delivery, develop policy and promote positive changes in attitudes in five provinces.

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 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 January 2016 to April 2019, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women helped fund “Combating Violence against Women in Waspam, Nicaragua”, a project implemented by MADRE and Wangki Tangni. The final evaluation found that both organizations raised awareness about gender-based violence, facilitated the development of local plans of action to address this violence, and decreased rates of violence in Waspam municipality.

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.

From March 2017 to February 2019, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women funded the project “For a Life Free of Violence for Women and Girls” run by Grupo Guatemalteco de Mujeres. The final evaluation found that the project strengthened Guatemala’s National Coordinating Committee for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Violence Against Women (CONAPREVI), and raised awareness about gender-based violence and accessing justice.

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 “Comprehensive Intervention to Guarantee Access to Justice for Women Victims of Gender-Based Violence”, implemented by ACDemocracia, was funded from February 2016 to February 2018 by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that strategic partnerships – in this case with national and local authorities – were crucial to the project’s successes, which included improved access to justice for survivors of violence and a new law.

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 “Building Bridges of Life for the Women Survivors of Domestic Violence in Azerbaijan”, implemented by Azerbaijan Young Lawyers’ Confederation in close partnership with the government, was funded by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women from January 2016 to December 2017. The final evaluation found that the project had established a model to support survivors of gender-based violence, and protected and supported a significant proportion of women who sought assistance.

The project “Creating a Coordinated Response Mechanism to Prevent and Combat Domestic Violence in Armenia”, implemented by the Women’s Support Center in Armenia, 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 increased awareness about domestic violence and gender-based violence, and improved the practices of service providers and police officers.

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.

The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women funded Grassroot Soccer’s initiative “SKILLZ Street Plus”. The project aimed to improve the ability of girls aged 13 to 16 to choose intimate partners who respect gender equality and to prevent and address violence in their lives. The final evaluation concluded that the programme was well implemented, with coaches efficiently delivering school-based sessions.

Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha implemented the project “Safe Schools Safe Communities” between January 2014 and December 2016 with grant support from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that the project succesfully addressed the specific needs of girls to allow them to be empowered and protected from gender-based violence in their schools and community.

In January 2015, Alliance against Discrimination of LGBT People launched the two-year project “Reduce Violence against Women, with Focus on LBT community in Albania”, with the support of the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that the project improved the lives of LBT women experiencing violence, especially of those living outside the capital, mainly through improved and more integrated care.

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.