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.

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.

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. 

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.

Women Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling implemented the “Promote women's access to social and legal services in the West Bank and East Jerusalem” initiative between March 2017 and February 2020 with support from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that the project provided a unique model of combined social and legal support to end gender-based violence.

The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women funded Help Age International’s initiative “Ensuring Gender and Age Dimensions of Human Rights are Realised in Moldova” for three years. The project aimed to empower older women survivors of gender-based violence to make them feel safe and secure, and to increase their knowledge and confidence. The final evaluation concluded that the programme was successful and 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.

From March 2017 to February 2019, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women provided Corporación Humanas with funding to implement their project “It Happens to Me, I tell, I prevent”. The project aimed to reduce public forms of gender-based violence against women with disabilities, women living with HIV/AIDS, and other groups of women that are particularly vulnerable to violence. The final evaluation found that the project had strengthened the capabilities of local women’s organizations, empowering their members to lead more effective initiatives to prevent gender-based violence.

From January 2016 to January 2019, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women worked with the National Network for the Promotion of Women (RNPM), helping fund its project “Older Women who have Experienced Violence Exercising their Rights”. The final evaluation found that the project was largely successful, and through its training and empowerment strategies it reached 415 women who had experienced gender-based 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 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.

The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women provided funding to the Initiative pour la Protection des Droits des Femmes (IPDF) from January 2013 – November, 2016 to aid in financing their initiative “Synergy.” The evaluation found that the actions undertaken by the project, such as the consolidation of local partnerships, campaigns to raise awareness within the communities and access to legal, social and economic services in the center, have been significantly successful in reaching its aim, and, for some set outputs, the results went beyond expectations.

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.

Care International in Cambodia launched the initiative “Safe Workplaces, Safe Communities” in December 2013, supported with funds from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that the project contributed to a better awareness of gender-based violence within the targeted workplaces.

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.