The Episcopal Relief & Development organization in Liberia implemented a three-year project entitled “Scaling Up Faith and Youth Leaders' Engagement to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Women and Girls in Liberia” from 2018 to 2022 with the support of the UN Trust Fund. This second phase project aimed to reduce instances of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence experienced by women and girls while enhancing their access to services. The final evaluation found that the project demonstrated the power of investing in faith leaders and youth in catalysing community change to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls.

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.

International Solidarity Foundation (ISF) implemented a three-year project, “Community Driven FGM/C Abandonment and Women Empowerment in Somaliland”, with the support of the UN Trust Fund. The project aimed to empower local communities to abandon all forms of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). The final evaluation found that there was clear evidence of the project contributing to strengthening community commitment to ending the practice of FGM/C.

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.

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 Muloma Women's Development Association’s three-year initiative “Engaging Men Through Accountable Practice (EMAP), To Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls” from March 2017 to March 2020. The project aimed to provide professionals with the resources, knowledge and skills needed to support survivors of sexual violence. The final evaluation concluded that a survivor-centred approach enabled the programme to achieve positive change in the target communities.

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.

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.

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.

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 “SAAHAS (Courage) for Justice: Sharing and Amplifying Her Allegorical Stories for Justice”, implemented by The Story Kitchen, was funded from January 2015 to December 2017 by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that participants of the project’s storytelling workshops believe they can live dignified lives and work towards redefining justice.

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.

The project “Engaging Faith-Based Organizations to Prevent Violence against Women & Girls and Increase Survivors’ Access to Services”, implemented by Episcopal Relief and Development, was funded from January 2015 to December 2017 by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The final evaluation found that local participation in faith-based activities – where awareness was raised about gender-based violence and available support services – resulted in significantly less violence against women and girls.