The power of practice-based knowledge to end violence against women and girls
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The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund) recognizes that the practice-based knowledge of civil society and women’s rights organizations (CSOs/WROs) is vital to fostering a sustainable and inclusive approach to ending violence against women and girls.
Practice-based knowledge
In 2022, the UN Trust Fund continued to support codification of CSOs/WROs’ practice-based knowledge through Learning from Practice: Prevention Series. The UN Trust Fund worked with grantees and researchers to jointly identify key pathways to prevention, covered thematically in the period between July 2021 and the end of 2022. In addition, the UN Trust Fund monitored ongoing and evolving impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevention of violence against women and girls.
In total, 10 thematic briefs were published and presented through series of webinars. One grantee said, “The reports, webinars and the feedback from different organizations [...] served as key learnings and exchange of ideas. [They] also gave insight to our organization on where others are implementing their projects and provided a space to ask questions.”
In 2022, the UN Trust Fund also launched its first-ever podcast series: “Pathways to Prevention”, which shares the experiences of CSOs/WROs working to end violence against women and girls, including through training programmes for behavioural change and working with faith and traditional leaders. The podcast amplifies the voices and insights of UN Trust Fund grantees.
SHINE
In 2022, in collaboration with the Spotlight Initiative, the UN Trust Fund introduced SHINE, an online global knowledge exchange hub on ending violence against women and girls. Available in over 50 languages, SHINE provides networking, co-creation, collaboration, amplification and knowledge-sharing opportunities to support ending violence against women. During the year, SHINE facilitated four discussions involving over 90 users.
Amplifying grantees’ voices in key EVAW international convenings
In 2022, the UN Trust Fund contributed knowledge sharing in some key global events on ending violence against women and girls, such as:
- the Sexual Violence Research Initiative Forum in Mexico;
- the Gender-Based Violence Pan Asia Summit organized by former grantee Breakthrough Trust; and
- a national-level workshop on primary prevention organized by UN Women’s Multi-Country Office in India.
These enabled the UN Trust Fund to engage with stakeholders across the globe, promote its knowledge management and continue with high-level advocacy on practice-based knowledge.
Grantee survey results: benefit, knowledge uptake and retention
A survey of grantee organizations found that in 2022:
- 95% of respondents benefited from the knowledge products developed by the UN Trust Fund, including the Annual Report 2021, the Prevention Series, SHINE and the UN Trust Fund’s evaluation library;
- 83% had attended the UN Trust Fund’s knowledge exchange events and webinars;
- 97% found the knowledge exchange webinars and events organized by the UN Trust Fund to be inclusive, including in terms of language (through interpretation/translation), access and special arrangements for those living with disabilities, diversity and representation; and
- 96% said that the knowledge products and events informed their project design and organizational decision-making, and some offered valuable suggestions. One grantee said: “Knowledge products tailored to specific vulnerable populations with regional focus would be helpful to localize knowledge and learning and further benefit from it.”
Stay tuned and read all the snapshots of 2022 in the run-up to the publication of the UN Trust Fund’s 2022 annual report at the end of June 2023: