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Violence against women

The world remains a dangerous place to be a woman: 18 percent of ever partnered women 15- 49 experienced sexual- and/or physical violence by an intimate partner in the previous 12 months. In most countries, where data are available, less than 40 % of women, who experience violence, seek help of any sort indicating barriers and lack of confidence in justice systems (UN Women Report 2021). For this reason the topic of Violence Against Women remains an important topic in Dutch foreign policy, and is therefore included in this Gender Topics Timeline.

In the Gender Timeline, presented to you through NICC, the main perspective has been from the viewpoint of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate for International Cooperation (DGIS). One of the key topics, addressed by DGIS through its policy papers, practices and evaluations, and taking into account the international context, is “Violence Against Women” (VAW). VAW has been, and is still happening all over the world. It is affecting girls’ and women’s lives, as well as men’s lives. In times of crisis, conflict, and the current COVID-19 pandemic, violence against women is more than ever prevalent and increasing. This includes Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). VAW has many complex causes, of which patriarchal norms and gender unequal socio-cultural traditions are the most structural ones, and therefore hard to change.

Briefly the following aspects of VAW will be discussed:

Defining VAW and key issues;

Policies for combating VAW;

Practice, with particular attention to diplomatic efforts at the level of different UN bodies, including the Universal Periodic Reviews (UPR) of the Human Rights Council, within the European context and in the bilateral political dialogue.

Projects and programmes at country level.

Taskforce Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (TFVG) and DSO/GA

Promising initiatives by civil society and feminist organisations.

The text of this Topic Paper is mainly based on Dutch policy briefs and IOB Reports. The titles may be found at the end of the Topic Paper. Cross linkages are to be made with the Topics on Women, Peace and Security as well as the Topic Paper on Sexual- and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRGR).

Defining VAW and some key issues:

The United Nations defines violence against women as "…any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life."

Intimate partner violence refers to behaviour by an intimate partner or ex-partner that causes physical, sexual or psychological harm, including physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological abuse and controlling behaviours.

Sexual violence is "any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, or other act directed against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting. It includes rape, defined as the physically forced or otherwise coerced penetration of the vulva or anus with a penis, other body part or object."

Some key issues:

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), early child marriage, rape and IPV all are part and parcel of VAW.
Underreporting of VAW is prevalent. International data show that VAW remains a universal phenomenon that can be found everywhere and not only in situations of conflict or crisis. It is ‘one of the most widespread violations of human rights’ (UN Women, 2021) all over the world.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most common form of VAW but this often goes unchallenged. According to the WHO, one in every three women over 15 years is confronted with physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence worldwide, though this share varies across countries.
Irrespective of the perpetrator, VAW can have major medical, psychological as well as economic consequences – also for the next generation – and may limit women’s ability to participate fully and share in the benefits of development.
On the causes of VAW, multiple risk factors increase the likelihood of VAW in a particular setting. Gender inequalities in patriarchal organised societies is the main and most common cause, and at the same time the most difficult one to address.
International resolutions and agreements condemn VAW and classify it as a violation of women’s human rights. Signing these, obliges states to take action, and many countries have indeed done so, although certainly not all, nor have they done so for all types of violence.
Women’s organisations have used this international framework, and the standards and norms it embodies, in their lobbying and advocacy activities. But at the same time, having legislation and policies in place is only a first step. Unless implemented, the risk is that they remain largely symbolic.
Implementation is lagging behind in many countries, due to a variety of political, institutional, ideological and/or financial reasons. Law enforcement institutions are often under-funded, inaccessible, incompetent or even corrupt, unwilling or unable to enforce laws.
Most prevention activity worldwide continues to be driven by women’s, children’s and other civil society organisations, with limited resources.
Male engagement: Positive trends of mentality change and male champions are e.g. Men Engage movement and Positive Manhood (Burundi: “Abantagamuco”) programs show (see paragraph re. para 6).

Policies for combating VAW;
The main policy setting has been implemented through diplomacy by Dutch diplomats at e.g. United Nations General Assembly, Security Council, Third Committee of the European Union, Council of Europe, and, last but not least, through bilateral diplomacy at country level The Netherlands has in particular contributed to setting international norms through its resolutions on VAW that were adopted over the years at the level of the UN and at European level. These norms provided a basis for its interventions at the UN Security Council calling for attention to violence against women, its negotiations in other UN bodies, and during the Universal Periodic Reviews (UPRs). The Netherlands has used the UPRs as a forum to also address women’s rights in general, and VAW in particular, in over one-fifth of its recommendations. International norms have also featured in its bilateral political dialogues. Confirming the broader relevance of these norms, they were also used by national and international civil society organisations in their lobby and advocacy.

The Netherlands was an early supporter of resolutions on e.g. Female Genital Mutilation in 2007 and 2008 and in 2010. It also played an active role in the negotiations preceding their adoption. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science has a main role in this respect. Representatives from the Netherlands have given statements at each annual UN/Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meeting. The Netherlands was also present on a series of high level panels on CEDAW, women’s participation in conflict prevention, management and conflict resolution and in post-conflict peace building, women, the girl child and HIV/AIDS and women’s economic empowerment. Furthermore, in parallel with the CSW meetings, the Netherlands has organised a series of side events in several years. This is done with other countries, Dutch or international NGOs, Southern NGOs benefiting from MDG3 (Millennium Development Goals) Fund financing and, on one occasion, with UNAIDS.

Initiatives at the level of the Council of Europe and the European Union the Netherlands was a member of the Steering Committee for Equality between Women and Men. This Committee also dealt with preparing for the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence of 2011. The Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security has played a central role in the negotiations on the convention.

The human rights efforts of EU member states and the EU Commission are complementary to women’s rights. The Netherlands has been particularly active in: (i) the development of new EU guidelines on VAW at the level of the EU Working Party on Human Rights; (ii) a task force on (ii.1) the development of the EU Action Plan on Gender Equality and (ii.2) Women’s Empowerment in Development; (iii) the development of the EU Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy (2012).

Efforts were also made to ensure that human rights and gender issues are part of the framework Bilateral diplomacy. Gender equality, women’s rights and VAW are topics in the political and human rights dialogues conducted by the Netherlands embassies. These used the international norms and standards as agreed upon. Cooperation was also sought with embassies of like-minded countries. The embassies were involved in a variety of donor coordination mechanisms and bilateral talks (especially with the Nordics) on gender equality and women’s rights.

Summary of key diplomatic interventions, either initiated and/or supported, by the Dutch government on VAW:

The Netherlands has initiated the resolutions on ‘Intensification of efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women’, together with France in 2007 and 2009, and with Belgium in 2008.
Other resolutions the Netherlands supported were: eliminating rape and other forms of sexual violence in all their manifestations, trafficking women and girls (2010), and CEDAW (2011).
In 2009, the resolution called upon the UN and Member States to make more money available to combat VAW and to prosecute and punish perpetrators.
In 2010, the resolution focused on preventing VAW through national action plans, legislation and training.
The resolution of 2012 called for countries to offer protection, amend legislation, train care workers and offer victims better aftercare. It reconfirms the Dutch position on the universality of human rights – also for women: religion, culture and tradition may never be used as an excuse to justify violence against women.
It also gave the business community a responsibility in protecting women’s rights.
In 2014, the resolution called on states to protect women against all forms of violence by investing in preventative measures and tackling impunity and to step up their efforts to counter violent extremism. It also condemned violence by extremist groups against civilian populations, including women and children and expressed concern about the unprecedented number of female refugees and displaced persons.

Practice: implementation of policies
The Netherlands has provided financial support to organisations that translate international norms to VAW interventions at country level. It has done so through its contributions to the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women; Dutch funding has been provided to the Human Rights Fund, MDG 3 (Millennium Development Goals) Fund, FLOW, Civil society Dutch NGOs, Committee on the Status of Women, Human Rights Council, UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women and a range of bilateral projects. Funds were also channelled to national and international NGOs that give support to victims of (domestic) violence, undertake awareness raising and training and lobby and advocacy for legal reforms on VAW. In terms of approaches, some interventions have been in line with what is recommended in the international literature, especially when working with qualified civil society organisations, combining awareness raising and advocacy with the mobilisation of communities.

Various concrete outputs were realised, i.e. larger numbers of professionals and volunteers trained, more women (and to a considerably lesser extent men) reached through general awareness raising campaigns, or larger numbers of women provided with medical and other care and shelter, and more staff from relevant government services trained on VAW. Furthermore changes occurred like increased knowledge on VAW, increased awareness that VAW is not acceptable and what to do when it occurs, and more resources and better services made available to victims of violence. Contributions are also reported on the introduction of new legislation and/or policies on VAW. However, much less is known about what happens next, i.e. about outcomes such as changes in behaviour and declines in the incidence of VAW. Partly this reflects the limited quality of M&E systems – a general problem identified in the international literature. Partly it relates to the fact that projects tend to last a maximum of three years whereas it takes many more years – if not decades – for such changes to occur. They require addressing deep-rooted social and cultural norms about what is ‘acceptable behaviour’.

Dutch support has contributed to women being better armed with knowledge and having (more) confidence to claim their rights, but often remaining afraid to take action for fear of losing reputation and fear of community backlash. This underlines the need for thorough situational and gender analysis and for ‘complex interventions’ that operate at different levels, involve different actors and challenge the prevailing gender norms. Finally, a common finding is that institutional and financial sustainability of the organisations that were supported continues to be a problem since there is strong donor dependency.

The focus of VAW policies at country levels changed over the years. Embassies were asked to finance capacity building initiatives of human rights organisations working on VAW. In the IOB report of 1999 it was noted that “…the Local Women Fund in particular has been useful ….”.The IOB report on implementation of SRHR and HIV/AIDS (….) only marginally referred to VAW in mentioning that SRHR is essential linked to human rights and women rights, including bodily autonomy.

The IOB Report of 2014 cites: “…It is clear that there is a need for complex interventions’ (to combat VAW) at ‘multiple levels’. Such interventions address both environmental and structural factors as well as factors working at the individual level.”

The FLOW (Funding leadership and Opportunities for Women) Fund was launched succeeding the MDG3 Fund. The FLOW Fund aims to strengthen the rights and opportunities for women and girls worldwide. One of the three categories of the Fund is: “To promote security by combating violence against women and actively involving women in processes of peace, security and reconstruction”.

Another important Fund that addresses VAW is the VOICE Fund (see paragraph TFVG and DSO/GA).

If we look at the types of funding the Netherlands has provided over the years, the focus has been primarily on support to monitor how norms and standards are included in national laws and how these are implemented. And secondly, bringing the national legal context in line with the international normative framework as an important prerequisite for more transformative change. For more information please refer to the Topic paper on Women, Peace and Security. Funds that have shown to be “catalytic” in support to combating VAW has been channelled primarily through UNFPA, (I)NGOs, civil society organisations and feminist groups.

Projects and Programmes to combat VAW at country level
Programs funded, and implemented at country levels, include the UN Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence Against Women; the MDG 3 Fund; FLOW Fund; support to Dutch civil society organisations (e.g. HIVOS, OXFAM/NOVIB, Cordaid); UNFPA, UNICEF, the Human Rights Fund and bilateral projects in a.o. Bangladesh, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mozambique.

In the IOB Synthesis of Impact evaluations in sexual and reproductive health and rights (2009) for the first time a separate chapter was assigned to “reproductive rights, sexual health, gender issues and gender-based violence”. It mentioned that “…more research is necessary into the impact of male involvement on health outcomes”. However, VAW remained more closely linked to the human rights agenda.

IOB Evaluation Report no. 381. Balancing ideals with practice: policy evaluation of Dutch involvement in sexual and reproductive health and rights 2007-2012 focused on maternal and perinatal health, family planning, preventing unsafe abortion and access to, safe abortion, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and promoting sexual health. In the paragraph on people denied Sexual and reproductive rights it was mentioned : “…The issue of gender based violence has been addressed by multilateral organisations, in bilateral policy and by NGOs. The evaluations…showed increased awareness and knowledge on the type of violence…there was limited evidence that practices had changed as well.”

Taskforce Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (TFVG) and DSO/GA
Institutionally, VAW is dealt with by the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Taskforce. The TFVG constitutes an integral component of Dutch foreign policy. Globally, the majority of the 1.2 billion people living in extreme poverty are women, and millions of women and girls are victims of physical and sexual violence or other forms of discrimination. Women are still largely excluded from processes to resolve conflicts and to shape the future of societies. As such, their role as agents for change is obscured. Alarmingly, resistance to equal rights for women, in particular their right to decide about their sexuality and whether or not to have children, is growing in many places. The ideal of equality enshrined in international agreements has to be continuously defended. The Netherlands seeks to help create a world in which men and women have equal rights and opportunities.

The Dutch commitment to improving the position of women is encapsulated in the following four goals:

prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls;
a fair share in political and decision-making power;
economic empowerment and self-reliance;
a fair share in conflict-resolution, peacebuilding and reconstruction.

The Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Taskforce contributes in particular to Sustainable Goals no. 5 (SDG 5): Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Health and Aids Division (DSO/GA)
The Health and Aids Division is responsible for the policy on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), including HIV/aids and related health systems. SRHR is one of the four priorities of the Dutch development policy. In May 2012, a letter was sent to Parliament which sets out ‘the policy on SRHR, including HIV/aids’, with the goals for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Together with the Embassies in eight partner-countries, we focus on four result areas:

Improved access to medication
Improved sexual and reproductive health
More respect for sexual and reproductive health
More knowledge and freedom of choice about sexuality for youth

Through their SRHR policy, DSO/GA contributes to SDG 3 (ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages) and SDG 5 (achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls).

In 2016, implementation began of the new policy framework ‘Dialogue and Dissent’ for partnerships with civil society organisations. Its overall goal is to strengthen civil society organisations in low- and lower-middle-income countries in their role as advocates and lobbyists. In line with the shift in focus from direct poverty reduction to tackling the structural causes of poverty and inequality, the policy framework shapes the changing roles of civil society organisations in both those countries and the Netherlands.

25 Strategic Partnerships - consortia of Dutch and Southern development organisations will develop the lobbying and advocacy capacity of civil society organisations in low- and lower-middle-income countries.
Voice - This fund was set up to strengthen the voice of the most marginalised groups. Hence its slogan 'Nothing about us without us'. The way the fund is set up reflects the Dutch government's recognition that regular aid programmes often insufficiently reach the most vulnerable groups, in particular those who are excluded because of disability, ethnic origin, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation or gender.

Promising approaches that work
The IOB Report on “Women and Development: Policy and Implementation in Dutch Development Cooperation 1985- 1996” (1998) reports that in particular the Local Women Fund, which offered opportunities for small grants up till 25,000,- guilders (at the time; later 25,000 Euros) has been an effective funding mechanism to support local women’s organisations’ support to VAW. Regretfully the LWF has ended and no more opportunities for small scale funding under LWF are available.

The Generation Equality Forum (GEF), established in 2020, has an ambitious vision and objective to accelerate progress towards gender equality and intersectional justice. It aims to fuel powerful and lasting Action Coalitions (ACs) to achieve transformative change for generaions to come. And it promises to be a Civil Society-driven process, placing young feminists in the “driving seat”. The GEF clearly acknowledges the crucial role youth plays in achieving its ambitious goals and realising its vision and objectives.

Men, a forgotten group?
Already in 1999 the Dutch policy and practice paper in reproductive health noted that “If women suffer from male attitudes and ignorance, it stand to reason to involve men in reproductive health: as beneficiaries and discussion partners”. However, VAW was not explicitly addressed.

There are some promising approaches to engage men in a constructive manner and to transform gender relations. Some of these are the LPI initiative, the Abantagamuco initiative in Burundi (See Positive Manhood).

Living Peace Institute (LPI) is a non-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of equality between men and women and the prevention of the gender-based violence. LPI is actively involved in the restoration of peace and gender promotion among couples, in the households and in the conflict-affected society at large. An International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) conducted by Promundo Institute and the study on masculinity and gender-based violence in DRC conducted by UN Women have established a strong link between men being victims or witnesses of the violence in an armed conflict and perpetrating violence in their homes and communities. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), especially the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, have experienced armed conflict for over the last two decades. Paradoxically, those conflicts which were conducted by men have exposed individuals’ vulnerability and man’s vulnerability in particular. Subsequently, man, victim of the violence, uses violence towards his wife and children. The LPI organises courses for men, and their spouses, to understand the impact of violence and trauma and to help men, and their spouses, to transform their lives and to respect each other.

The Men Engage movement commits itself to build inclusive worldwide alliances, from local to regional and global levels. Together The Men Engage Alliance adds their voices to calls for systemic changes that support women’s rights and other social justice movements and to mobilize men as allies for these causes.

FAWE
The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) introduced a toolkit to gender-responsive pedagogy (GRP) to support Early Childhood Education teachers. Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will fuel sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large. It is in early childhood (ECE) that learners develop self-awareness and acquire basic values and attitudes. During this time stereotypes become set and are likely to have a long-lasting impact on how learners perceive their own potential and that of others. Early childhood education (ECE), therefore, holds exciting potential to develop in learners a gender-sensitive view of self and others, impacting on the life choices that they will make later in life. ECE teachers and their school leaders can work consciously to challenge gender stereotypes before they become a set and unconscious way of thinking. Providing a gender-responsive environment can help all learners, both boys and girls, develop to their fullest potential and to respect each other.

UN and Civil Society Initiatives to combat VAW
Worldwide there are many important initiatives by e.g. UN agencies and civil society such as the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. This year the campaign, which is an annual international event to speak out against VAW and SGBV, runs from 25 November to 10 December 2021. The UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women campaign (UNiTE campaign), managed by UN Women, is a multi-year effort aimed at preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls around the world. Under the umbrella of the Generation Equality Campaign, and to mark the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, together with the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women campaign is calling upon people from all walks of life, across generations, to take a bold stand against rape. The international feminist movement “One Billion Rising” is organising many activities worldwide to gain support for gender equality and to fight against harmful practices, gender discrimination and VAW.

UN Women Report on Gender Equality: WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN REVIEW (2020)
UN Women supports UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality, and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services needed to implement these standards. The focus of their work is on five priority areas: increasing women’s leadership and participation; ending violence against women; engaging women in all aspects of peace and security processes; enhancing women’s economic empowerment; and making gender equality central to national development planning and budgeting. UN Women also coordinates and promotes the UN system’s work in advancing gender equality.

In their recent report on the review of Gender Equality a number of interesting observations are made:

Women report having experienced cyber-harassment since the age of 15.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is still prevalent. At least 200 million women and girls, aged 15–49 years, have undergone female genital mutilation in 31 countries where the practice is concentrated. Half of these countries are in West Africa. There are still countries where female genital mutilation is almost universal, where at least 9 in 10 girls and women, aged 15–49 years, have been cut. Of adolescent girls, 1 in 3 are cut by a health professional.

Until today Survivors of VAW and SGBV are stigmatized and shamed.

Strong feminist movements are a foundation for thriving democracies and a catalyst of positive social and legal reform. They play an essential part in holding governments to account. Yet, in many parts of the world, their work and funding are increasingly restricted. Women human rights defenders and politicians face political smear campaigns, physical attacks, harassment and intimidation. Despite these threats, new generations of young feminists continue to bring energy and innovative strategies to the struggle for gender equality.

UNFPA State of World Population Report 2021
In its most recent State of World Population Report (2021) UNFPA adopts the theme “My body is my own: Claiming the right to autonomy and self-determination. Freedom from violence, stigma and stereotypes”. The report reveals how serious many of the shortfalls in bodily autonomy are; many have worsened under the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. Right now, for instance, record numbers of women and girls are at risk of gender-based violence and harmful practices such as early marriage.

The report reveals how serious many of the shortfalls in bodily autonomy are; many have worsened under the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. Right now, for instance, record numbers of women and girls are at risk of gender-based violence and harmful practices such as early marriage. The report also outlines solutions that are already at hand, while making the point that success requires much more than a disconnected series of projects or services, as important as these may be. Real, sustained progress largely depends on uprooting gender inequality and all forms of discrimination, and transforming the social and economic structures that maintain them. In this, men must become allies. Many more must commit to stepping away from patterns of privilege and dominance that profoundly undercut bodily autonomy, and move towards ways of living that are more fair and harmonious, benefiting us all. And all of us must take action to challenge discrimination, wherever and whenever we encounter it.

The report also touches upon the practice of “Honour killings”. These tend to occur in communities where the “honour” of the family is considered to be more important than the life of the person, usually a woman, who violates certain so-called norms or codes (Gibbs and others, 2019). Rationalizations for honour killings have included separation from a spouse who paid a bride price, refusing to enter into an arranged marriage, entering into a relationship with a person from a different religion, ethnic group or caste, engaging in premarital or extramarital sex, being the victim of rape or assault, or being identified as gay (Selby, 2016). Although both men and women can commit or be victims of honour killings, the “code of honour” has different standards for men and women, including stricter standards of chastity for women and a perceived duty for men to commit violent acts to secure their honour or that of their family. In all cases, the honour code is part of the patriarchal social system that subjugates women to men. The result is that honour killings are disproportionately violence against women. It is not possible to know the true number of these killings, but it is estimated that there are approximately 5,000 such murders every year, of which most take place in the Middle East and South Asia (Gibbs and others, 2019). It is important to note that an estimated 58 per cent of female victims of murder were killed by an intimate partner or member of their own family, amounting to 137 women every day (WHO, 2013). This has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic—and violence against women has been deemed the “shadow pandemic”.

With regard to Female Genital Mutilation the report addresses FGM as a violation of women’s and girls’ human rights and an extreme form of discrimination and violence directed exclusively at girls and women. It is also a part of wider patriarchal practices, rooted in gender inequality and aimed at controlling women’s and girls’ sexuality, their bodies and their sexual and reproductive rights. The practice denies women and girls their rights to: physical and mental integrity; freedom from violence; the highest attainable standard of health; freedom from gender discrimination; and freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, among others. Yet, more than 200 million girls and women live with the consequences of female genital mutilation (such as fistula and stigma) and at least 4 million girls are at risk of undergoing the practice each year (UNFPA, 2020; UNICEF, 2020).

Concluding remarks
A quarter of a century after Beijing, violence against women and girls remains a global human rights violation of vast proportions. Deep-rooted drivers of abuse persist, and the rapid advancement of technology has opened up new digital spaces where women are being threatened, intimidated and harassed. Amid this crisis there has been some important progress. Three quarters of countries now have laws against domestic violence, and there is growing evidence that violence can be prevented. Child, early and forced marriage, especially in some countries in South Asia, has recently declined.

There have also been steps forward in efforts to end female genital mutilation (FGM).

Rates of child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) have declined, but millions of girls and women are still affected. Women are rising up: The power of collective action is needed to end impunity!

Digital spaces have opened up a new front in gender-based violence to approximately 1 in 5 today.

Worldwide action was effectuated to combat VAW by the campaigns of e.g. #MeToo, #TimesUp, #BalanceTonPorc and #NiUnaMenos. There is a long road ahead: The COVID-19 pandemic has tested and even reversed progress in expanding women’s rights and opportunities. Reports of violence against women and girls, a “shadow” pandemic to COVID-19, are increasing in many parts of the world. Violence against women and girls remains pervasive and under-reported. Women across the world are coming together to demand accountability for sexual violence and harassment at work and in other public spaces. What is needed is to redouble efforts to end violence against women and girls.

Women and girls are ending the silence that has protected the perpetrators of gender-based violence for so long. A spotlight has been put on the violence and harassment that women face in public spaces, cyber spaces, and in the workplace, as well as in homes. Movements in every region are demanding an end to impunity and heralding a new era of accountability.

The IOB Gender Mainstreaming evaluation (2021) evaluated the efforts of gender mainstreaming, including VAW, from 2015 – 2020. IOB’s gender policy evaluation of 2015 shows that although gender mainstreaming has been a key policy element, really putting it into practice has been a major challenge for many reasons. The recommendation from 2015 was thus hat the time had come ‘to move beyond rhetoric and to start making gender mainstreaming .. a reality and that gender issues should be included in the design and implementation of all policies, programmes and projects, and not just in those dealing with women or sexual reproductive health and rights’.

Although a continuing challenge, the Netherlands has sincerely used a variety of channels, financial incentives and diplomacy to implement its policies on VAW. The VAW policy remains a strong and explicit part of the Netherlands human rights agenda, as well as the SRHR agenda. And as the power of change lies with communities, community mobilization and activism are becoming increasingly vital and energizing forces in the drive to prevent violence against women and girls.

Further reading:

Gender mainstreaming in the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Beyond ‘add women and stir’?, The Hague, 2021

Joint Evaluation Report UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage, 2019.

IOB Report “Women and Development: policy and implementation in Dutch Development Cooperation 1985-1996”, The Hague, 1998.

IOB Report no. 307. Beleidsdoorlichting seksuele en reproductieve gezondheid en rechten en hiv/aids 2004-2006. The Hague, Januari 2008.

IOB Study: Synthesis of impact evaluations in sexual and reproductive health and rights, July 2009.

IOB Evaluation Report no. 381. Balancing ideals with practice: policy evaluation of Dutch involvement in sexual and reproductive health and rights 2007-2012, The Hague, August 2013.

IOB Report 2015, Dutch policy and practice in reproductive health, DGIS, 1999

Programming to address Violence against Women, 8 case studies, UNFPA, 2007

State of World Population 2021, My body is my own: Claiming the right to autonomy and self-determination Freedom from violence, stigma and stereotypes.

Gender Equality: Women’s Rights in Review 25 years after Beijing, UNWOMEN, 2020.

Interesting websites: