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STOPPING THE VIOLENCE
At least one in three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or
abused in some other way. Violence against women and girls, the cruellest
form of discrimination, is firmly rooted in the low status of women. UNFPA
has a clear policy on gender-based violence: zero tolerance. We work to
improve laws and policies and to raise awareness among women and men, boys
and girls, about gender-based violence as a violation of human rights and
a threat to public health. We support the training of health workers on
how to help victims of violence, and training for police and judges to
enforce relevant laws. Our projects involve men to generate greater
awareness and promote positive behavioural change. We also support
counselling and campaigns for the eradication of harmful traditional
practices, such as female genital mutilation.
- In Bangladesh, UNFPA joined with the Home Ministry to
raise awareness of reproductive health and gender issues among nearly
4 million defense and police officers. The project is part of an
overall effort to sensitize law enforcement personnel about women's
rights and decrease violence against women and girls.
- In Indonesia, UNFPA supported the development of a
national plan of action on the elimination of violence against women,
which was launched on 24 November 2000.
- In Kenya, advocacy efforts have encouraged girls to
avoid female genital mutilation and men to accept uncircumcised girls
for marriage. New efforts are aimed at helping girls who have been
disowned or have run away from home because they did not want to be
circumcised.
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HELPING WOMEN TO TALK AND HEAL
Women's lives can start to change when they speak up on the violence in
their lives and receive sensitive care. To help break the silence, the
Fund embarked on a new initiative in 2000 to integrate the assessment and
treatment of violence into reproductive health services. In collaboration
with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and WHO, we
prepared a new manual, A Practical Approach to Gender-Based Violence: A
Programme Guide for Health Care Providers and Managers, which offers
step-by-step guidance on how to address violence against women and girls
in health care settings. The guide focuses on childhood sexual abuse,
domestic violence, and rape or sexual assault, and will be field tested in
2001.
 The State of World Population 2000 report focused attention on the
damage done by gender inequality and the need to improve the status of
women. The report, launched each September through special events around
the world, receives widespread media coverage. The 2000 report was the
lead story on the CNN web site and among the top stories in influential
newspapers worldwide.
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BOLIVIA INCREASES LITERACY
In the highlands of southern Bolivia, rates of infant and maternal
death and female illiteracy are among the highest in the country. In 1998,
UNFPA joined the Ministry of Education and other partners to launch a
four-year Quechua/Spanish literacy project to empower local women and
increase their access to health care and economic opportunities. In
September 2000, the project won one of five International Literacy Prizes
from the Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO). So far about 40,000 people have learned to read and
write and have become more aware of their sexual and reproductive health
and rights. The project has increased the use of health services and saved
mothers' lives. In the province of Chuquisaca, maternal mortality rates
dropped 70 per cent in one year, from 13 deaths in 1998 to four in 1999.
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