... Unleashing the Power of Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality - Strategy 2008-2011
Author: UNIFEM
June 2009
"Everyone has the right to freedom from violence and freedom from fear. Ending violence against women and girls is possible and within reach. UNIFEM's vision for a secure and peaceful world is one in which women and girls are free from violence and abuse, free to thrive as equals.
This in turn can unleash the full force of women's empowerment and gender equality to end poverty and foster human rights, peace and development for all," declares the vision statement of the new UNIFEM publication "A Life Free of Violence: Unleashing the Power of Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality - Strategy 2008-2011".The publication emphasizes that violence against women and girls is one of the most systematic, widespread human rights violations in the world. It occurs in every country, rich and poor, and affects women and girls, regardless of age or socio-economic status. Despite its alarming proportions and effects, it has long been, according to the UNIFEM publication, a silent epidemic, which has only recently been placed high on global, regional and national policy-making agendas.
UNIFEM's vision and future directions on advancing and accelerating progress in implementation and upscaling in the organisation's work are set out in the new 2008-2011 Strategy. It looks at seminal reports, worldwide initiatives, and expert consensus and emerging issues in academic, advocacy and policy circles. The publication also provides an overview of UNIFEM-supported programming, work in progress at other UN agencies in the context of UN reform and other opportunities available to accelerate progress, such as the Secretary-General's campaign UNite to End Violence against Women.
The strategy on ending violence against women focuses on four priority areas and six cross-cutting strategies that hold promise for intensifying implementation and achieving medium-to-longer-term results. Under the overall theme of ending impunity and strengthening accountability, the strategy's four pillars centre around: furthering implementation of existing commitments and promoting upscaling; aligning informal and formal justice systems with international human rights standards; addressing rape as a tactic of warfare in conflict and post-conflict situations; and targeting primary prevention with key groups, especially men and young people.
The strategy publication can be read online here:
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