URU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 175: Opfølgning på virtuel briefing den 14. maj 2020 ved UNDP’s regionale direktør for Afrika om den aktuelle situation og håndtering af COVID-19 i Afrika syd for Sahara

Udenrigsudvalget 2019-20
URU Alm.del Bilag 175
Offentligt

UNDP BRIEF

GENDER BASED

VIOLENCE AND

COVID 19

United Nations Development Programme

URU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 175: Opfølgning på virtuel briefing den 14. maj 2020 ved UNDP’s regionale direktør for Afrika om den aktuelle situation og håndtering af COVID-19 i Afrika syd for Sahara

The

COVID

outbreak has intensified domestic

and gender

based violence

(GBV)

globally.

GBV increases during every type of emergency – whether economic crises, conflict

or disease outbreaks.

Pre-existing toxic social norms and gender inequalities, economic and social stress caused by the pandemic,

coupled with restricted movement and social isolation measures, have led to an exponential increase in GBV

Many women are in ‘lockdown’ at home with their abusers while being cut off from normal support services.

To prevent and address GBV, we must work on dedicated actions and strategies, which are outlined in section

1 of this briefing note. UNDP Country Offices, UN sister agencies and other partners can also contribute to

addressing GBV by ensuring that their broader interventions to cope with the COVID-19 crisis – even when

they do not explicitly address GBV – can help enhance the protective factors to prevent GBV (see section 2).

This briefing note also provides cross-cutting considerations to be mainstreamed across every intervention

(see section 3).

G LO B A L LY

mil l io n

243

COVER IMAGE:

Angelina Bambina/Shutterstock

WOMEN AND GIRLS

AGED 15-49 HAVE BEEN

SUBJECTED TO SEXUAL

AND/OR PHYSICAL

VIOLENCE PERPETRATED BY

AN INTIMATE PARTNER IN

THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS.

The number is likely to

INCREASE

as security, health, and money worries heighten

tensions and strains and are accentuated by cramped and confined living conditions.

1 In France, for example, cases of domestic violence have increased by 30 per cent since the lockdown on March 17. Helplines in Cyprus and Singapore have registered an

increase in calls by 30 per cent and 33 per cent, respectively. In Argentina, emergency calls for domestic violence cases have increased by 25 per cent since the lockdown started.

INFOGRAPHICS:

UN Women (2020).

The Shadow Pandemic: Violence Against Women and Girls and COVID-19,

New York.

https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/

multimedia/2020/4/infographic-covid19-violence-against-women-and-girls

Integrate GBV in national

and sub-national COVID-19

response plans

Dedicated actions and

strategies to prevent

and address GBV

In our work with governments, UN agencies and our partners play a critical role in

ensuring not only business continuity of existing GBV response and prevention services,

but also to support governments in preparing for the increased demand for such

services in the context of COVID-19.

Ensure that GBV response services, including justice services, are designated as

essential and remain open and accessible, including through online and digital

platforms.

Support budgeting to, at minimum, ensure human and financial resources are

not diverted from essential GBV services and essential maternal health services.

Data from Ebola-affected Sierra Leone indicates a spike in maternal mortality due

to resources being diverted elsewhere

. In anticipation of increased demand for

essential GBV services, advocate for additional human and financial resources for

essential GBV services to the extent possible.

Conduct a rapid GBV and COVID-19 assessment to understand the changing context

and any gaps in capacity or services.

Promote the inclusion of women’s organizations in COVID-19 plan development,

implementation and monitoring.

Support governments in promoting and protecting human rights throughout

COVID-19 response. This may include efforts to ensure emergency COVID-related

policies and legislation uphold international human rights standards and that

civic spaces for civil society, including human rights defenders, are protected.

In Bangladesh,

UNDP is supporting the National Human Rights Commission to

establish a hotline to receive human rights complaints

Provide coordination

support and advice

Working closely with UN Country Teams and Resident Coordinators on the ground,

UNDP and other partners can support governments in coordinating multi-sectoral

action.

In Paraguay,

UNDP is working with partners to activate and expand a national

roundtable which brings together law enforcement and justice, GBV and child

protection officials. UNDP Paraguay is also working with partners to equip the

Ministry of Women with a “situation room” that will track the evolution of GBV and

coordinate the response and the prevention of GBV during the COVID-19 crisis.

UNDP Mexico

is working with UN Women to develop a “sorority network” among

municipalities, safe spaces for women and girls, and other institutional programs

delivered by the Centers of Justice for Women.

2 Sochas L, Channon AA, and Nam S. (2017)

Counting indirect crisis-related deaths in the context of a low-

resilience health system: the case of maternal and neonatal health during the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone.

Health Policy Plan 2017; 32 (suppl 3): iii32–39.

3 This is part of a broader effort - though the Global Programmes Tripartite Partnership with the Global

Alliance for National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and the United Nations Office of the High

Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) - to support National Human Rights Institutions.

Adapt and expand services

such as shelters, safe spaces

and essential housing, along

with psycho-social support

and advice for individuals

experiencing or at risk of GBV

Ensure that individuals can safely prepare to break free of abusive situations, by

providing accessible support, advice and reporting mechanisms.

UNDP Mexico

is working with UN Women and other partners to support the LUNA centers (safe

spaces for women and girls) to develop new protocols and provide support via

phone and a virtual platform. In

Paraguay,

helplines will be strengthened by the

provision of key equipment and COVID-19 specific training, including on how to

address cases of children whose caregivers are ill or in quarantine elsewhere. In

Fiji,

through the Global Programme on Rule of Law and Human Rights, UNDP is

supporting civil society organisations that have responded to the crisis and opened

counseling helplines, where expert counsellors are responding to calls 24 hours

a day, seven days a week.

In Chile,

UNDP and UN Women are strengthening the

capacities of the Women´s Centers to provide remote care.

Expand capacities of shelters and guarantee that survivors have somewhere safe to

go to, as demand for GBV safe spaces will very likely increase. For example,

France

has made 20,000 hotel room nights available to women needing shelter from

abusive situations.

Helpline

Tip

Lockdown situations add an additional challenge for women accessing helplines, as they may fear being overheard by

their abuser, which specific measures such as code words, code numbers and ‘no-dial or chat’ options can help mitigate.

If you are initiating a new helpline, two key elements are: training of staff and referral pathway partners, and widely

disseminating information about the service.

Support police and justice

actors to provide adapted

services

Periods of confinement or lockdown do not lessen the need for access to justice or

rule of law. On the contrary, the needs are even greater as some rights and freedoms

can be rolled-back or threatened in the context of COVID-19 response (such as the

implementation of discriminatory measures targeted against LGBTI and vulnerable

populations and reduced access to sexual and reproductive health services). GBV

strategies need to be integrated into operational plans of the justice and security sectors

throughout COVID-19 preparedness, response and recovery. When courts are not

operating, advocate for the inclusion of GBV services in the skeletal services provided

and ensure that necessary safeguards exist for GBV survivors.

Update GBV protocol and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in the context of

COVID-19.

In Spain,

for example, women are exempt from the lockdown if they are

leaving a situation of domestic violence.

In Italy,

prosecutors have ruled that the

perpetrator – rather than the survivor – must leave the family home, in situations

of domestic violence.

In Argentina,

dispatched police are instructed to remove

the perpetrator from the scene and receive complaints and statements at home or

remotely. The government has extended protection orders for survivors to 60 days.

Statutes of limitations on offenses, particularly sexual violence offenses, should also

be suspended.

Support partnerships and coordination between police and non-justice sectors that

women and girls may have safe access to. In the

Canary Islands, Spain,

women can

use the code message “Mask-19” to alert pharmacies about a situation of domestic

violence that brings the police in to support. In

Cumbria, UK,

police have enlisted

postal workers and delivery drivers to look out for signs of abuse.

Ensure civil cases, such as protection orders in the case of domestic violence,

are classified as urgent cases by courts that have restricted operations due to

emergency COVID-19 measures. Where hearings cannot be held in the short term,

support to access alternative dispute resolution mechanisms should be facilitated.

Provide justice services virtually, including legal advice, psychosocial advice,

police and justice services including hearings, as is the case in

Colombia.

Courts

in places such as

Beijing, New York City and Canada

have also instituted phone,

teleconference and online hearings.

Provide increased capacity strengthening, to keep pace with the adapted services.

UNDP Uganda

is working with government and UN partners to adapt e-learning

modules for police, public prosecution, judiciary and prison officers.

In Chile,

UNDP and UN Women have been working with the National Prosecutor´s

Office to increase the number of survivors that pursue legal proceeding against their

aggressors. The intervention, developed with the support of the Behavioral Insights

Team and funding from the Innovation Facility, offers remote accompaniment and

information to women throughout the legal proceedings.

Explore other ways to address accessibility challenges during lockdown, such as:

legal aid helplines for survivors; the possibility to admit testimony and evidence

electronically; and mobile justice units.

Assess and update GBV

referral pathways to reflect

any changes in formal or

informal services or access

points as a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic

Coordinate with partners from UN agencies, civil society and government, including

women’s machineries and national human rights commissions, and disseminate rapidly.

Continue to monitor the situation and update the referral pathway regularly.

Each referral listed should contain: the name of the institution/organization, type of

service(s) provided, how it can be reached during the COVID crisis (phone number,

physical location, etc.), contact person, cost of service(s) and hours of operation.

Create referral booklets. This resource list should be small enough to be hidden and

should include a range of other non-GBV services (e.g., social welfare, healthcare,

social grants, community centers, and others relevant to the broader project

activities such as weather services) so as not to alert a potential perpetrator about

the nature of the information supplied.

Emerging data shows that since the outbreak of COVID-19, violence against women and girls,

and particularly domestic violence has

INTENSIFIED.

30%

FRANCE,

REPORTS OF DOMESTIC

VIOLENCE HAVE INCREASED BY

30%

SINCE

THE LOCKDOWN ON MARCH 17.

33%

CYPRUS

AND

SINGAPORE

HELPLINES

HAVE REGISTERED AN INCREASE IN CALLS

30%

AND

33%

RESPECTIVELY.

INCREASED CASES OF DOMESTIC

VIOLENCE AND DEMAND FOR EMERGENCY

SHELTER HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTED IN

CANADA, GERMANY, SPAIN, THE UNITED

KINGDOM

AND

THE UNITED STATES.

25%

ARGENTINA

EMERGENCY CALLS FOR

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES HAVE INCREASED

25%

SINCE THE LOCKDOWN ON MARCH 20.

Engage government

private sector and civil

society actors, including

community, traditional

and faith-based leaders,

to send a strong message

that violence will not be

tolerated

In addition to sending a strong message that violence will not be tolerated, government

and civil society actors should also emphasize: perpetrators will be punished; services

for survivors, such as the ones listed above, are available; and everyone has a role to play.

Be inclusive. To reach as many people as possible, including hard-to-reach, remote

and vulnerable groups, use multiple channels (such as TV, radio, SMS, etc., as

electricity, internet, and mobile network access may vary significantly), and if

applicable, multiple languages. Text captioning or signed videos for hearing

impaired and online materials for people who use assistive technology should be

employed to reach persons with disabilities

. The public outreach campaign

Paraguay,

for example, will use community radio stations and SMS messages in

Spanish and Guarani.

UNDP Peru

is developing a podcast to raise awareness of the

risks of GBV and the rights of survivors.

Collaborate with civil society organizations, including local women’s organizations,

as they can help disseminate information to those who need it most. Partner with

disability organizations and caregiver groups, to help reach women and girls with

disabilities, and ensure their needs and interests are integrated into GBV services

and delivery

Provide direct and

indirect support to civil

society organisation

service providers

Many civil society organisations (CSOs) will be under increased pressure to provide

essential services, while staff may have fallen ill or have significant care responsibilities

as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

Provide additional funding and capacity support, particularly to those CSOs that

provide services to hard-to-reach communities or groups facing intersecting

forms of discrimination.

In South Africa,

support is being allocated to accelerate

community-level service delivery for survivors of GBV, with dedicated focus on

women in the informal economy, as well as young girls and women affected by HIV

and AIDS.

Enable community-led

solutions, including

empowering “good

bystanders”

Create spaces for communities to lead GBV prevention and response. For instance,

UNDP Sudan

supports community-based paralegals in camps for internally

displaced people to provide basic legal advice and employ dispute resolution

techniques to prevent or mitigate violence.

In Somalia,

UNDP is working with

partners to develop “neighborhood watch” systems, whereby elected men and

women will receive training to regularly patrol their neighborhood to prevent or

mitigate incidents of violence.

In the UK,

the network

‘Vaccines Against Domestic

Violence’

has over 2,500 volunteers who support families to resolve conflicts without

violence.

4 Messages should come from the highest level of government, and be reinforced across relevant ministries

(Justice, Health, Finance, Social Welfare, etc.).

5 For more guidance on inclusion of women and girls with disability, please see this brief from the GBV

Area of Responsibility Helpdesk (2020). Disability Considerations in GBV Programming during the COVID-19

Pandemic.

https://gbvaor.net/sites/default/files/2020-03/Disability%20Considerations%20in%20GBV%20

programming%20during%20COVID_Helpdesk.pdf.

6 Ibid.

7 Those patrolling will apply the safety regulations of operating under COVID (keeping a distance of 1,5m –

do not touch individuals – cough in the inside of your elbows – use hand sanitizers or wash your hands with

soap at regular intervals).

Promote dialogue across sectors at national and sub-national levels.

In Botswana,

Local Emergency Operating Centres will raise awareness and engage the community

in addressing GBV. These community structures – made up of a school principal,

a farmer, a veterinarian, a social worker, a nurse, a Councilor, a tribal chief, and a

member of civil society – will advise government on the needs of the village.

UNDP

Uganda

and Spotlight Initiative partners are working with faith-based organisations,

traditional and cultural institutions, and CSOs to develop innovative approaches

to disseminate real time COVID-19 messages, including those that promote social

cohesion.

Mitigate the economic

impact of COVID-19 on

survivors of GBV

Economic impacts of COVID-19 will be felt most egregiously by women and girls,

particularly survivors of GBV, who may already be economically disadvantaged or

economically dependent on their abusers.

Support survivors’ economic resiliency and independence by putting funds directly

into their hands. Several countries already have plans to do this, for example:

In Bogotá, Colombia,

authorities are guaranteeing survivors of domestic

violence full access to cash transfers during the COVID-19 crisis

Paraguay

is incorporating a gender perspective in its recently launched cash-

transfer programme, “Ñangareko”, in order to ensure the most vulnerable women

and their families have access.

Australia, France and the UK

have each allocated additional, dedicated funding

to support women experiencing violence.

National response to

COVID

must include:

SERVICES TO ADDRESS

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

AND GIRLS.

This includes increased

resources to support shelters, hotlines

and online counselling. These essential

services should be expanded and

adapted to the crisis context to ensure

survivors have access to support.

A STRONG MESSAGE FROM

LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT

IMPUNITY WILL NOT BE

TOLERATED.

Police and justice actors

must ensure that incidents of GBV are

given high priority and care must be

taken to address the manifestations

of violence emerging in the context of

COVID-19.

PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT

for women and girls affected by the

outbreak, GBV survivors, frontline health

workers and other frontline social

support staff must be prioritized.

8 OECD (2020).

Women at the core of the fight against the covid-19 crisis.

Address GBV risk factors in

socio-economic assessment

and response

Strategies and actions to

mainstream GBV prevention

and response in

'non -

GBV'

interventions

The social and economic impacts of COVID-19 will be different for women and men,

boys and girls. Increased economic insecurity may increase stress within the household,

along with a GBV survivor’s economic dependence on their abuser, making it more

challenging to leave. The risk of child, forced or early marriage may also increase as

a coping strategy to financial and food insecurity. Conversely, increases in women’s

economic autonomy may disrupt power dynamics within the household, potentially

resulting in male backlash.

Integrate GBV prevention into women’s economic empowerment initiatives,

including cash transfers, fiscal relief and stimulus for businesses, and skills

programmes. In Ebola-affected

Sierra Leone,

a cash transfer programme that

integrated GBV and sexual exploitation training to mobile money agents and other

distribution partners offers a promising example

Use gender-responsive budgeting to assess the gender differentiated impact of

recovery programmes, as is the case in

Malawi.

Ensure impact assessments and responses leave no one behind.

Peru

is supporting

Amazonian indigenous peoples, indigenous women in particular, improve their

immediate access to social protection. Its socioeconomic impact assessment of

COVID-19 on the indigenous peoples’ economy and livelihoods will be gender- and

interculturally-sensitive.

See this briefing note on

The Economic Impacts of COVID-19 and Gender Inequality:

Recommendations for Policymakers

for detailed advice on gender-responsive socio-

economic impact assessments.

Do No Harm

All COVID-19 interventions must, at minimum, do no harm, by ensuring that they do not

reinforce or reproduce the existing power imbalances and patriarchal norms which not

only underpin GBV, but also undermine broader social cohesion and sustainable recovery.

Incorporate sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA)/sexual harassment (SH)/GBV

screening into all recruitment and procurement processes. Where available, use the

Clear Check Database as a screening tool

. Ensure partners have been made aware

of and are compliant with SEA prevention policies.

Identify GBV-related risks as part of any risk assessment. Include GBV risk mitigation

and protection outcomes in project monitoring and evaluation. This

Guidance for

Gender Based Violence (GBV) Monitoring and Mitigation within Non-GBV Focused

Sectoral Programming

from CARE International provides very useful guidance on

how to assess and mitigate risks.

Monitor GBV risks via a simple, anonymous and confidential GBV tracking system.

These should document any GBV events that project staff, project partners, and

project volunteers or other representatives hear about and/or observe. One example

is community check-ins, which may be single-sex groups, or potentially separate

groups for influential community members vs regular community members (to

9 For more information, see: Welcome Radice, H (2017).

Cash Transfers for Food Security in Epidemics: A Review of the USAID Food for Peace Response to the Ebola Crisis in Liberia

and Sierra Leone.

http://www.cashlearning.org/downloads/calp-ebola-documentation-report-web.pdf.

10 For more information about Clear Check:

https://www.unsystem.org/content/screening-database-clearcheck

ensure that influential people and leaders’ voices and opinions do not dominate over

other community members). Community check-ins should never directly ask about

personal experiences of GBV; if participants raise this, give them the opportunity to share

their story in private with a trained individual who can make appropriate referrals.

Establish a gender-sensitive grievance mechanism which all constituents are aware

of and can assess, per

UNDP SECU guidelines.

Create spaces for multisectoral dialogue, including engaging with interagency

mechanisms such as protection cluster, sectoral working groups (such as health,

livelihoods and education). Encourage interaction through the appropriate and

available means dictated by the context, including through digital platforms.

Integrate GBV prevention

into COVID-19 interventions

GBV prevention is a goal in of itself, and it also can intensify progress across multiple

development goals (as it improves health outcomes, economic productivity and

educational attainment). There are opportunities to integrate evidence-based GBV

prevention programmes, such as

Indashyikirwa

and

SASA!,

throughout COVID-19

response and recovery initiatives.

UNDP’s

GBV Programming Portal

outlines opportunities and entry points

for integrating GBV prevention into the following thematic areas: economic

empowerment; environment and climate change; HIV, health and development;

crisis response and recovery; rule of law, justice, security and human rights.

UNDP’s “Ending

GBV and Achieving the SDGs”

project is focused on integrating

evidence-based GBV prevention models into broader sectoral programmes, such

as livelihoods,

local governance

and

climate change.

For more information on how to integrate GBV prevention into an intervention,

get in touch with your Regional Gender Advisor

, or HQ-based GBV Focal Point

([email protected]).

As stay-at-home orders expand to contain the spread of the virus, women with violent partners

increasingly find themselves

ISOLATED

from the people and resources that can help them.

<40%

LESS THAN 40% OF WOMEN

WHO EXPERIENCE VIOLENCE

REPORT THESE CRIMES OR

SEEK HELP OF ANY SORT.

Violence against women and girls is

pervasive but at the same time widely

under-reported.

87,000

WOMEN INTENTIONALLY

KILLED IN 2017.

The majority of

these killings were committed by an

intimate partner or family member of

the victim.

1.5

TRILLION

THE GLOBAL COST OF

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

HAS BEEN ESTIMATED AT

APPROXIMATELY US$1.5

TRILLION.

That figure can only be rising

as violence increases now, and continues

in the aftermath of the pandemic.

THE SURGE IN COVID-19 CASES

IS STRAINING EVEN THE MOST

ADVANCED AND BEST-RESOURCED

HEALTH SYSTEMS TO THEIR BREAKING

POINTS, INCLUDING THOSE AT THE

FRONTLINES OF VIOLENCE RESPONSE.

Domestic violence shelters are

reaching capacity, or unable to take

new victims due to lockdown and

social distancing measures. In other

cases they are being re-purposed to

serve as health centers.

11 This website is currently accessible to UNDP personnel only. To request access to the website, please email: [email protected]

12 Gender advisor for Africa: Odette Kabaya.

[email protected];

Gender advisor for Arab States: Frances Guy.

[email protected];

Gender advisor for Asia Pacific:

Koh Miyaoi.

[email protected];

Gender advisor for Europe and Central Asia: Bharati Sadasivam.

[email protected];

Gender advisor for Latin America and the

Caribbean: Eugenia Piza Lopez.

[email protected]

Put women at the center

Utilize data to the fullest

Other considerations

Put women at the center of all preparedness, response and recovery efforts, to mitigate

disproportionately negative impacts on women and girls and to ensure sustainable recovery.

Develop targeted strategies for women’s leadership and participation in decision

making in COVID-19 response, including response to GBV.

Foster or develop women’s networks including women’s CSOs, GBV survivors’

organizations, LGTBI associations, etc. and engage with them throughout any

intervention.

Acknowledge the increased caregiving responsibilities within the household and

identify the timing and duration women may be more likely to be able to participate.

Data is a crucial tool for understanding how and why pandemics such as COVID-19

may result in an increase in GBV. Data can help identify: GBV risk factors; the impact

of COVID-19 on the availability of services for women survivors of violence; how women’s

access to such services and help-seeking from formal and informal sources is affected;

new short and medium-term needs. These data are critical to designing evidence-based

policy and programmes that respond to women’s needs, reduce risks, and mitigate

adverse effects during and after the pandemic

. Explore existing data and identify any

gaps. It may not be possible to collect data on GBV prevalence (as such surveys need to

take proactive measures to ensure the safety, confidentiality and privacy of respondents),

so it is important to identify alternative options

Qualitative data from women’s organizations can provide rich, context-specific and

timely information.

Citizen-generated data, such as electronic and social media data, may also be a

source of timely data. When no other data is available, “data mining” of social media

can be a useful tool.

At a minimum, all data should be disaggregated by sex, age and disability. When

possible, disaggregate data to give visibility to LGBTI groups.

Engage men and boys

Engage men and boys by tailoring messages to challenge gender stereotypes and

unequal gender roles.

As part of the

Spotlight Initiative,

in Guyana,

COVID-19 information has been included

in programmes addressing violent masculinities and linked to alcohol abuse.

UN Women is supporting

Antigua and Barbuda, Malawi, Morocco, Sudan,

Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe

in promoting positive masculinities, including

shared caregiving duties.

In Chile,

UNDP and UN Women are developing a communications campaign to raise

awareness and disseminate information on available support services. This campaign

includes specific messages targeting men that will be disseminated on the radio,

particularly in more marginalized neighborhoods where social media is less accessible.

13 UN Women & WHO (2020).

Violence Against Women and Girls: Data Collection during COVID-19.

https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/

library/publications/2020/vaw.

14 There are specific safety and ethical guidelines for conducting GBV research, such as

Ethical and safety recommendations for research on domestic violence against women.

If it is not possible to adhere to such guidelines - which may be the case in rapid response situations - such research must not take place, as it could exposing survivors to

greater risk or revictimization. For more guidance, please see:

https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/04/issue-brief-violence-against-women-and-

girls-data-collection-during-covid-19.

Men and boys also experience GBV and gender-biased challenges to accessing

services (e.g. stigma, perceptions that ‘real men’ don’t need support, etc). Ensure that

services are also made accessible to men and boys.

Explore technology-based

solutions

Social distancing and quarantine measures necessitate innovative and safe ways to

connect

. Smartphone apps, SMS, and online platforms can disseminate information,

provide services, generate and collect data, and share experiences. When there is a

proliferation of such tools, UNDP can work with trusted organizations with expertise

on GBV to assess their safety.

Bright Sky, a

UK-based app,

can be used to help survivors prepare to safely leave

abusive situations. It can be disguised for people worried about partners checking

their phones. It can also log incidents of domestic abuse, without any content being

saved on the device itself, building a secure body of evidence so police can intervene

and secure a prosecution.

In Brazil,

apps such as SOS Mulher are being developed by the police and civil

society with the dual function to report incidents of domestic violence during

social isolation, as well as incidents of non-compliance with emergency protective

measures imposed on the offender.

As part of its partnership with Jumia Food,

UNDP Uganda

is exploring how to

incorporate GBV messaging in an e-commerce platform which connects small and

medium-sized enterprises and informal market vendors to customers, as part of its

COVID-19 response.

Safety Net Australia

provides mobile phones and $30 pre-credit in addition to

providing survivors with the means to connect with support.

Engage the private sector as partners in addressing GBV. Telecommunications

companies in particular can play a positive role in helping to disseminate

information on services or deliver support to survivors. For example, two firms in

Antigua and Barbuda

are offering free calls to helplines.

Adopt an intersectional

approach

Adopt an intersectional approach that recognizes the differentiated impacts of COVID-19

on groups that face multiple forms of discrimination, such as indigenous peoples, LGBTI

communities, migrant and domestic workers, people living with HIV, and persons with

disabilities.

UNDP Paraguay,

for example, is working with local governments and UN partners

to tailor its public campaign to reach indigenous communities. It is also working

with partners to train helpline workers to respond to the specific needs of women

domestic workers.

Consider that during lockdowns, LGBTI groups, gender non-conforming people

and those with other identities may be forced to stay in communities and family

situations that heighten their risk of violence.

Foster a culture of gender

equality, including zero-

tolerance of sexual

harassment and SEA

Epidemics can increase the exposure of women and girls to SEA. In Ebola-affected Sierra

Leone for example, community members responsible for enforcing quarantine were

accused of sexually assaulting girls

In Fiji,

a code of conduct designed by UN Women is in place to do no harm in

working with community representatives and village leaders.

Prioritize the physical and mental well-being of personnel

. Ensure psychosocial

support is available to staff and partners, including frontline health and social

support workers.

See Section on “Do No Harm” for more details.

15 Digital platforms may not be accessible in all contexts, as 327 million fewer women than men have a smartphone and can access mobile internet (according to the

Mobile

Gender Gap Report 2018).

In additional to accessibility, it is important to look at data safety and security when exploring digital solutions, as breaches in confidentiality can put

women at greater risk.

16 The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Emergencies (2018). The Guidance Note on the Protection of Children During Infectious Disease Outbreak.

https://

alliancecpha.org/en/child-protection-online-library/guidance-note-protection-children-during-infectious-disease

17 Please see this guidance note from Raising Voices for detailed advice:

Guidance Note 3: How can we amplify self and collective care?

ANNEX 1

UNDP’s commitments to prevent and address GBV

The

UNDP Gender Equality Strategy (2018 – 2021)

reaffirms UNDP’s commitment to promoting and mainstreaming gender equality

and women’s empowerment in all that it does, including two priority areas of: preventing and responding to gender-based violence;

and strengthening gender-responsive strategies in crisis (conflict and disaster) prevention, preparedness and recovery.

In line with UNDP’s Social and Environment Safeguards (SES), COVID-19 RRF funding proposals must include an assessment and

allocate funds to address possible unintended consequences related to GBV.

UNDP Strategy and Action Plan on Response to Sexual Harassment and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse 2019-2020

reaffirms a zero-

tolerance policy, along with several measures such as integrating safeguards throughout its portfolio.

ANNEX 2

Gender-based violence and COVID-19 – Annotated Programming Matrix

The COVID-19 outbreak has intensified gender-based violence (GBV) globally. The matrix below summarizes some of the key

recommendations and entry points to prevent and address GBV throughout COVID-19 response and recovery.

KEY RECOMMENDATION

Provide policy advice to

governments

on integrating

GBV in national and sub-

national COVID-19 response

plans and budgets

SPECIFIC ACTIONS AND EXAMPLES

Support budgeting processes to, at minimum, ensure human and financial resources are not diverted

from essential GBV services and maternal health services, and that they remain open and accessible.

Provide coordination support and advice.

In Paraguay,

UNDP is working with partners to activate

and expand a national roundtable which brings together law enforcement and justice, GBV and child

protection officials.

Support governments in promoting and protecting human rights throughout their COVID-19

response, including efforts to ensure emergency COVID-19 related legislation upholds international

human rights standards and that civic spaces for civil society, including human rights defenders, are

protected.

Coordinate with partners to conduct rapid GBV and COVID-19 assessments, and update the referral

pathway.

Develop targeted strategies for women’s leadership and participation in COVID-19 plan development,

implementation and monitoring.

Support police and justice

actors

to provide adapted

services during periods of

confinement or lockdown

Update police services GBV protocol and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

In Spain,

women are

exempt from the lockdown if they are leaving a situation of domestic violence.

In Italy,

prosecutors

have ruled that the perpetrator – rather than the survivor – must leave the family home, in situations

of domestic violence.

Provide comprehensive justice services virtually and allow for the possibility to admit testimony

and evidence electronically. Courts in

Beijing, New York City and Canada

have instituted phone,

teleconference and online hearings.

Provide remote training for judges, prosecutors and legal aid providers on protocols for handling GBV

cases, including virtually.

Support partnerships and coordination between police and non-justice sectors that women and girls

may have safe access to. In the

Canary Islands, Spain,

women can use the code message “Mask-19”

to alert pharmacies about a situation of domestic violence that brings the police in to support.

Cumbria,

UK, police have enlisted postal workers and delivery drivers to look out for signs of abuse.

18 Data from Ebola-a ected Sierra Leone indicates a spike in maternal mortality due to resources diverted elsewhere, per Sochas L, Channon AA, and Nam S. (2017)

Counting

indirect crisis-related deaths in the context of a low-resilience health system: the case of maternal and neonatal health during the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone.

Health Policy Plan

2017; 32 (suppl 3): iii32–39.

Adapt and expand services

such as shelters, safe spaces

and essential housing

along

with psycho-social support

and advice for individuals

experiencing or at risk of GBV

Expand capacities of shelters and other essential housing.

France

has made 20,000 hotel rooms

available to women needing shelter from abusive situations.

Provide accessible support, advice and reporting mechanisms, including helplines. Code words or

code numbers can help women in lockdown, as they may fear being overheard by their abuser.

Explore technology-based solutions, where women’s digital access is high. Bright Sky, a

UK-based

app,

can be used to help survivors prepare to safely leave abusive situations and log incidents. It can

be disguised for people worried about partners checking their phones.

Provide direct and indirect support to CSO GBV service providers, particularly those that provide

services to hard-to-reach communities, human rights defenders or groups facing intersecting forms

of discrimination.

Promote GBV-responsive

health systems

strengthening

Train health service providers on how to handle disclosures of GBV.

Tanzania

is mainstreaming

violence against women and children into the SOPs and protocols of service providers, so that they

are able to conduct VAWC screening in reported cases of COVID-19.

Express zero tolerance of sexual harassment, as previous epidemics indicate increased risks among

female health workers.

Address GBV risk factors in

socio-economic assessment

and response

Disaggregate all data by sex, age and disability. When possible, disaggregate data to give visibility to

LGBTI groups.

Engage with women’s organizations for rich, context-specific, timely qualitative data.

Use gender-responsive budgeting to assess the gender differentiated impact of recovery

programmes, as is the case in

Malawi.

Build the economic

resilience of GBV survivors

Mitigate the direct economic impact of COVID-19 on survivors of GBV.

In Bogotá, Colombia,

authorities are guaranteeing survivors of domestic violence full access to cash transfers during the

COVID-19 crisis.

Integrate GBV prevention into women’s economic empowerment initiatives to prevent the likelihood

of “backlash” within the household.

Engage and empower

partners

to send a strong

message

that: violence will

not be tolerated; perpetrators

will be punished; services for

survivors are available; and

everyone has a role to play

Use multiple channels (such as TV, radio, SMS, etc.), multiple languages, text captioning or signed

videos for hearing impaired, and online materials for people who use assistive technology. The public

outreach campaign

in Paraguay,

for example, will use community radio stations and SMS messages

in Spanish and Guarani.

Collaborate with civil society organizations, including disability organizations, as they can help

disseminate information.

Enable community-led solutions.

In Somalia,

UNDP is working with partners to develop

“neighorhood watch” systems, whereby men and women will be prevent, mitigate or resolve

conflict.

UNDP Sudan

supports community-based paralegals in camps for internally displaced

people to provide basic legal advice and employ dispute resolution techniques to prevent or

mitigate violence.

Adopt an intersectional approach that recognizes the differentiated impacts of COVID-19 on groups

that face multiple forms of discrimination, such as indigenous peoples, LGBTI communities, migrant

and domestic workers, people living with HIV, victims of trafficking and persons with disabilities.

Incorporate SEA, SH and GBV screening into all recruitment and procurement processes.

Include GBV risks and risk mitigation strategies in risk assessments and project M&E.

Establish a gender-sensitive grievance mechanism which all constituents are aware of and can assess,

per UNDP SECU guidelines.

Do No Harm,

by ensuring that

interventions do not reinforce

existing power imbalances

which not only underpin

GBV, but also undermine

broader social cohesion and

sustainable recovery

19 See the briefing note on

The Economic Impacts of COVID-19 and Gender Inequality: Recommendations for Policymakers

for detailed advice on gender-responsive socio-

economic impact assessments.

20 Including government, private sector and civil society actors, including community, traditional and faith-based leaders.

21 Those patrolling will apply the safety regulations of operating under COVID (keeping a distance of 1,5m – do not touch individuals – cough in the inside of your elbows – use

hand sanitizers or wash your hands with soap at regular intervals).

ANNEX 3

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