New resources are now available for the campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women (2008-2015), which was launched on 25th February 2008 by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The campaign's overall objective is to raise public awareness and increase political will and resources for preventing and responding to all forms of violence against women and girls in all parts of the world – an obstacle to development, according to the Millennium Development Goals.
The campaign’s Framework for Action is now available in booklet form and electronic version, and a poster is also available.
The campaign focuses on public awareness-raising and social mobilization, with outreach to strategic groups who play a critical role. Emphasis is being placed on supporting action at country, local, and community levels.
The Framework for Action identifies five key outcomes as benchmarks for the campaign, to be achieved in all countries by 2015:
1) Adoption and enforcement of national laws to address and punish all forms of violence against women and girls, in line with international human rights standards.
2) Adoption and implementation of multi-sectoral national plans of action that emphasize prevention and that are adequately resourced.
3) Establishment of data collection and analysis systems, and the collection and analysis of data on the prevalence of various forms of violence against women and girls.
4) Establishment of national and/or local campaigns and the engagement of a diverse range of civil society actors in preventing violence and in supporting women and girls who have been abused.
5) Systematic efforts to address sexual violence in conflict situations and to protect women and girls from rape as a tactic of war and full implementation of related laws and policies.
Compiled from: “Words to Action: Newsletter on violence against women”, April 2009, Issue no. 3