Results at a Glance
In view of improving response’ efficiency, UN Women has helped the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to develop a landmark strategy to guide interventions to combat violence against women and provide protection for victims and survivors of violence. Adopted in 2011, the National Strategy to Combat Violence against Women 2011-2019, provides a comprehensive policy framework that guides initiatives at all levels in combating violence against women and girls and effectively responding to the needs of the victims and survivors of violence.
UN Women has technically supported the establishment of Mehwar as the first specialized multi-purpose anti-violence centre in the occupied Palestinian territory. With over 400 cases managed to date with a high degree of specialization, as well as formalized standards and procedures, the Mehwar Centre is now considered by the Palestinian Ministry of Social Affairs as a model for homogenizing Palestinian anti-violence services. The Mehwar experience was used by UN Women to establish Al-Hayat Centre, the first anti-violence center in the Gaza Strip, in partnership with UNDP under the MDG Trust Fund Programme on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.
UN Women also supported the development of documentation systems on violence against women and girls, whether within the anti-violence centres themselves, through the establishment of the first-ever National Observatory on Violence Against Women or through the Serious Case Review, in order to provide a mechanism for effectively monitoring and accessing information on the level and nature of violence against women in the oPt, thereby helping to improve institutional responses and services.
As part of its state-building support, UN Women has also been working extensively with the Palestinian Civil Police Family Protection Units (FPUs) since 2011 in strengthening their capacity to deal with and address cases of violence against women and girls. In 2013, these efforts came to fruition with the endorsement and adoption by the Palestinian Chief of Police of the first ever Strategy, Regulation and Standard Operating Procedures for dealing with survivors of violence, including case reporting, risk assessment and case management, aligned with international human rights standards. A major indicator of the success is the increase in the numbers of survivors/victims of violence who are accessing services from the FPUs: In 2013 alone, the FPUs handled 3,662 cases, which is an increase of over 52% from 2011, when UN Women began its work with these units.