UN Women, UNFPA and UNICEF in collaboration with partners commemorate 16 Days of Activism

UN Women, UNFPA and UNCIEF in collaboration with government counterparts, CSOs, and other development partners, have commemorated 16 Days of Activism under the UNiTE campaign theme for 2023 Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls.

Launched in 2008, the United Nations Secretary-General's UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women campaign (UNiTE campaign) is a multi-year effort aimed at preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls around the world.

A series of activities were conducted as part of the part of the 16 Days Activism. The activities include the following.

Launch of a strategy

This year’s 16 Days of Activism saw the launch of the five-year national strategy on Prevention and Response to Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC).

The strategy was developed under the leadership of the National Co-ordinating Body on Prevention and Response to Violence Against Women and Children which is co-chaired by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs.

UN Women and UNICEF have been key partners in the development of the strategy by providing financial and technical support the process.

The launch of the strategy, held in Adama, Oromia Region, on 1 December 2023, was graced by H.E. Sahlework Zewdie, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; H.E. Dr. Ergogie Tesfaye, Minister for Women and Social Affairs; H.E Dr. Ermiyas Yemanebirhan, State Minister of Justice; members of parliament, heads and representatives of UN agencies and senior government officials.

The strategy has been developed under the leadership of the National Co-ordinating Body on Prevention and Response to Violence Against Women and Children which is co-chaired by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs.

A high-level panel on GBV in Crisis Contexts in Ethiopia

UN Women Ethiopia in collaboration with the Spanish Cooperation, UNFPA, Embassies of Sweden, Ireland, Belgium, the European Union, and the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs co-organized a high-level panel on Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Crisis Contexts in Ethiopia.

The objective of the event is to discuss about women and girls in conflict affected regions with a particular focus on those affected by gender-based violence. The panel created a platform for service providers in the conflict areas, government, practitioners, and development partners to interact and share experience.

The event saw senior government officials, ambassadors and UN representatives, leaders of civil society organizations and representatives of different organizations as well as advocates working against GBV. Key speakers at the event include H.E. Alemitu Umutu, State Minister of Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, H.E. Manuel Salazar Palma, Ambassador of Spain to Ethiopia, H.E. Hans Henric Lundquist Ambassador of Sweden to Ethiopia, Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Ethiopia and Mr. Koffii Kouame, UNFPA Country Representative and Mr. Schadrack Dusabe UN Women Ethiopia Deputy Country Representative.

Private sector engagement to tackle Gender Based Violence

UN Women Ethiopia in collaboration with the Ethiopian Network of Women Shelters (ENWS) organized a panel discussion with the private sector on prevention and response to violence against women and girls. The event held on 30th November 2023 aimed to bring private sector, government institutions and civil society organizations to share experiences as well as discuss on the engagement of the private sector in ending violence against women and girls to enhance their corporate social responsibility. The event involved over fifty participants and accommodated a panel discussion with representatives from women directorate of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, private sector, and a speaker from the Ministry of Revenue.

A presentation by UN Women on the role of the private sector in prevention and response to VAWG and an exhibition on products and services of some participating organizations were part of the event.  Most of the participants from the private sector were interested to support the cause, and this will be followed up by UN Women and ENWS.

Media Editors Breakfast Meeting

UN Women Ethiopia collaborated with the Editor's Guild of Ethiopia to organize an editors’ breakfast meeting under the theme “Gender and Media: Editorial Perspectives on Gender Based Violence Reporting” on 8 December 2023. The event successfully brought the ethical reporting of gender-based violence cases to the attention of decision makers in major media outlets in the country.

The objective of the event was to facilitate discussion among the media editors to review current practices of media houses (private and state) and refresh participants with the ethical standards of gender responsive media in general and ethical VAWG reporting. The forum will provide space to share good practices from other countries and in Ethiopia, what is expected from the editor’s guild to influence changes in media houses.