Evaluation of UNFPA Support to the Prevention of, Response to and Elimination of Gender-based Violence and Harmful Practices 2012-2017: Eastern Europe & Central Asia Regional Case Study

There are 17 programme countries in the UNFPA Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) region. Broadly speaking, three sub-regions exist (Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia) with different economic structures, languages and cultures.

The region has a recent history characterized by rapid and profound political, economic and social change. Economic growth has been significant, but uneven, with differing social implications. Financial, economic and security crises continue to affect investments in health, education and social protection throughout the region.

Gender discrimination and patriarchal attitudes towards the roles of women and men still characterise many spheres of life in the region. The political will to promote gender equality has been largely declarative but has not promoted real change. Decreased public investment in childcare, the elderly and disabled care (for example, day-care facilities, personnel and training) generate growing reliance of families and states on unpaid care provided by women and girls.

The recent regional programme evaluation estimated that 26 per cent of women in Eastern Europe, 23 per cent of women in Central Asia and 19 per cent of women in Western Europe have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence by a non-partner. The region’s crisis-affected areas reveal the increase in gender-based violence (GBV) in emergencies (for example, a rate 3 times higher among women IDPs in Ukraine, compared to host community residents– UNFPA EECARO data).

Although difficult to measure, published data, mostly several years out of date, shows GBV in the region to be widespread, and targeted violence against sexual minorities, bride kidnapping and honour killings are reportedly on the rise in some countries. The persistence of GBV, particularly intimate partner violence, is a crucial issue in EECA and one of the ubiquitous and entrenched indicators of gender inequality.

UNFPA’s EECA Regional Programme (RP) is currently in the fourth year of implementing the revised Regional Programme Intervention Plan (RIAP) 2014-2017. 

A recent evaluation of the Regional Programme concluded that it is aligned with the global UNFPA Strategic Plan 2014-2017 and contributes to its renewed focus on women’s reproductive health and rights, adolescent and youth issues, gender equality; and population-related policies for countries’ national development agendas. It is guided by six principles:

• National ownership of the ICPD agenda; 

• Human-rights-based approach; 

• Programmatic relevance and focus on results; 

• Adding value for money based on comparative advantage and complementarity; 

• Joint programming and delivering as one; and 

• Accountability and transparency.