Evaluation of UNFPA Support to the Prevention of, Response to and Elimination of Gender-based Violence and Harmful Practices (2012-2017) Volume 1.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a grave violation of human rights and is widely recognized as an international public health concern. Worldwide, one in three women will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. Women and girls also continue to suffer from harmful practices, including child marriage, female genital mutilation and son preference. Genderbased violence and harmful practices have multiple physical, sexual and psychological consequences and affect the longterm well-being of individuals and communities. To eliminate GBV and all harmful practices, UNFPA works to transform gender and social norms across multiple contexts. UNFPA has a long history of responding to GBV and harmful practices, and this commitment continues to be given highest priority in its Strategic Plan (2018–2021). Efforts to respond to and eliminate GBV and harmful practices, accelerate progress on the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and drive efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda, particularly related to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 on gender equality, in addition to other related goals such as SDG 3 (Health). In this way, the SDGs recognize elimination of GBV as critical for advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, and thereby being central to attaining global development aspirations by 2030.

The Evaluation Office hopes the conclusions and recommendations of this evaluation inform the implementation of the current Strategic Plan (2018–2021) as well as the development and implementation of policies and programmes at country, regional and global level. In addition, the findings of this evaluation are relevant to the global review of the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action by the United Nations Commission on Population and Development in April 2019, during the 25th anniversary of the ICPD. As UNFPA commemorates its 50 years of operation in 2019, the evaluation clearly surfaced a strong and enduring commitment by the organization to end GBV and all harmful practices so that ‘no one is left behind’.