“A programming guide: Preventing violence against women in elections”, jointly produced by UN Women and UNDP, brings to light the scourge of violence against women in elections.
It seeks to identify the specific components of violence against women in elections, including types, tactics, victims and perpetrators, and presents options for policy and programming responses based on current good practices. It also provides examples of definitions and methods from all regions that may prompt ideas for actions according to each country’s national context.
Overview of the Guide
This Guide seeks to provide assistance to those working to increase the participation of women in electoral processes and mitigate the prevalence of VAWE. It seeks to identify the specific components of VAWE, including types, tactics, victims and perpetrators, and offers various options to prevent
and mitigate it based on current good practices.
The Guide presents some existing practices and options for policy and programming responses that may support technical assistance providers
such as UNDP, UN Women and other UN agencies in their work. It provides examples of definitions and methods from all regions. The Guide does not attempt to prescribe a particular approach and recognizes that the issues and solutions will vary according to each country’s national context. What has worked well in one place and time may not be appropriate in all countries, but may prompt ideas for other actions within a specific context.
Part of Guide
The Guide is divided into two main parts.
- Part A introduces the basic concepts of VAWE and aims to define the forms VAWE takes and illustrate the victims and the perpetrators. It seeks to provide a gendered definition of election-related violence and identifies those actions which are most specifically targeted at women in electoral processes.
- Part B is dedicated to examining current policy and programming responses to mitigate VAWE.
Drawing on current good practices, Part B offers policy and programming guidance with detailed action points for policymakers and practitioners to
be able to identify, prevent and respond to VAWE throughout the electoral cycle.
You can download this guide for free here.
