A rape survivor in Mali visits a UN-supported aid center. Due to funding cuts, every third program to combat violence against women has been closed or suspended Women
Aid cuts are undermining the work of organizations on the front lines of combating violence against women and girls. UN Women warns about this.
A new agency report, based on a global survey of 428 women’s rights institutions and civil society organizations, shows that a third of them forced to suspend or close programs aimed at ending gender-based violence. psychosocial and medical assistance, as well as crisis shelters, due to lack of funds.
Victims remain without support
Nearly 80 percent of organizations noted that victims’ access to the services they need had declined, and 59 percent reported increased impunity and normalization
“Women’s rights organizations are a pillar of progress in the fight against violence against women, but today they are on the brink of survival,” said the head of UN Women’s anti-violence unit for women and girls Kalliopi Mingeiru.
“We cannot allow funding cuts to destroy decades of achievements. We call on governments and donors to secure and increase funding and make it more flexible. Without sustained investment, violence against women and girls will only increase,” she added.
Earlier this year, UN Women warned that many women’s organizations working in crisis situations were on the verge of closing – fears that have now been confirmed.
Violence against women remains one of the most widespread rights violations person in the world. According to the UN agency, about 736 million women on the planet – almost one in three – have experienced physical or sexual violence, most often from an intimate partner.
Gloomy prospects
Only 5 percent of those surveyed said they would be able to continue working for more than two years. Meanwhile, 85 percent predict serious rollbacks in legislation and protection of the rights of women and girls. More than half of the institutions expressed serious concern about the growing threats against women human rights defenders.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a key international plan to achieve gender equality, with the elimination of violence against women at its core.
The report’s authors warn that the financial crisis is unfolding against the backdrop of a broader movement against women’s rights, which is observed in one in four countries. As funds run out, many organizations are forced to focus on emergency relief while scaling back long-term programs to promote systemic change.