UN fund for women announces $1 million in grants to support anti-violence projects

The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) today announced grants totalling over $1 million to support projects addressing gender-based violence, including sexual abuse, rape, so-called honour crimes and domestic violence.

Through its Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women, UNIFEM will back efforts to help rape survivors in Rwanda and Burundi, promote a gender-sensitive media code for journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and train teachers in Bolivia to advocate for the inclusion of domestic violence in school curricula, among other initiatives.

"We are learning how to stop the violence," said UNIFEM chief Noeleen Heyzer. "These projects reflect the increasing commitment that exists worldwide to protect women's rights, provide services for victims, and punish crimes of violence against women and girls."

While the funding will support projects in 22 different countries, requirements still far outpace resources. The Trust Fund this year received applications for close to 270 projects with funding requests for more than $15.5 million.

"There is an obvious and growing need for greater funding in the area of violence prevention," Ms. Heyzer observed. "Our biggest obstacle is not a lack of ideas - it is a lack of resources."

Established in 1996, the Trust Fund has awarded, in previous cycles, over $5 million to projects in more than 70 countries.