Eliminating Violence Against Women

English |中文 

Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread and destructive human rights violations. Domestic violence is prevalent in China and, although the Chinese government and civil society are addressing its adverse impacts, enforcing policies and laws to prevent and respond to domestic violence remains a challenge.

We assist national partners to:

  • Develop gender-sensitive policies and legislation
  • Provide assistance to survivors
  • Run educational awareness-raising campaigns on the issue
  • Facilitate the implementation of pilot projects for upscaling

UN Women in Action

Working with the judiciary and police to address domestic violence in Hunan.

Through a CGF project, the Women’s Federation and Supreme Court of Hunan Province has produced landmark Judicial Guidelines on Domestic Violence Cases to be used by all judges in the Province. These are the first ever guidelines of this kind in China.

The Guidelines give full consideration to women’s rights when domestic violence cases are tried in court, resulting in greater judicial support for gender justice. The Guidelines contain 21 provisions and address the issue of strengthening judicial protection for female victims of domestic violence.

According to these new Guidelines, a woman in Hunan who killed her husband after long term abuse was sentenced to only three years in jail. Before the Guidelines were established, such cases always resulted in the death penalty or life in prison.

Through the CGF, UN Women is currently working with Women’s Federation of Hunan Province, Hunan Public Security Bureau, and Hunan Police Officers Academy, to issue the first ever handbook for police officers on how to deal with domestic violence cases.

UN Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women (EVAW TF)

Domestic violence is a gross violation of women’s rights to life, security of person, liberty and health. The overall goal of the UN Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women (EVAW TF) Joint Programme is to increase the number of women in China that can enjoy their right to a life free from domestic violence (DV).

UN WOMEN serves as lead agency for the EVAW TF supported joint programme addressing domestic violence in China in collaboration with UNFPA, UNESCO, and UNDP.  The programme’s goal is to establish a multi-sector DV response model in the three pilot counties in Hunan, Sichuan and Gansu provinces.  ACWF is the lead national agency, responsible for coordinating other national counterparts.

The joint programme’s key strategies are:

  • Utilisation of a rights-based approach aimed at respecting, protecting and fulfilling women’s human rights under CEDAW;
  • Development of a multi-sector response model – referred to as the DV Prevention and Response Model – for scaling-up to the national level;
  • Prevention of DV through awareness-raising activities that target men and youth and challenge the underlying social norms that condone DV;
  • Advocacy aimed at policy and legal reform.