Learning from Practice: Delivering Essential Services for Women and Girl Survivors of Violence in East and Southern Africa and Asia

At the SVRI Forum 2024, UN Women, UNFPA, and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) presented insights from their joint implementation of the UN Essential Services Package (ESP) for Women and Girls Subject to Violence. Since its launch in 2015, the ESP has guided over 80 countries in strengthening multi-sectoral, survivor-centered services. This global framework has been rolled out in 10 pilot countries in Asia and 6 in East and Southern Africa, focusing on coordinated approaches to address violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The presentation highlighted regional efforts to apply the ESP, including capacity-building workshops, practice learning exchanges, and the development of the ESP Foundational Elements Appraisal Tool. This tool has been instrumental in assessing how countries have adopted and implemented core ESP elements, revealing gaps in services for women with disabilities, children, and other key populations.

Results demonstrated the ESP’s effectiveness in informing national policies and practices to address VAWG through a multidisciplinary approach, strengthening coordination mechanisms with NGOs and CSOs, and enhancing service delivery to reach diverse women and girls. The ESP Appraisal Tool also identified critical service gaps, highlighting entry points to improve implementation, coordination, and inclusivity.

This collaborative effort reaffirms the importance of a phased, multi-year approach to improving services for survivors of violence and underscores the value of evidence-based frameworks in fostering impactful regional and global action.