Management Response

: Serbia
: 2022 - 2025 , Serbia (PP)
: Evaluation of the Safeguarding women and girls in Serbia Project
:
: Serbia
:

The final evaluation of the Project "Safeguarding Women and Girls in Serbia" (SWGS) implemented in the period from 21 October 2021 to 21 January 2021 by UN Women Programme Office in Serbia in close cooperation with the Coordination Body for Gender Equality and the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs provided a good assessment of the progress made by UN Women and its key Government partners. The findings of the evaluation should contribute to organizational learning, future decision-making and effective programming and accountability. The findings of the evaluation will moreover be used by UN Women and its partners to engage policy makers and other stakeholders at national and local levels in elimination violence against women and girls, with a particular focus on violence in digital environment.

: Approved
Recommendation: The EC recommends that UN Women continue technical assistance, including capacity building for relevant institutions and stakeholders involved in addressing aspects of violence against women and girls in various critical areas.
Management Response: UN Women will support the Judicial Academy, members of judiciary, representatives of Safe Houses, police and CSOs in addressing aspects of violence against women and girls in various critical areas. Through the Project "Combating violence of Women and Girls in Serbia", UN women will provide technical assistance, including capacity building through development and implementation trainings for judiciary, the police and members of safe houses in cooperation with Judicial Academy on all manifestation of gender-based violence. Also, UN Women will provide tailored capacity development training for providers of services for victims of crime, including GBV. Furthermore, UN Women will support networking of professionals from services through peer-to-peer support and informal Support Service Network development regarding combating GBV. Also, UN Women will develop and implement operating grant program for women CSOs for addressing digital violence against women and girls. Finally, UN Women will increase capacities of two universities regarding digital solutions development in the area of GBV.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Develop and implement practice-based training program for judiciary to recognize and process all forms of violence against women and girls. UN Women, Judicial Academy 2024/11 Overdue-Initiated
2. Develop and implement tailored capacity development training for services providers in courts and prosecutor’s office UN Women, Judicial Academy, Ministry of Justice 2024/12 Overdue-Not Initiated This action will be initiated in the future period.
3. Support networking of professionals from services through peer-to-peer support and informal Support Service Network development. UN Women, Judicial Academy, Ministry of Justice 2024/02 Overdue-Not Initiated This action will be initiated in the future period.
4. Design and propose innovative digital solutions UN Women, two universities 2025/07 Not Initiated This action will be initiated in the future period.
5. Develop and implement operating grant program for women CSOs in order to strengthen capacities to advocate for protection against all forms of GBV against women and girls UN Women, five CSOs 2025/07 Not Initiated This action will be initiated in the future period.
Recommendation: The EC recommends that UN Women advocate for sufficient resources to support institutional mechanisms and services addressing violence against women and girls. The priority is to ensure longer-term commitments and increase funding from governments (and other development partners) for EVAWG prevention, protection and support measures and services.
Management Response: In order to ensure sufficient resources to support institutional mechanisms and services addressing violence against women and girls, UN Women received funds from the US Embassy in Belgrade for the combating violence against women and girls in Serbia. UN Women will continue to advocate for more funding for these purposes.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Develop the project "Combating Violence against Women and Girls in Serbia" UN Women, US Ambassy 2023/09 Completed
Recommendation: The EC recommends that UN Women continue its activities at the local level, and promote benefits of the WSAT. There is a need to institutionalize the WSAT to ensure its expansion and broader adoption across various municipalities, enhancing its overall impact. The local authorities need to link these actions with Local Action Plans for Gender Equality to strengthen its relevance and application.
Management Response: UN Women has supported Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs in developing the Action Plan for the period from 2024 to 2025, for implementation of the Strategy for prevention and combating gender-based violence against women and domestic violence for the period from 2021 to 2025. One of the proposed activities is related to implementation of the WSAT at local level.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Informing local self-government units about the Women Safety Audit Tool developed within the project "Safeguarding Women and Girls in Serbia" and initiating the implementation of this tool in local self-government units. Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue 2024/06 Overdue-Initiated Activity is proposed in the draft Action Plan for the period from 2024 to 2025, for implementation of the Strategy for prevention and combating gender-based violence against women and domestic violence for the period from 2021 to 2025.
Recommendation: The ET recommends that UN Women leverage its comparative advantage to support EVAW-related activities in the country.
Management Response: Trough the Project "Combating violence against women and girls in Serbia" and supporting development of the Action Plan for the period from 2024 to 2025, for implementation of the Strategy for prevention and combating gender-based violence against women and domestic violence for the period from 2021 to 2025, UN Women offers guidance, develops capacities, and supports its implementing partners in addressing EVAW priorities.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Develop Action Plan for the period from 2024 to 2025, for implementation of the Strategy for prevention and combating gender-based violence against women and domestic violence for the period from 2021 to 2025 UN Women 2024/09 Overdue-Initiated
2. Develop and implement tailored capacity development training for services providers in courts and prosecutor’s office regarding EVAW. UN Women 2024/11 Overdue-Not Initiated This action will be initiated in the future period.
3. Develop and implement practice-based training program for judiciary to recognize and process all forms of violence against women and girls. UN Women 2024/11 Overdue-Initiated
4. Support networking of professionals from services through peer-to-peer support and informal Support Service Network development. UN Women 2025/11 Not Initiated
5. Develop and implement operating grant program for five women CSOs in order to strengthen their capacities to advocate for protection against all forms of GBV against women and girls. UN Women 2025/07 Not Initiated This action will be initiated in the future period.
Recommendation: The ET recommends that UN Women uphold the "leaving no one behind" principle in all activities.
Management Response: UN Women has supported Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs in developing Action Plan for the period from 2024 to 2025, for implementation of the Strategy for prevention and combating gender-based violence against women and domestic violence for the period from 2021 to 2025. One of the proposed activities is related to gendering local planning documents related to urban planning. Also, the UN Women has established close cooperation with the Judicial Academy in order to increase knowledge and skills of judiciary on EVAW, including violence against marginalised women.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Formulation and launching of initiatives for gendering local planning documents related to urban planning of the city in order to ensure that the gender perspective is included in the future planning of public places. Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue 2024/06 Overdue-Initiated Activity is proposed in the draft Action Plan for the period from 2024 to 2025, for implementation of the Strategy for prevention and combating gender-based violence against women and domestic violence for the period from 2021 to 2025.
2. Establish close cooperation with the Judicial Academy for capacity building of judiciary on EVAW, including violence against marginalized women. UN Women 2024/01 Completed
3. Implement the project "Combating Violence against Women and Girls in Serbia" UN Women 2025/10 Initiated This project will incorporate "leaving no one behind" principle in all activities.
Recommendation: The ET recommends that UN Women consider a coherent EVAW framework, with vertical integration of outcomes and interventions, and horizontal integration of activities, and use of realistic indicators and targets will ensure a strategic and well-aligned approach to addressing VAW and promoting gender equality.
Management Response: UN Women Serbia implements the comprehensive three-year project "Combating Violence against Women and Girls in Serbia". In this project, UN Women developed a comprehensive and long-term framework to address VAWG. This framework clearly and logically connects objectives, outcomes, outputs, and activities, laying a solid foundation for effectively implementing and monitoring various interventions within a broader context.
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Develop the project "Combating Violence against Women and Girls in Serbia" This project defines realistic indicators and targets that directly reflect the Programme's objectives and areas of intervention. 2023/09 Completed This project defines realistic indicators and targets that directly reflect the Programme's objectives and areas of intervention.