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UNIFEM, The United Nations Development Fund for Women, is a dedicated organization committed to ending violence against women. Partnered with organizations worldwide, UNIFEM has effectively created momentum for change on an international scale since its establishment in 1976. In an attempt to multiply its efforts to end violence against women, UNIFEM has partnered with other organizations and launched international advocacy campaigns. Such initatives include UNIFEM’s Say NO to Violence against Women committed to advancing the UNiTE campaign’s objectives. Ending violence against women became a top priority worldwide in 2008 when over five million signatures were accumulated through a global internet campaign. Consequently, approximately 140 organizations and 47 countries have partnered with Say NO – UniTE to End Violence Against Women to date. Additionally, more than 35,000 have joined the cause since November.

Nicole Kidman, UNIFEM’s Goodwill Ambassador on Violence Against Women, made note of this when she spoke at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Family Violence Prevention Fund’s new International Centre in San Francisco’s Presidio National Park on January 8. Kidman called upon leaders worldwide to join the prevalent fight to end violence against women. The issue, she proclaimed, is undoubtedly “urgent and belongs on centre stage.” Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi; manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Team, Joe Torre; and President of the Family Violence Prevention Fund, Esta Soler also stood alongside Kidman in support of UNIFEM and FVPF’s initiative.

In addition to such efforts, UNIFEM partnered with the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) to launch a 16 Days of Activism to End Gender Violence Campaign to raise awareness about gender-based violence on both local and national levels. This sixteen-day period was strategically chosen to begin on November 25, International Day Against Violence Against Women and end on December 10, International Human Rights Day to effectively link their underlying message that violence against women is ultimately a violation against human rights. The most recent 16 Days Campaign in 2009 was marked with the successful theme “Commit ▪ Act ▪ Demand: We CAN End Violence Against Women!” in an attempt to utilize and build momentum for the campaign’s efforts. Much support was, in fact, effectively mobilized and CWGL throughout the campaign was in direct contact with more than 275 organizations in 80 countries.

UNIFEM is continuously planning events and campaigns in an attempt to end violence against women and girls. Their efforts, however, are not limited to just ending violence against women but also seek to promote women’s human rights and roles in politics. UNIFEM is thus sponsoring with WomenWatch a month long online discussion “Women in Power and Decision-Making.” According to the UNIFEM’s website, this effort will collectively draw upon individual’s experiences, achievements, and knowledge to assess the most logical way to increase “the number and effectiveness of women in power and positions of decision-making around the world.”

Each of these projects seeks to improve the sanctity of  women’s humans rights either by attempting to end violence against women or by promoting women’s role in decision-making and politics. UNIFEM has also recently been involved with the Haiti effort. A call for $2 million has been issued by UNIFEM to provide services for women and their families. UNIFEM specifically seeks to expand the provision of emergency shelters for women and provide the necessary emergency supplies.

These are a few of the many campaigns and efforts surrounding UNIFEM’s recent efforts to better the lives of women everywhere. The organization has reached an international level of success through its efforts and is consistently engaged in a broad set of activities that furthers its purpose of protecting women.

This posting is part of a series by passionate allies in the cause. The author is Selden Humphreys , a 2010 intern with Becky's Fund.