Violence against women (VAW) and girls exists in all countries and across all socio-economic groups, with around one in three women experiencing sexual and physical violence in their lifetime worldwide. This issue was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, intensifying the need for urgent action to eradicate it. Many governments, including in the MENA region, have enacted policies and programmes to tackle VAW. However, limited strategic planning, long-term investment in services, and co-ordinated responses among public institutions and actors involved in the implementation of VAW strategies have made it difficult to break the VAW cycle. Drawing on data collected through the 2022 OECD Survey on Strengthening Governance and Victim/survivor-centric Approaches to end Violence Against Women in MENA Countries, this report provides an overview of MENA countries’ efforts to develop whole-of-government VAW responses, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and with a view to help anticipate future crises. It assesses the gaps that hinder progress towards achieving lives free from violence for all women and girls and provides recommendations to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the policy and institutional frameworks across MENA countries in addressing VAW.
Tackling Violence Against Women in the Middle East and North Africa
Abstract
Executive Summary
Violence against women (VAW) remains an urgent and complex challenge in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region: it is estimated that one in three married women experiences physical and sexual abuse by her intimate partner at least once in her lifetime. A United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA) report shows that the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in VAW in MENA countries, while putting pressure on health and social services for victims/survivors. The crisis highlighted women’s economic dependence as a key obstacle to escaping violence in the MENA region, along with restrictive social norms that discourage victims/survivors from reporting and sharing their experiences. This report offers an overview of MENA countries’ efforts to establish comprehensive, whole-of-government responses to VAW, covering legal and policy developments until July 2023.
MENA countries have committed to adopting and updating legal frameworks to prevent and prosecute various forms of VAW, both at the national and international level, as well as supporting the implementation of domestic legislation or regulations combating VAW through dedicated national strategies and horizontal and vertical co-ordination mechanisms. Still, legal gaps and loopholes significantly reduce the efficiency of VAW responses in the MENA region. For example, as shown by the Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) 2023, less than half of MENA countries have legislation protecting women from forms of violence other than physical abuse, such as psychological abuse (9 countries) and economic abuse (7 countries), and none explicitly criminalises marital rape. Strategic and co-ordination efforts are limited by a lack of adequate structures, capacities, and funding. Moreover, there is no systematic evidence of accountability and monitoring mechanisms to evaluate the effectiveness of VAW responses in MENA countries, although some examples exist. In addition, in MENA countries, programmes to tackle VAW are largely dependent on donor funding, and the pandemic has further diverted funds to address health and economic crises, threatening the sustainability of those programmes. In order to guarantee lives free from violence, MENA countries should continue to strengthen legal frameworks to protect women and girls from all forms of VAW and develop comprehensive national strategies that are adaptable to emergency settings and are linked to broader efforts to empower women economically. To support the implementation of legislative and strategic frameworks, MENA countries could consider enhancing the capacities dedicated to VAW responses, strengthening co-ordination mechanisms, ensuring monitoring and accountability through independent entities and regular evaluation exercises, and promoting coherent and systematic approaches to resourcing for the initiatives addressing VAW.
While the COVID-19 pandemic put pressure on services, surveyed MENA countries have begun introducing integrated solutions to reduce social and financial burdens on victims/survivors, as well as adopting innovative, technology-based approaches to increase access to information and make reporting easier for victims/survivors. Surveyed MENA countries have improved data collection on VAW and recognised the potential of risk assessment and management as powerful tools to prevent violence, establishing cross-sectoral data-sharing initiatives. To combat the “culture of silence” around VAW, all seven surveyed MENA countries reported introducing programmes that engage men and boys and promote positive notions of masculinity. However, as in OECD countries, under-reporting of incidences of VAW continues to be a fundamental challenge in the MENA region, leading to a lack of data on prevalence. Moreover, the provision of shelters remains limited, victims/survivors’ are often unaware of their existence, and women who leave abusers or families are stigmatised. A victim/survivor-centred culture should be further strengthened in MENA countries through awareness-raising initiatives and safe and confidential reporting options that reduce fear and stigma. Data collection for policymaking, risk assessment and management should be expanded, harmonised, and complemented by the use of new technologies for a more comprehensive view of the extent of VAW. Governments should ensure that services, including shelters, receive sufficient funding and that service providers have the necessary skills and capacities. MENA countries should continue to facilitate access to services, by improving the integration of and collaboration among service providers, digitalising services, promoting information-sharing across agencies, and adopting “no wrong door approaches”.
MENA countries have also made efforts to decrease the burden borne by victims/survivors when facing complex, expensive justice processes. They have addressed social and financial barriers to justice by providing information about victims/survivors’ rights through hotlines and legal assistance. However, integrated justice solutions, such as specialised courts relying on the “one family, one judge” model, are rare in the region. Furthermore, while the COVID-19 pandemic prompted MENA countries to digitalise law enforcement and justice systems, several of these initiatives were discontinued after the crisis, reintroducing some of the barriers experienced by victims/survivors. To respond to this, MENA countries should continue to ensure access to justice for victims/survivors through integrated, specialised justice solutions, as well as access to legal information and assistance. Finally, MENA countries should reinforce the capacities of law enforcement, one of the first responders in guaranteeing victims’/survivors’ physical, mental and psychological safety. Specialised training of police units would help raise awareness and make risk assessment and management more efficient, ultimately saving lives.
