1. Changing Minds Implementing Norms,
Ending violence against women in the Western Balkan Countries and Turkey
Implementing Norms,
Changing Minds
February January 2020 UN WOMEN
September 2018

2. In brief Geographic Coverage
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey
Thematic Area
Violence against Women and Girls
Time Frame
36 months
Executing Agency
UN Women (Regional and Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey) in partnership with UNDP (Montenegro)
Collaborating agencies:
Women's organizations
Development partner: European Commission HQ and EU Delegation in countries of implementation
Total Programme Cost
€5,681,220.39
European Commission: €5,000,000
UN Women: €681,220.39

3. Rationale Adoption of Istanbul Convention
Momentum was built in the region by the adoption of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (known as the Istanbul Convention) in 2011, and the agreed conclusions of the 57th Commission on the Status of Women in 2013.
The EU political agenda and the Acquis Communautaire in the area of gender equality
The EU agenda implementation in accession countries is a major driving force of gender equality in the region. Gender equality is a segment of EU conditionality, which requires countries’ alignment with the Acquis Communataire:
Introduction of new gender legislation;
Introduction of institutional mechanisms for the advancement of gender equality; and
Women's movements’ strengths and legitimacy.

4. Rationale
Golden opportunity to place structural inequalities at the core of the EU national and regional agendas
Acknowledging the structural inequalities that lie at the intersection of gender with factors such as age, disability, ethnicity and nationality, the programme will place a strong focus on tackling multiple discriminations where gender aspects are involved.

5. Strategic Framework
Objective 1. To enable a normative framework in line with international standards on ending violence against women and all forms of discrimination
Violence against women and girls and all form of discrimination are reduced
Objective 2. To promote favorable social norms and attitudes and prevent discrimination and violence against women
Objective 3 To empower women and girls (including those from disadvantaged groups) who have experienced discrimination or violence to advocate for and use available, accessible and quality services

6. Key Milestones
  Technical and financial support has been provided to 51 CSO’s as follows:
22 CSOs: to advocate for the adoption, implementation and monitoring of normative frameworks to address gender-based discrimination and VAW as aligned with international normative standards and enshrined in CEDAW, the Istanbul Convention, and the EU acquis communautaire
12 CSOs: to address the root and structural causes of gender inequality — and VAW as one of its most pervasive expressions — by seeking transformative changes in society and communities' beliefs and perceptions on discriminatory gender stereotypes
17 CSOs: to empower women and girls (including those from disadvantaged groups) who have experienced discrimination or violence to advocate for and use available, accessible and quality services
Key milestones in programme implementation

7. Key Milestones   
This, in turn, benefits over 200 organizations across the region
Over 300 service providers are benefiting from capacity-building activities in line with the Istanbul Convention
A GenderLab is established to identify the most effective actions and strategies that lead to behavioural change in civil society and to assess how these can be replicated in different countries and contexts.  
GenderLab is an innovative initiative to research and test the tools and methodologies needed to develop an effective approach to ending violence against women interventions.15 Advocacy initiatives and tools of varying levels of success were selected across the region as a starting point for the analysis of best practices and other commonalities. The findings and analyses from GenderLab will inform the 2018 call to select CSO proposals to address gender-harmful stereotypes.

8. Key Milestones
Main barriers in normative frameworks and access to services among minorities, as well as in networking are identified by women and women’s organizations and addressed through:
Solid CSOs platform ran by WAVE
The setup of the Regional Expert Working Group on Intersectional approaches to end gender-based discrimination and VAW by Imkaan
The regional programme has the potential to contribute to a ‘step change’ at national and regional levels. Creating a space for marginalized women to speak, challenge and influence is an essential part of this.
Marai Larasi
Executive Director
Imkaan

9. Key Milestones Communications
In line with the Communications and Visibility Plan, advocacy materials were developed, including:
Animated video
Infographics
Five issues of E-newsletter
(featuring 20 stories from the region)
Social media campaign ‘16 Days of Activism’
Communication was a fundamental element in the implementation of the Action during the reporting period. In line with the objectives set in the Communications and Visibility Plan, the Action developed and widely disseminated a significant a number of advocacy materials in order to raise awareness of violence against women and the programme itself. These materials included an animated video introducing the initiative, 12 infographics (with data on access to services), five issues of a regional newsletter (featuring 20 stories from the region) and a social media advocacy campaign conducted in conjunction with the ‘16 Days of Activism’ international campaign, which reached over 13 million people. All communication materials and activities acknowledged the valuable support of the EU and were conducted in compliance with the Communication and Visibility Guidelines for EU External Actions.

10. For additional information please contact Yolanda Iriarte, Regional Programme Manager, at:
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Erma Mulabdic at:
Thank You