A/HRC/41/3 E/CN.6/2019/7 disappearance (E/CN.6/2015/3). Intersecting discrimination results in a life of extreme poverty, including limited access to legal and social services, for many indigenous women and girls. In 2018, three new projects focusing on the needs of indigenous women and girls were awarded grants totalling $925,922 by the trust fund. For example, Coordinadora por los derechos de la infancia y la adolescencia, a network of 30 civil society organizations in Paraguay, is using a small grant from the trust fund to defend, promote and monitor the human rights of children. Its particular focus is women and girls with disabilities from rural and indigenous communities, who face discrimination and social and economic exclusion. They have little or no access to education and health services and, consequently, are at a heightened risk of violence in the home, the community, schools and public spaces, as well as of human trafficking. E. Women living in rural areas 44. Notwithstanding the important role that women in rural areas play in their communities in areas such as food production, and in subsistence farming in particular, they often have limited access to resources and have greater difficulty than men in gaining access to public services, social protection and decent employment opportunities (see E/CN.6/2018/3, and E/2018/27, paras. 1–40). Women living in rural areas also have restricted access to protection and comprehensive services to address gender-based violence. This group of historically underserved women is the focus of several projects supported by the trust fund. 45. For example, a project implemented by the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction in Kenya focused on ending early marriage and female genital mutilation in rural communities. It sought to improve the implementation of laws and policies designed to address these and other harmful practices and end violence against women and girls. The approach adopted, entitled “Learning our way out”, involved training local community-based facilitators to lead conversations with small groups, helping friends and neighbours to recognize the link between gender -based discrimination and women’s rights and socioeconomic conditions. In addition, the project worked to build a community-based referral system and to link survivors to legal support, medical services, psychosocial therapy, shelter and protection. In its third year of operation, the project reached 400 women and 200 men with key messages on International Women's Day, in March, and in May it reached 216 religious leaders with key messages to help believers disassociate religion from harmful cultural practices. The project also offered refresher courses and capacitybuilding on a number of issues, including sexual and gender-based violence, law enforcement, communication and facilitation skills, HIV/AIDS and child protection, involving 199 community conversation facilitators and 61 teachers. A total of 35 “Agents of Change” clubs targeting school children were introduced in schools in Wamba, Kargi, Korr and Merti, and at least 990 girls were reached through mentorship and counselling through the clubs. 46. A project implemented in India by the non-governmental organization Pragya works to end violence against women and girls through attitudinal change in 10 districts across five states. Training, including in and gender-sensitization, was provided for members of women’s groups, Panchayats (village councils), law enforcement and civil society, with the aim of addressing deep -rooted gender norms in tribal societies and empowering tribal women. As part of the project, 10 sociolegal kiosks serve as resource and empowerment centres, referring clients to a network of governmental and non-government agencies that work on violence against women, health and nutrition, education and vocational training, livelihood and agriculture; as well as serving as an observatory to address emerging issues in the community. Ninety 12/16 18-21716

Select target paragraph3

Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents