UN HLPF 2025 side event - Getting the SDGs Back on Track: Ending Violence Against Women and Girls as a cross sectoral Imperative

Background

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains the most pervasive human rights violation globally, affecting one in three women in their lifetime. The consequences are far-reaching, inflicting lasting harm on individuals, families, and communities, with significant social, economic, and health repercussions.

Despite widespread recognition of the urgency to eliminate VAWG—evidenced by 88% of governments identifying it as a top priority—progress is under severe threat. A coordinated and well-resourced pushback against gender equality is eroding legal protections, shrinking civic space for feminist activism, and creating new barriers to justice and essential services for survivors.

Women’s rights organisations (WROs), which are at the forefront of prevention strategies, accountability efforts, and direct service provision, are under increasing pressure. Many are struggling to survive amidst funding shortfalls exacerbated by global economic instability and shifting donor priorities. These challenges are most acute in fragile and conflict-affected settings, where risks of violence are heightened and demand for support services continues to grow.

At the same time, there is now more evidence than ever that VAWG is preventable—and that eliminating it brings wide-ranging benefits, from economic gains and improved health outcomes to stronger education systems. As 2030 approaches, ending VAWG must be recognised not only as a human rights imperative but as a key enabler for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is also foundational to ensuring the stability, security, and prosperity of nations.

With dedicated investment and stronger coordination through multi-sectoral, comprehensive National Action Plans (NAPs), governments have a strategic opportunity to fulfil their SDG 5 commitments and accelerate implementation across the 2030 Agenda. Prioritising quality, long-term, core and flexible funding to women’s rights organisations is equally critical. Evidence shows that the presence of a strong and autonomous feminist movement is the single most important driver of policy change in efforts to end violence against women—both globally and nationally.

About the event

Organised by UN Women and co-sponsored by the European Union, Brazil, Kenya, and the Dominican Republic, this gathering is convened under the ACT to End Violence Against Women Programme, with support from the What Works to Prevent Violence: Impact at Scale Programme, Generation Equality Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence, the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women, the Accelerator for GBV Prevention.

As the UK’s flagship programme for preventing violence against women and girls, we are delighted to be supporting this high-level side event. Addressing VAWG is essential to meet 14 of the 17 SDGs, affecting goals related to poverty, hunger, health and well-being, education, climate change, and economic insecurity across the entire humanitarian-development-peace nexus. Tackling VAWG must therefore be a priority to make progress on the SDGs by 2030. 

Integrating VAWG into different sectors can help ensure a comprehensive, sustainable, and cost-effective approach to ending all forms of VAWG, while simultaneously accelerating the achievement of all SDGs.

This HLPF side event will convene Member States, civil society and women’s rights organisations, and partners of the UN Women–EU ACT to End Violence Against Women programme to demonstrate that ending violence against women and girls is a necessary precondition for achieving the SDGs. The discussion will highlight linkages with SDGs 3, 5, 8, 14, and 17, which are under review in 2025.

In particular, this cross-sectoral dialogue will:

• Emphasise the role of multi-sectoral National Action Plans (NAPs) in coordinating comprehensive, prevention-focused action across sectors.

• Showcase the contributions of feminist movements in driving accountability, shaping evidence-based policy, and sustaining political will for eliminating violence.

• Deepen cross-sectoral understanding of how eliminating VAWG can accelerate progress across the SDGs—especially SDGs 3, 5, 8, 14, and 17.

• Highlight the risks of deprioritising action on VAWG, including negative impacts on health, education, economic growth, climate resilience, and institutional stability.

• Raise awareness of the potential of well-resourced, multi-sectoral NAPs to drive national SDG 5 implementation and broader SDG acceleration.

• Underscore the critical role of women’s rights organisations and the urgent need for quality, sustained, and flexible funding amidst rising anti-gender backlash and funding shortfalls.

This high-level, cross-sectoral event will feature a dynamic mix of keynote interventions, data and policy spotlights, and an interactive moderated discussion. The agenda will spotlight practical experiences from governments, civil society, and women’s rights organisations, highlighting the catalytic role of comprehensive National Action Plans and feminist movement leadership in advancing the SDGs.

Speakers and chairs

The event will be hosted by Giulia Tariello, EU Youth Delegate, and the panel discussion and Q&A segments will be moderated by Kalliopi Mingeirou, Chief of the Ending Violence Against Women Section at UN Women.

• H.E. Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, Head of the European Union Delegation to the United Nations

• Ms. Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director

• H.E. Ms Mayra Jiménez, Minister for Women's Affairs in the Dominican Republic  

• Mr. Andrew Saberton, Deputy Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

• Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Executive Director at Women Advocate Research & Documentation Centre (WARDC), UN Trust Fund Grantee, Spotlight Civil Society Reference Group Member

• Dr. Faizat Badmus-Busari, Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network

• Ms. Erin Kenny, Global Coordinator of Spotlight Initiative

• Mr. Archie Young, UK Ambassador to the UN General Assembly

• Mr. Vicente Araújo, General Coordinator for Sustainable Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brazil

More information

• The HLPF is the annual conference of the United Nations where governments, UN agencies and civil society come together to discuss the achievements that have been made towards Agenda 2030. Find out more about UNHLPF.

• Read our report: Getting Back on Track With SDG 5: Seven Actions to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls