Our new strategic engagement in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) — the UN mechanism through which member states hold each other accountable for human rights commitments — recently gained ground with the launch of a new training programme, UPR Advocacy.
The programme provides coalition members new to the UPR process with step-by-step guidance on drafting and submitting recommendations focused on addressing violence against all women and girls. Our aim is to increase the implementation of solutions to address gender-based violence against women and girls in countries around the world and press governments to prioritise and fund these solutions.
The training will run ahead of each UPR submission deadline to prepare coalition members for the session ahead.
Doubling our impact: 9 New Advocates, 4 Countries, 1 Global Mechanism
Nine coalition members from Sudan, Syria, Uganda, and Zimbabwe participated in this first comprehensive training, which marked the start of their participation in the UPR’s 54th session taking place in January 2027. Led by Amjad Chatila, Diplomacy Coordinator, and Zainab Ali Khan, Deputy Director of Global Coalition, participants gained a practical understanding of how to structure submissions and write specific, measurable, evidence-based recommendations that governments are more likely to accept and implement. Participants also learned how to look up their country’s existing commitments and identify what remains outstanding by using the online UPR database.
“It was an eye-opener that our voices are needed to do more for my country, Uganda,” said Joanita Nakiwala, Executive Director, Voice Life Health Organisation.
Four groups of coalition members will submit recommendations for their country in mid-July, doubling the number of reports submitted by Every Woman during the last cycle.
Global Accountability: Why the UPR matters
Three times a year, UN Member States review the human rights records of their peers through the UPR; every country is reviewed roughly every 4.5 years. Civil society’s reports and advocacy play an essential role by providing data, facts, and examples, giving UN Member States a full and accurate picture of the human rights situation on the ground.
As a coalition spanning 165 countries with expertise across multiple areas, Every Woman is in a unique position to provide on-the-ground evidence for recommendations focused on ending violence against all women and girls.
Accepted recommendations become real entry points for legislative and policy change. For example, during the last cycle, 13 coalition members in Tanzania filed a joint submission urging the government to enact a comprehensive Gender-Based Violence Act and raise the minimum marriage age to 18, steps that stand to aid millions of women and girls in the country.
“Survivors lack access to justice, and harmful social norms continue to undermine women’s rights,” says Eddna P. Chandeu, Founder and Executive Director of Tanzania Child Welfare, who led the effort. “Participating in the UPR allowed us to bring evidence-based recommendations directly to UN Member States.”
Every Woman’s UPR training is available to our coalition members at no cost. Join our Coalition if you are interested in contributing to meaningful change in the lives of millions of women and girls.
