Effective legislation on violence against women should include provisions that will facilitate the implementation of the law. Common implementation mechanisms include:

• Creation of a national plan or strategy to implement the legislation. A well-written national plan should include specific benchmarks and timetables. Government entities should be held accountable for meeting benchmarks established in the law. For example, the Bulgarian Law on Protection against Domestic Violence (2005) required its Ministries to develop a Domestic Violence Prevention and Protection Programme within 6 months of the entry of the law into force (Final Provisions, §2). For more information on implementation strategies, see the section on Implementation of Laws on Violence Against Women and Girls.

• Creation of an institution, body, or agency to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the law. This body should include members, or provide a mechanism for input, from all relevant stakeholders including: government ministries with oversight of police, the judiciary, women, families and children, statistics, human rights, and health; civil society organizations focused on women’s rights, international human rights, and children’s rights; victim and survivor groups; and private actors such as employers, unions, health care organizations, and other relevant service providers. For more on monitoring bodies, see the section on Monitoring of Laws on Violence Against Women and Girls.

• Allocation of a budget that is sufficient to implement all aspects of the law, including funding for training public officials who will enforce the law, collecting statistics on violence against women, monitoring the laws when enacted, conducting research, and educating the public on all aspects of violence against women and girls. See: United Nations Handbook for legislation on violence against women (2009), 3.2.2.