UNITED NATIONS WOMEN

STUDY GUIDE
 Committee Directors: Ahmed Bilal and Shahbakht Aftab

Assistant Committee Director: Huzaifah Fakher

Committee Overview

Up to this day, no country has achieved complete gender equality. With current rates of progress, it will
take the international community 170 years to fully close the economic gender gap. To advance efforts
at an international level, the General Assembly established the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality
and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) in July 2010 with the universal directive “to achieve
gender equality, women’s empowerment, and upholding women’s rights.”3 In 2010, civil society
organizations (CSOs) and activists celebrated the decision of the General Assembly to consolidate the
resources and mandates of the four existing gender equality-focused UN programs into one entity, in
General Assembly resolution 64/289 titled “System-wide coherence.”

The work of UN-Women is guided by the principles established in the Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
(BPfA), UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women and Peace and Security, the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda), which contains the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
and other norms related to women’s rights and gender equality. CEDAW and the BPfA are the
cornerstones of the activity of UN-Women and provide the overall guiding principles for its work.

Over the past 15 years, UN Member States have also gained greater awareness and understanding
regarding the role women play in peace and security due in part to the adoption of Security Council
resolution 1325 (2000) on “Women and Peace and Security,” and subsequent resolutions: 1820 (2008),
1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2013), 2122 (2013), and 2242 (2015).

These resolutions establish a foundation for improving the lives of women and girls in areas affected by
armed conflict, and guide efforts at the international, regional, national and local levels.8 Supporting
efforts to mainstream implementation of these global norms, as well as the principle of gender equality
is central to UN Women’s mandate and at the heart of the organization’s mission.

Governance, Structure, and Membership:

UN-Women is governed by an Executive Board, which is responsible for intergovernmental support and
supervision of all operational activities.

The Board consists of 41 members that are elected by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for a
term of three years and are allocated by regions as follows: 10 from the group of African states, 10 from
the group of Asian states, four from the group of Eastern European states, six from the group of Latin
American and Caribbean states, and five from the group of Western European and Other states. The
final six seats are allocated to contributing countries, from which four seats go to the countries that
provide the highest voluntary contribution to UN-Women and two seats to developing countries.

UN-Women is headed by an Executive Director.

The current Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka, was appointed in 2013. The Directorate
performs the administrative functions of UN-Women and is responsible for human resources, including
employment in operational activities. The Executive Director also reports to the Secretary-General and
works to improve system-wide coordination by seeking exchange with other agencies and programs
both inside and outside the UN system. The normative processes of UN-Women are funded by the
regular budget of the UN. However, its operational activities depend on voluntary contributions from its
members. In 2017, voluntary contributions from governments and member organizations to UN-Women
added up to a total budget of $296.8 million.19

Mandate, Functions, and Powers:

The mandate for UN-Women, articulated in General Assembly resolution 64/289, is to provide
“guidance and technical support to all Member States, across all levels of development and in all regions,
at their request, on gender equality, the empowerment and rights of women and gender
mainstreaming.”

The mandate is separated into policy and norm-setting activities, and operational activities in
cooperation with UN Member States. The work of UN-Women is a combination of four formerly
separate UN agencies:
The Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI), the Division
for the Advancement of Women of the Secretariat (DAW), the United Nations Development Fund for
Women (UNIFEM), and the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of
Women (INSTRAW).

UN-Women serves as the secretariat to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).CSW is overall
responsible for the formulation of standard-setting policies, while UN-Women is responsible for carrying
out these policies in its operational activities in the field. UN-Women also provides substantive policy
support to the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and the Security Council in
their efforts to advance the global agenda on gender equality. UN-Women is also mandated to hold the
UN system accountable for its efforts to mainstream gender across all aspects of its work, including
coordinating the UN’s work for gender equality under the 2030 Agenda.

UN-Women’s areas of activity include ensuring gender equality in leadership and political participation,
economic empowerment, ending gender-based violence, issues of peace and security, humanitarian
response, youth and girls, the response to HIV/AIDS, governance and national planning, and supporting
the 2030 Agenda.

To fulfill part of its mandate as a normative body, UN-Women works closely with other UN bodies,
programs, and funds, as well as CSOs and Member States, in designing adequate policies, laws,
programs, and services. Within the UN system, UN-Women supports CSW in setting global standards
and norms.29 It supports the work of CSW by submitting an annual report to the Commission informing
it about the implementation of the Commission’s policy guidance, and submits a second annual report
to the General Assembly through ECOSOC on UN-Women’s operational activities, as well as research,
policy analysis, and recommendations for further action.

The chairperson of CSW can also be invited to address the Executive Board of UN-Women directly. The
General Assembly and ECOSOC can also request UN-Women to hold additional sessions when deemed
necessary on specific issues.

On an operational level, UN-Women facilitates regional conferences and meetings with CSOs and
national policymakers and provides training for Member States to help them implement standards
through technical and financial support. This includes support in formulating new laws or strategies,
working on national educational programs, training women to run more efficient political campaigns, or
assisting CSOs in becoming national advocates for gender equality. Depending on the area of action, UN
Women works together with other programs and funds, among them the United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Food Programme (WFP),
and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).35 The results of UN-Women operational programs
help drive the development of evidence-based normative standards and policies by CSW.
Topic Agenda: Supporting the Involvement of Women in Governance and Decision-Making

True political leadership can make the biggest difference for a world where men and women can lead
the lives they want, rather than lives expected of them.

Introduction

Gender diversity in government and public institutions is crucial as decision-making bodies create
policies that affect men’s and women’s rights and choices. Supporting the involvement of women in
governance and decision-making promotes balance in policy making processes, and encourages the
development of gender-inclusive policies and programs. According to the United Nations Entity for
Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), women set a positive example for
women and girls in their political leadership and decision-making. Further, women leaders often put on
the agenda issues that have been previously under-addressed, such as the elimination of gender-based
violence, parental leave, and childcare, and make these topics priorities, leading to a more equitable
society. UN-Women has also noted that there is a window of opportunity to engage boys and young
men in the support of women in leadership roles.

Progress has been made toward achieving equitable participation between men and women in
governance and decision-making, as demonstrated by the 11.5% increase in women’s participation in
national parliaments from 1995 to 2016. However, UN-Women reports that, as of June 2016, only 22.8%
of all national parliamentarians worldwide were women. Another statistic from October 2017 shows
that only 11 women were serving as a Head of State and only 12 as a Head of Government. As of June
2018, the world average for female representation in government houses was merely 23.8%.
Nevertheless, the representation of women parliamentarians varies significantly across geographic
regions. In general, recent research shows that Nordic countries perform well, with a female
representation in legislative houses over 40%. The situation in other states differs, with Pacific countries
having the lowest rate of women’s participation with an average of only 15.6% of legislators being
women.

According to UN-Women, no Member State has fully achieved gender equality and the empowerment of
women and girls, and, based on the current rate of progress, it estimates that it will take 82 years until
the gender gap in political participation is closed. This topic agenda will address the most important
international and regional systems and documents related to the gender gap in governance and
decision-making. It will also examine the roles of various international bodies and organizations as well
as other United Nations (UN) and non-UN actors in addressing the role of women in governance and
decision-making.
International and Regional Framework

The UN and its Member States have demonstrated commitment to supporting the involvement of
women in governance and decision-making through foundational documents, including the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) (1948), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) (1979), and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
(BPfA) (1995). The UDHR states that all rights, freedoms, and international principles outlined in the
document are applicable to all people without regard to sex, thereby establishing a foundation for
gender equality.
CEDAW, known by many as an international bill of rights for women, establishes in Article 7 that women
should be granted the right to vote in all elections, be eligible for all publicly elected bodies, participate
in the creation and implementation of government policies, and have the opportunity to perform public
service at all levels of government. Article 8 of CEDAW specifies that Member States should enact
reasonable measures that ensure women are able to represent their Member States on an international
level, and participate in the work of international organizations on equal terms with men. In 1997, the
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women issued General Recommendation No.
23, which is related to the participation of women in political and public life. It outlines that States
parties should “take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the political
and public life of the country,” and to ensure gender equality in the application of basic rights, including
the right to vote, the right be elected to public office, and the right to participate in the formulation of
government policy. The General Recommendation further establishes that it is the Member State’s
responsibility to address discriminatory public opinion against women.

The BPfA adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, establishes a basis for the
advancement of women and girls in many key areas such as education, the economy, and power and
decision-making. Chapter 4 Paragraph 181 outlines the importance of equal participation of women in
decision-making in providing more accurate representation of the needs of society, balancing and
strengthening democracy, and ensuring that the interests of women are addressed. Paragraph 181
further acknowledges the need for gender equality in government and decision-making in order to
progress the advancement of women in all other areas.

The importance of increasing women’s political participation has also been included in the UN’s
development agenda through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of 2000 and the current
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030
Agenda), adopted in 2015.

SDG 3 on promoting gender equality and empowering women, provided a foundation for the increased
involvement of women in governance. SDG 5 aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women
and girls, and SDG 10 focuses on the reduction of inequality within and among states, working to
address the outstanding challenges that the MDGs did not resolve. The progress and achievement of the
2030 Agenda is jeopardized without women’s political empowerment and equal access to leadership
positions.

Role of the International System

UN-Women works on an expansive range of areas to fundamentally address women’s rights and
empowerment in a manner that can ignite gender equality progress across all Member States. The UN
Women’s Strategic Plan 2018-2021 (2017) provides current international context for supporting the
involvement of women in governance and decision-making, as well as an overview of the work that the
body will engage in between now and 2021. Areas in which UN-Women focuses its work most relevant
to the participation of women in governance can be found under the Strategic Plan‘s Outcome Two:
“Women lead, participate in and benefit equally from governance systems.”

UN-Women’s efforts to achieve this outcome are focused in four areas: more female engagement with
and leadership of political processes and institutions; more local and national plans, strategies, and
budgets that are considered gender responsive; more data tracking on the progress of gender equality;
and more justice institutions. UN-Women predicts that Outcome Two will contribute to achieving
numerous SDGs, including the goals 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 16, and 17. In fact, UN-Women accounts for about
one-third of total UN personnel contributing to the achievement of SDG 5. UN-Women launched several
projects to achieve the SDGs, including its Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality initiative,
which asks Member States to make commitments to address challenges that affect women and girls
specifically.

UN-Women has recognized the need for collaboration to address challenges related to the unequal
participation of women, and it therefore partners with a number of organizations in order to accomplish
the outcomes outlined in its Strategic Plan 2018-2021 and to foster the achievement of the SDGs. UN
Women often collaborates with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to bolster gender
equality goals related to women in governance and decision-making. Additionally, UNDP independently
supports partner organizations in the development of policy and legal reforms on this issue. Another key
UN-Women partnership is with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). The two organizations collaborate
to publish data and statistical information related to women in governance, which provides an
important source for Member States. The 2017 Women in Politics Map, which depicts global rankings
for women in executive and parliamentary government positions, is one example of this partnership.
UN-Women also partners with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA),
an organization that independently works to advance democracy globally through supporting and
safeguarding democratic political institutions and processes. UN-Women, in collaboration with the IPU,
UNDP, and International IDEA initiated the International Knowledge Network of Women in Politics or,
shortly, the iKNOW Network, in 2007. Drawing upon the expertise of the four partner organizations, the
iKNOW Network works to build knowledge about women in government worldwide, and provide a
platform for women to share their experiences in politics. UN-Women also engages in a number of
regional partnerships to achieve the SDGs addressed in its Strategic Plan through the Step It Up program,
and collaborates with regional organizations to support the progress of women in governance and
decision-making.
Regional actors have also advanced efforts to increase the role of women in governance and decision
making. For example, 22 Member States of the African Union (AU) have managed to include 30% or
more women in their respective parliaments since the adoption of the BPfA in 1995.

The League of Arab States addressed women’s involvement in politics through the adoption of a
regional plan of action in 2012. The plan outlines a number of strategic areas and objectives, one of
which calls for the participation of women at all levels of decision-making.331 The plan also emphasizes
the necessity of an increase in women’s representation in the judiciary at all levels, including in
international courts. The Council of Europe demonstrated commitment to the Step It Up initiative
through its Gender Equality Strategy 2014-2017, which aimed to contribute to the achievement of SDG 5
by fostering balanced participation of women and men in political and public decision-making. The
Council also made commitments to put more women in top decision-making positions by setting a
legally binding objective for 40% of listed company board members to be women by 2020.

Codifying Women’s Participation in Governance

Formalizing women’s participation in governance through policies can support the involvement of
women in governance and decision-making in a systematic manner. This formalization is critical if the
international community is to meet one of SDG 5’s key targets to ensure women’s full and effective
participation in political life. One way in which UN-Women works to codify the participation of women
in governance is through supporting an increase of women in parliaments and local governments. UN
Women’s partnership with the IPU is key in achieving the SDGs through tracking mechanisms for data
related to women’s representation as government leaders, and in addressing Member States’ specific
barriers to the inclusion of women in governance. This partnership also takes form in the shared support
of gender quotas and women’s coalitions, and in facilitating the inclusion of women’s organizations in
Member States’ constitution development processes. UN-Women has determined that constitutions
and legal reform are a fundamental component in establishing a structure that can be expanded to
include provisions such as quotas for female representation and equal opportunities for women in
strategic plans and budgets. This determination is based on CEDAW’s call to signatory states to include
the ideals and principles of gender equality in Member State constitutions. UN Women advances
constitutional and legal reform through supporting the integration of gender equality principles in
constitutions and promoting consensus surrounding the implementation of them.
Redrafted constitutions created in collaboration with UN-Women have resulted in more seats for
women in parliaments.

Another key component to codifying women’s inclusion in governance is increasing women’s

participation in elections as both voters and candidates. However, there are a number of gender-specific
barriers that exist to women's participation in elections. Examples include gaps in monetary resources
for female candidates as compared to male candidates or unsafe locations of polling places that make
some women voters to be reluctant to use them. UN-Women notes that some electoral management
bodies and governments are unaware of barriers to women’s participation. In order to address these
voting challenges, UN-Women advocates for national election regulations that ensure fair opportunities
in voter registration and campaigning. These efforts include the implementation of temporary quotas,
education campaigns to inform women about registering to vote, protections from election-related
violence, and training for women to be effective political candidates and leaders. Through its Fund for
Gender Equality, UN-Women fosters global partnerships and codifies women’s participation in
governance by using the fund to mobilize women from across the political spectrum in Member States.
Additionally, UN-Women and UNDP collaborate on a number of regional and global initiatives related to
electoral cycle support that aim to ensure women’s equal participation as voters and candidates. In
addition to UN Women, UNDP itself promotes gender-inclusive political processes through supporting
civic engagement, constitutional reform, and parliamentary development. Partnerships such as these
prove to be necessary to promote meaningful collaboration with the diverse and unique parliaments
and legislatures of all Member States.

A study conducted by the IPU of 187 women in elected leadership positions in 65 different Member
States found that hostile cultural attitudes surrounding women’s participation in politics was noted as
the second most significant barrier to women running for parliament. Cultural barriers such as gender
stereotypes, patriarchal values, and nascent democratic structures can present significant barriers to
women’s participation in governance, resulting in fewer women in decision-making institutions
generally.

Accountability in Governance and Decision-Making

The UN System-wide Action Plan on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-SWAP),
agreed upon in 2012, is an effort to increase UN accountability and coherence related to gender issues.
UN-SWAP is the first organization to assign a standard set of performance indicators for the gender-
related work of all UN entities. UN-Women is one of the main bodies tasked with supporting and
implementing these standards. In her recent speech, Assistant Secretary-General of the UN and Deputy
Executive Director of UN-Women, Åsa Regnér, discussed the importance of accountability, noting that a
revolution in gender statistics and accountability for gender-related commitments is necessary to
achieve gender equality and the 2030 Agenda. Examples of accountability concerns are demonstrated
through frustration surrounding Member States’ commitments to gender equality that are ultimately
deficient of allocated financial resources. This frustration raises questions about how financial resources
designated by Member States for gender equality efforts are actually expended, an additional
accountability challenge. Discrepancies in financial allocations and the tracking of funding for gender
equality mechanisms, such as funding for programs and policy implementation, often result from
challenges surrounding cultural attitudes about women as political leaders.

According to UN-Women, tracking financial investments in gender equality is important to ensure

accountability and progress of gender equality commitments made by Member States. The 2015
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Recommendation of the Council on
Gender Equality in Public Life also identifies financial and economic accountability for financial
investments in gender equality and women’s empowerment as important. In order to increase
accountability of Member States and other actors, the Council on Gender Equality in Public Life
recommends establishing or strengthening independent institutions and advisory bodies to integrate
gender concerns in policy, monitoring the implementation of gender equality efforts, and facilitating
audits and measurements of these efforts. The recommendations further support increased
collaboration between data-collecting bodies to increase their effectiveness in addressing accountability
challenges.

Further efforts by UN-Women, Member States, and other actors are ongoing to develop ways to track
investments in gender equality. An example of these efforts is the creation of Gender Responsive
Budgets (GRBs), which work to ensure that the allocation of public resources is conducted in a fashion
that contributes to the advancement of gender equality. GRBs have demonstrated usefulness and
success in following money trails for gender equality and women’s empowerment investments.
Challenges and solutions related to accountability must be addressed as they impact the
implementation of all policies aimed to advance women’s participation in governance and decision-
making.

The Role of Men and Boys in the Involvement of Women in Leadership Roles

A recent UN report notes that, while gender equality has been recognized as a principle of international
law as early as 1948 in the UDHR, the notion that men and boys have a specific role in actualizing this
principle has only been recently articulated. UN-Women notes the benefits that gender equality
provides for people of all genders, and the importance of the role of men and boys in promoting the
empowerment of women and girls. Given the existing pattern of gender inequality, men have
predominant control of economic resources, political power, and cultural norms, meaning that men
control many of the resources that are required for policy change to support women. In addition,
through recognizing their privileges, boys and men can alter existing norms and structures surrounding
masculinity and patriarchal practices that currently perpetuate inequalities between men and women.
Moving toward a more gender equal world requires men and boys to reconsider traditional
constructions of masculinity and relationships with women and girls. However, there are a number of
challenges associated with changing the mindsets of men and boys with regard to supporting women in
leadership roles, including their doubt and even explicit opposition. For example, some men accept
gender equality in theory, but still engage in practices that bolster male dominance in public and
political spheres. Other men demonstrate resentment toward gender equality programs, claiming that
these programs give women undeserved advantages.

To engage boys and men, UN-Women collaborates with Member States to take action through
education campaigns and training young boys about gender issues. UN-Women partners with the
MenEngage Alliance, which works to engage men and boys in conversations surrounding gender
equality. They focus on joint advocacy activities addressing macro-level policies that perpetuate gender
inequalities, and work to engage men from a positive perspective and address non-discrimination. The
HeForShe campaign is an organization that also aims to engage men and boys to create a visible force
for gender equality. Moreover, the HeForShe campaign is working to address the underrepresentation
of women in governance by providing various suggestions and encouraging support for UN-Women’s
Step It Up Campaign to make diversity a priority in Member States. Through these campaigns, UN-
Women trains young male volunteers to give presentations about ending violence against women and
girls in high schools and on radio shows, and organizes events emphasizing the necessity of the balance
of genders.

Conclusion

UN-Women, together with its partners and through numerous efforts, including those outlined in its
Strategic Plan 2018-2021, is working to support women’s involvement in governance and decision-
making. First, it focuses on codifying women’s participation in governance through the promotion of
their greater participation in decision-making bodies and elections, as well as by constitutional reforms.

Second, it strives to strengthen accountability in governance and decision-making through measures

related to gender-based funding and tracking. Finally, through the cooperation with the MenEngage
Alliance, the HeForShe campaign, and Step It Up commitments, it highlights the importance of engaging
men and boys in gender equality efforts. Numerous challenges related to the key areas remain and
should be addressed by the international community.

Further Research

A significant number of challenges to achieving gender equality in governance and decision-making

remain. Moving forward, delegates should consider the following questions:
What states or national plans have been effective in addressing challenges to women’s participation in
governance and decision making?

What global policies have been previously effective in increasing women’s participation?

Are there ways that effective plans can be broadened and implemented on larger scales, improving the
situation in more Member States?

In what ways can UN-Women continue to support the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs?

What mechanisms can be developed to engage men and boys in women’s participation in governance
and decision-making specifically?

What are some of the main barriers to reducing the global gender divide on the issue of women in
politics?