UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

UNDP GENDER
EQUALITY STRATEGY
2022-2025
2023 ANNUAL REPORT
 CONTENTS
Copyright ©️ UNDP 2022 All rights reserved.

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UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the

injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with
our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help
nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet.
Learn more at undp.org or follow at @UNDP.

FOREWORD BY ACHIM STEINER 4

SIGNATURE SOLUTION 5: ENERGY 20
2023 HIGHLIGHTS: DELIVERING FOR GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT 6
SIGNATURE SOLUTION 6: GENDER EQUALITY 22
TRANSFORMATION IN TURBULENT TMES 8
PARTNERSHIPS SUPPORTING TRANSFORMATION 28
ACCELERATING CHANGE FOR GENDER EQUALITY ACROSS SIGNATURE SOLUTIONS 10
GENDER EQUALITY SEAL: THE MAIN DRIVER OF INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION 30
SIGNATURE SOLUTION 1: POVERTY AND INEQUALITY 12
LOOKING AHEAD 34
SIGNATURE SOLUTION 2: GOVERNANCE 14

SIGNATURE SOLUTION 3: RESILIENCE 16

SIGNATURE SOLUTION 4: ENVIRONMENT 18

 FOREWORD The commitment we witnessed in 2023,
In 2023, the world faced compounding This report offers a glimpse of the many results
shocks, where governing in a state of that have emerged from the UNDP Gender including within government ministries, civil
emergency became the norm, longstanding Equality Strategy in 2023. That encompasses society organizations and other institutions to
fundamentally transform ways of working to

Photo: UNDP/Michael Atwood

democracies came under pressure, and providing over 90 million women with access
courts became the new frontiers for climate to essential services and helping some 5.4 advance a more equal world is a key source
change. We also witnessed growing million women in crisis settings to access of inspiration and motivation for UNDP to
conflicts and rising polarization within and jobs and livelihoods. Yet ending poverty keep going and do more. It is based on the
between countries. Perceived differences requires rethinking economic structures and recognition that gender equality is not only a
were magnified, basic gender equality approaches. To this end, we launched our fundamental human right, but a prerequisite
principles were often targeted, deepening flagship EQUANOMICS initiative, which has to ultimately break through to a greener,
divides, and reversing long-held rights, already supported 23 countries in initiating more sustainable, and more inclusive world
often overshadowing countries’ progress gender-responsive fiscal policy reforms and for all.
Achim Steiner
in implementing new laws and measures to strengthening gender responsiveness in local
Administrator
improve women’s economic rights in 2023. and state budgeting. We also accelerated
United Nations
The situation for millions of women and girls, progress towards a green transition, including
Development Programme
especially those in conflict and crisis settings, supporting 14 million women to gain access
became not just dire but devastating. to clean, affordable energy while investing
in energy policy frameworks that facilitate
women’s participation in energy planning
and increase their economic opportunities.
In this complex context, the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) completed
the second year of implementing our Gender
Equality Strategy 2022-2025. I can affirm that These often life-changing results are only
today, UNDP is better prepared to address possible with support from all of you: partners
the complexities of gender inequalities. Our from the UN family including UN Women,
interventions are designed more consciously women’s organizations, and civil society. In
to shift power dynamics, we are making this context, and given the stark challenges
larger and more consistent programmatic faced by women’s activists, in 2023 UNDP
investments, and developing stronger has forged new alliances and partnerships
partnerships with grassroots and women’s with women human rights defenders,
organizations. We remain convinced that working with champions of climate justice
investing in gender equality is one of the and environmental human rights defenders
most important contributions we can make to in at least 27 countries.
human and sustainable development.

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 POVERTY AND
GOVERNANCE RESILIENCE ENVIRONMENT ENERGY GENDER EQALITY
INEQUALITY

92
MILLION
33
MILLION
4.7
MILLION
5.4
MILLION
14
MILLION
135
MILLION
WOMEN ACCESSED WOMEN ACCESSED WOMEN GAINED WOMEN BENEFITED WOMEN ACCESSED WOMEN SUPPORTED
ESSENTIAL SERVICES JUSTICE SERVICES JOBS AND IMPROVED FROM INITIATIVES TO CLEAN AND AFFORDABLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE
LIVELIHOODS PROTECT NATURE ENERGY

28
MILLION
224,000
PUBLIC SERVANTS
28
COUNTRIES
77
COUNTRIES
75
COUNTRIES
68
COUNTRIES
EQUIPPED WITH THE GENDER
WOMEN OBTAINED SUPPORTED ON SUPPORTED TO SUPPORTED ON CLEAN SUPPORTED TO
EQUALITY SEAL
FINANCIAL SERVICES GENDER ANALYSIS IN IMPLEMENT GENDER COOKING PROJECTS EXPAND GENDER
RECOVERY PLANS AND CLIMATE FUNDED BY GEF AND DATA ANALYSES
COMMITMENTS GREEN CLIMATE FUND

23
COUNTRIES
43
COUNTRIES
61
COUNTRIES
34
COUNTRIES
SUPPORTED ON FISCAL SUPPORTED TO SUPPORTED WOMEN'S SUPPORTED TO SHIFT
POLICY REFORMS INCREASE WOMEN’S COOPERATIVES AND GENDER SOCIAL
LEADERSHIP AND EQUAL COLLECTIVE ENGAGEMENT NORMS
PARTICIPATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTIONS

UNDP 2023 89
COUNTRIES
PROMOTED WOMEN'S
106
COUNTRIES
PARTNERED

HIGHLIGHTS
LEADERSHIP IN WITH FEMINIST
NATURAL RESOURCE AND WOMEN´S
DECISION-MAKING ORGANIZATIONS

6 7
 © UNDP / Tom Cheatham

TRANSFORMATION IN
TURBULENT TIMES
UNDP’s Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025 was born at the end of the COVID-19 crisis, during public services. And while the promise of digital transformation grows, the gender digital divide
an acute period of questions about why progress toward gender equality has been so slow, leaves millions of women and girls, especially those living in poverty, on the sidelines.
scattered and easily reversed. The call for re-thinking political, economic, and environmental
systems rang strong and drove governments to consider shifts to fundamental systems and Despite the obstacles, over the first two years of its implementation, UNDP has found ways to
power structures that continue to generate gender disparities and women’s disempowerment. continuously move its Gender Equality Strategy forward, meeting targets in 2023, expanding
new areas of work, and showing how structural transformation can unfold through integrated
By 2024, however, the world has become more dangerous and unjust for many women and development. Today, UNDP is more equipped to link immediate improvements in the lives of women
those facing discrimination linked to factors such as age, class, disability, race, ethnicity, sexual with long-term investments necessary to dismantle the barriers to sustainable development and
orientation and gender identity or migration status. Over 380 million women and girls live in gender equality. It is helping governments protect gains and make continued progress by moving
extreme poverty and over 600 million live in conflict-affected contexts. The war in Gaza alone gender equality to the centre of political, economic and environmental agendas.
has added close to 1 million more women and girls to those displaced. The impacts of climate
change and debt are pressuring economies and re-directing limited resources away from

8 9
SIGNATURE SOLUTIONS Progress toward gender equality requires sustained action and dedicated investment.
The Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025 focuses on closing structural inequities and
helping women realize empowerment, autonomy, and personal choices. Aligned to
UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025, accelerators for progress span each of UNDP’s six
ACCELERATING CHANGE FOR GENDER
EQUALITY ACROSS SIGNATURE SOLUTIONS
Signature Solutions. The following are highlights from implementation across each area.

POVERTY AND
INEQUALITY
ENVIRONMENT

ENERGY

GOVERNANCE

GENDER
EQUALITY
RESILIENCE

10 11
 Signature Solution 1:
Poverty and Inequality
While continuing to address immediate needs for essential services, finance, digital assets, and
livelihoods, UNDP prioritized structural reforms through gender-responsive fiscal policies and tax
systems, inclusive social protections and comprehensive care systems through 2023.

Debt servicing has hijacked fiscal space in many lower-income countries and crowded out public
investments in social services. This negatively impacts women, including as they subsidize the
economy through care work. In 2023, UNDP worked in 43 countries on social protection and care.
It expanded social protection coverage to a wider number of women and excluded populations
through digitalization, improved social registries, outreach and the revision of legislation and
national financing strategies. UNDP supported the expansion of early childhood care coverage and
a national care policy to advance gender equality in the Dominican Republic; the use of biometric
identification to reach unregistered women refugees in Honduras; and, in Montenegro, an e-social
registry that integrates services on gender-based violence and social security.

More 2023 Highlights

91.9 million women accessed essential services and almost 28 million women obtained
financial services in 2023, with UNDP support.

In 2023, UNDP backed the development and expansion of comprehensive care

systems in 13 countries, such as Peru setting up a national care system using an
EQUANOMICS: Making fiscal policies work for gender equality innovative care georeferencing tool to trace supply and demand and service gaps.

In 2023, UNDP launched the flagship programme, EQUANOMICS, to make fiscal policies work for
gender equality and mobilize support for fiscal policy reforms by looking at public revenue and UNDP expanded support on financing for gender equality to more than 44 countries in
expenditure. Services to governments have included diagnostics of gender biases and tax and 2023, up from 36 in 2022, including on gender-responsive budgeting in 14 countries
expenditure impacts on the gender poverty gap, capacity development for civil servants, national and leveraging and aligning private finance to 23 countries. Among 85 countries that
policy dialogues, data generation and legislative revisions. EQUANOMICS supported ministries of drafted integrated national financing frameworks, 46 identified gender equality as a
finance and tax authorities to undertake reforms and maintain such changes. priority.
Through EQUANOMICS, UNDP partnered with the Mongolian Tax Administration and National
Committee on Gender Equality to research the gender-responsiveness of tax policies, with a
UNDP supported 23 countries in initiating reforms of fiscal policy at the national/federal
special focus on personal income tax. It enhanced the capacities of 40 officers of the General
level, while also supporting local/state planning and budgeting.
Tax Authority, Ministry of Finance, and National Committee on Gender Equality to detect and
correct implicit biases in core taxes. The Ministry of Finance is now drawing on their new skills and
knowledge to steer reforms that put gender equality at the centre of public finance.
© UNDP Mongolia/Nicolas Petit

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 Signature Solution 2:
Governance
Disinformation and mistrust, combined with a sense of injustice and insecurity, have polarized
societies around the world and resulted in a regression in laws and policies. UNDP continued
working with civil society and governments to anticipate and address risks and protect gender
equality gains. The Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions expanded, strengthening states’
readiness for gender equality.

Supporting women’s movement-building in the most challenging environments is more important than
ever. In 2023, 106 UNDP country offices partnered with women’s or feminist organizations, especially
in advocacy, to address gender-based violence and to expand civic space.

Number of countries that partnered with women´s or feminist organizations in 2023 by area of focus

2022 2023

Partnered with women’s 108

organizations/ feminist organisations 106

Advocay for women’s rights 89

and eqality for all women 86

82
Gender based violence
75

Movement building and expansion of 40

civic spaces for feminist organizations 33

Feminist economist networks/ 23

academia 24

22
Climate advocates/ defenders
27

Source: UNDP ROAR 2022 and 2023.

For example, in Iraq, UNDP assisted the government in the creation of the Women’s Alliance for
Development and Climate Justice by uniting three women-led national networks of 68 non-governmental
organizations. Collectively, they champion women's rights in the women, peace, and security agenda, and
integrate them with actions on climate justice.
In 2023, UNDP expanded the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions to 30 countries and 91 public
institutions, equipping more than 224,000 public servants with skills and tools to dismantle discriminatory
More 2023 Highlights
norms and increase civic engagement. The Panama National Secretary of Science and Technology led
by setting targets to increase women’s participation in producing scientific knowledge, while the Judiciary
Power in the Dominican Republic strengthened the gender-responsiveness of judges and increased the UNDP and UN Women worked with 19 countries in 2023 through the Gender Justice
number of sentences incorporating a gender lens. Platform. In Algeria, UNDP applies behavioral insights to improve the social reintegration
of women prisoners and in Kyrgyzstan, UNDP supported the Ministry of Justice to provide
free legal aid with a gender-inclusive focus, reaching more than 10,000 individuals.
© UNDP/Karin Schermbrucker for Slingshot

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 Signature Solution 3:
Resilience
Crises and shocks are never gender neutral. UNDP has maintained life-saving support in crisis and
post-crisis settings, working to ensure women have livelihood and labour opportunities to survive
and withstand shocks. More support and financing for women’s rights groups to lead and participate
in peace processes is needed. Ad hoc gender equality approaches in conflict settings remain a real
challenge, and more concerted, holistic efforts are necessary as gender inequality bears significantly on
the resilience of individuals and whole societies.

In 2023, many strategies have worked to enhance women’s access to knowledge, land, credit,
technology, social protection, and care services. Nearly five million women gained jobs and improved
their livelihoods in 42 countries in crisis or post-crisis settings.

More programmes targeted support for survivors of gender-based violence, individuals living with
disabilities and displaced populations, integrating economic activities with mental and psychological
support. In Burundi, over 200,000 women accessed microcredit and financial skills training, as well as
land certificates. Including women's names on land certificates, and recognizing their right to ownership,
was a step towards breaking longstanding cultural barriers.

More 2023 Highlights

UNDP increased the use of sex-disaggregated data and gender analysis in recovery
plans and developed gender-responsive early warning systems in 28 countries,
including Angola, Ethiopia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Sierra
Leone. Partnerships with the World Bank and European Union supported Türkiye
to assess recovery and reconstruction after the devastating 2023 earthquake that
resulted in sustainable community-based models to build women’s resilience.UNDP’s

Gender and Crisis Facility continued supporting countries to develop economic

recovery programmes based on gender analyses and structural and social norms
transformation. From Afghanistan to Haiti, the Republic of Moldova, Somalia,
South Sudan and Ukraine, direct support to women caught in economic crises
Promoting resilient economic recovery among Afghan women extended life-saving jobs and services.

The rate of women’s employment in Afghanistan has halved in two years. Supporting women
UNDP helped counter regressive trends by advancing women’s leadership and
entrepreneurs is the most effective course of action to create opportunities for women. UNDP
equal participation in decision-making in mediation, reconciliation, and peacebuilding
estimates that bans on women are costing the economy $1 billion US dollars per year. UNDP
mechanisms in 22 countries. In Sierra Leone, UNDP aided the Ministry of Gender,
supported the creation of more than 60 community kitchens operated by women-led SMEs and
Child, and Social Welfare in drafting an Affirmative Action Bill on peacebuilding and
establishment of more than 200 women-focused savings groups with 2,975 members who received
setting it for parliamentary approval in 2024.
cash grants for income generating opportunities. Despite facing ingrained discrimination and new
limitations, women entrepreneurs in Afghanistan are demonstrating remarkable resilience.

©UNDP / Sayed Omer

16 17
 Signature Solution 4:
Environment
Working with partners from local to global levels, UNDP has deepened understanding of links be-
tween gender equality, the environment and climate change. New insights have informed integrat-
ed actions that can shift the needle toward both environmental and gender equality outcomes.

To protect and better manage ecosystems and biodiversity, UNDP supported women’s leadership
and decision-making related to natural resources in 89 countries in 2023. In 93 countries, UNDP’s
Global Environment Facility (GEF) portfolio helped close gender gaps in relation to natural resource
access and control.

UNDP’s Nature Pledge launched with a commitment to support over 140 countries to protect and
restore biodiversity while reducing gender and other inequalities. The Pledge includes a target
to promote women's leadership in natural resource management and close gender gaps in 100
countries. To meet the historic opportunity of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,
with two first-of-their-kind targets on gender equality, partnering with municipalities and women’s
groups is key. For example, in Costa Rica UNDP supported creation of a network of women in the
Sixaola River area who use geospatial technologies for better waste management and conservation
of natural resources.

Climate Promise has supported over 77 countries to implement gender and climate commitments.
In 44 countries, efforts focused on strengthening institutional capacities in the ministries of
environment, energy, finance, and gender. With Climate Promise support, 30 per cent of direct
grants for Indigenous people and local communities in Cambodia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Kenya
went to women-led projects, supporting them to lead action on forestry, land management and
environmental protection.

More 2023 Highlights

In 61 countries, UNDP supported women's cooperatives and collective engagement in
responding to environmental concerns. In partnership with the Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean and Government of Panama, UNDP developed
the first Regional Action Plan for Human Rights Defenders on Environmental Issues.

Indigenous women green sorority networks for environmental

UNDP supported an analysis of gender and climate commitments relevant to African
conservation
countries, exploring conditions and capacities necessary to implement them and the
In Mexico, UNDP helped Green Sorority Networks of Indigenous and rural women in Chiapas, gender-responsiveness of adaptation and mitigation actions.
Oaxaca, and Yucatán to develop livelihoods and gain skills as environmental stewards. The network
strengthens sustainable production practices, promotes financial resilience in the transition to a
green economy, and builds space for indigenous women to address environmental degradation. UNDP helped 19 countries to integrate gender equality and women’s empowerment
principles into Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation
strategies and action plans. In Indonesia, this resulted in higher rates of women’s
© UNDP Mexico/Andrea Egan
participation in the national forest monitoring system, ranging from 30 to 53 percent.

18 19
 Signature Solution 5:
Energy
Working with countries to transform energy systems to meet climate and development goals, UNDP
and partners are steering support to meet the moonshot goal of clean energy access for 500
million people – half being women. Sustainable, accessible energy innovations drive development
outcomes that are both inclusive and green and can be gamechangers for gender equality, including
by reducing women’s time poverty and increasing economic opportunity.

UNDP supported energy access for 14 million women in 37 countries in 2023. The Government of
Niger connected 170,000 women to clean and affordable energy. In Somalia, 13,000 women-headed
households were able to access fuel-efficient stoves, solar lanterns, and alternatives to charcoal.

More 2023 Highlights

The UNDP active portfolio of clean cooking projects funded by GEF and Green Climate
Fund involved 75 countries and US$350 million in grants. Energy-efficient cooking
stoves reduce deforestation and pollution and women’s time poverty, although more
efforts are needed to determine the precise amount of time saved by women.

A new initiative, Powering Gender Equality, injected dedicated financial and technical
support to existing large-scale energy programmes in Ethiopia, Eswatini, Madagascar
and Malawi to improve and demonstrate how to increase women’s economic
empowerment and leadership, enhance gender-responsive energy governance and
support energy policy frameworks that accelerate gender equality.

Ethiopia recently adopted a new national policy to integrate gender equality into
energy frameworks, including through an enhanced role for women in energy-related
decision-making.

Unleashing women’s economic empowerment through clean

energy UNDP is working to address the influence of household decision-making and financial
controls on energy usage, as well as women’s leadership in the green transition.
Through the Enhanced Rural Resilience in Yemen (ERRY) Joint Programme, UNDP has been Accordingly, the Sustainable Energy Hub recently scaled up support for staff to work at
supporting women and youth in the provision of solar energy in their communities through solar the intersection between gender equality and clean energy, with online dialogues and
microenterprises. Trainings and curricula development on solar skills have been empowering training courses already engaging over 300 participants.
rural women to launch their own solar micro businesses and connect with rural and urban dealers’
communities. By 2022, 163 solar microgrid enterprises were helping crisis-affected communities
in rural Yemen sustain themselves and survive the crisis through income creation and energy
generation.

© UNDP Yemen

20 21
 Signature Solution 6:
Gender Equality
UNDP works to advance gender equality across all Signature Solutions of its Strategic Plan – but it
prioritizes gender equality as a stand-alone Solution, as well. Signature Solution Six reflects priorities of
the 25-year review of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in the following ways.

Inclusive economies and women’s economic empowerment:

In 2023, UNDP supported 29 countries to eliminate barriers that perpetuate labour

segregation and gender-based discrimination in the economy, including improving
access to finance, land, digital assets, and entrepreneurship opportunities. In Armenia,
a comprehensive National Employment Strategy with a gender perspective includes
provisions for refugees and unemployed women.

UNDP worked in 22 countries to close the gender digital divide, which is integral
to more inclusive economies. In Jordan, the Ministry of Digital Economy and
Entrepreneurship was supported to build digital skills among young and refugee
women, and in Bangladesh, the Ministry of Information Communication Technology
launch a pilot programme for integrating mental health and psychosocial support to
combat cyberbullying that excludes girls from digital spaces.

UNDP supported countries to expand women’s access to, and control over, ownership
of land and other property. On the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought in
2023, UNDP launched the Her land Her rights campaign, reaching over 12,000 views.
In Burundi, UNDP facilitated access to quality judicial services for more than 33,000
women, including displaced women, to reduce arrears in treatment land disputes.

Equal power and representation:

Amidst the multiple threats to women in politics and leadership, UNDP continued to
advance inclusive political processes by supporting voter registration for 135 million
women in 29 countries in 2023.

Efforts in 43 countries to increase women’s leadership and equal participation in public

and private institutions resulted in increasing the capacity of women employees in
public offices, using women’s networks, caucuses, and parliamentary committees.
In the Arab States, UNDP helped launch the regional Arab Leadership Academy for
Women and the #HerParticipationOurFuture regional campaign.

© UNDP Mauritania/Freya Morales

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 Temporary special measures including quotas levelled the playing field for
women in politics in Gambia, Georgia, Lebanon, Maldives, Mauritania, the
Republic of Tanzania, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and Yemen. New global guidance
for UNDP country offices on introducing temporary special measures launched,
showing concrete and proven actions to reduce gender gaps in electoral
processes.

A quota in Yemen, to involve women in local collaboration platforms,

encouraged reflection on women’s needs in local government plans and led to
the rehabilitation of schools, maternity and childhood hospitals, and vocational
centres for women.

Preventing and responding to gender-based violence:

UNDP worked to end gender-based violence in 88 countries in 2023. UNDP’s

holistic approach, in collaboration with governments, builds capacities to
prevent gender-based violence, works to end impunity for perpetrators, and
increases access to justice and protection.

UNDP aided in revamping the Zambia Police Service Training Curriculum to

incorporate modules to protect female officers from gender-based violence in
training and on duty, and increased capacities to deliver integrated response
services with a one-stop centre.

UNDP supports women to access HIV and other health services, helping
reduce their risk of acquiring the virus due to sexual and gender-based
violence. To diminish stigma associated with HIV and gender-based violence,
UNDP supported the recruitment of female outreach workers in Egypt, and
established stigma-free counselling centres within NGOs. Spotlight Initiative strengthening actions to eliminate
gender-based violence
The first phase of the Spotlight Initiative came to an end in 2023. Over four years, the Initiative that
spanned the United Nations development system reached 122 countries, delivered 34 programmes in
25 countries and five regions, and had a total delivery rate of 95 per cent. Almost 500 laws and policies
were signed to end violence against women and girls, and 43 countries strengthened national action
plans. More than two million survivors accessed services. Prevention campaigns reached 260 million
people.

UNDP played an active role in 25 Spotlight-assisted countries. Under its leadership, the conviction rate
for perpetrators of gender-based violence doubled in 12 countries. Belize developed the first set of
national indicators for gender-based violence to improve victim response across health, police, social
and judicial services. Kazakhstan enhanced sanctions against domestic violence perpetrators and
refined administrative measures for prevention.

© UNDP DRC/Benoit Almeras

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 Reversing backlash against gender equality:

Research, new tools and sharper measurements support UNDP’s response to

the global backlash against women’s rights. The 2023 Gender Social Norms
Index revealed gender bias remains strong, with 90% of women and men
holding bias against women and a quarter believing violence against women
is justifiable.

Digital tools were expanded and modified to support election and other
contexts. In Libya UNDP tailored eMonitor+ to provide electoral authorities with
knowledge and skills to combat online gender-based violence.

UNDP increased its support to women climate defenders and advocates in 27

countries, including in response to backlash and strengthening climate justice
movements.

Changing negative social norms:

In 2023, UNDP implemented 407 prevention initiatives tackling harmful social

norms and gender-discriminatory roles and practices in 34 countries, although
evidence shows that designing such interventions effectively remains a
challenge.

In Montenegro, an initiative called “Implementing norms, changing minds”

aimed to strengthen women's organizations to inform legislation and policy
reform. In Sierra Leone, UNDP enhanced the capacity of male motorbike riders,
through training on positive masculinity, to act as agents of peace and role Deepening intersectional analyses and integration to leave no
models in combatting sexual and gender-based violence.
one behind

UNDP continues to collaborate on knowledge and tools to apply intersectional analyses. In Brazil, a
Better data for policy making: partnership with the Faculdade Baiana de Direito and Jusbrasil resulted in the Racism and Racial Slurs
Perpetrated on Social Media study. In Ecuador, research on political participation and data from a political
parity index showed disparities amongst Indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian women.
In 2023, 68 countries expanded gender data analyses. UNDP developed a
proposal for a multidimensional poverty index with a focus on women to support UNDP programmes also work with an intersectional perspective including in Costa Rica where stakeholders
more targeted social protection. In Pakistan, a report on women and digitalization support the creation of a network of Indigenous and Afro-descendant women to develop a common
delved into the gender digital divide and provided potential solutions. An Online agenda and practical tools to prevent and address violence against women. In Mexico, UNDP assisted in
Gender-Based Violence Among Women and Girls Assessment in Zambia built creating an Advocacy Office for Women within the National Electoral Institute, consulting more than 300
on existing policies and laws to make recommendations to mitigate online Afro-Mexican women to design a training platform on gender-based political violence in preparation for
gender-based violence. the 2024 electoral process.

© UNDP Angola/Cynthia R Matonhodze

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 ADDRESSING DISCRIMINATION
PARTNERSHIPS AGAINST LGBTIQ+ COMMUNITIES
SUPPORTING
TRANSFORMATION
UNDP is scaling up solutions in different fronts to address intersectional discrimination against
women based on sex and gender, intrinsically linked to sexual orientation and identity. In 2023,
13 country offices worked on projects supporting the LGBTIQ+ community. UNDP employed
rights-based approaches in Argentina, where UNDP provided biomedical equipment and
UNDP continued to pursue new partnerships for gender equality through 2023 and deepen
training to ensure medical care for women and pregnant people. In Angola, UNDP helped
existing ones to advance longer-term advocacy and policy goals.
bring together representatives of the Ministries of Justice, Gender, Youth, and Health to create
a multisectoral roadmap for the inclusion of LGBTIQ+ people. UNDP in Nepal helped develop
Collaborating across the UN system the National Media Policy on gender-sensitive reporting focusing on LGBTIQ+ communities.

UN Women remains UNDP’s primary partner for gender equality in 74 UNDP is also prioritizing the production of robust data for decision making. UNDP in Jamaica
countries, both for strategic planning and substantive programming, and carried out an LGBTIQ+ study with a meaningful participatory approach and in Dominican
in forging new knowledge. To capitalize on learning from the COVID-19 Republic conducted an LGBTIQ+ survey that inspired government institutions to include a
Global Gender Response Tracker, UNDP and UN Women, in partnership with diversity approach in their planning instruments. UNDP also recognizes the value of raising
the Republic of Korea, launched Promising Practices for Gender Equality: awareness, so it led the Free and Equal Campaign in Viet Nam, collecting 32 human stories of
A Catalogue of Practical Solutions, providing a suite of policy options to transgender individuals and engaging journalists and government agencies for legal support
increase gender-responsiveness and build resilience to future shocks. of transgender individuals.
UNICEF, ILO and OHCHR are among other collaborators.

Strengthening links with civil society Joining forces with academia and think tanks
More than 100 UNDP country offices partnered with diverse women’s or
UNDP works with academic institutions and think tanks to develop new
feminist organizations and movements in 2022 and 2023. In Georgia, UNDP
research and shape advocacy for gender equality. A collaboration with
financed grants for women-led local civil society organizations to promote
the University of Bahrain resulted in a workshop on gender-aware
dialogues between Geo and Abkhaz communities with a specific focus on
economics for government officials. In 2023, UNDP, United Nations
the women, peace, and security agenda.
Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the University of Pittsburgh
banded together under a global initiative on gender quality and public
Deepening donor engagement administration to conduct national reviews of measures that promote
women’s leadership and presence in public administration in Bhutan, Lao
UNDP continued to deepen engagement with key donors at the global
People’s Democratic Republic, Mauritius, and Senegal.
level, including through UNDP Funding Windows. The Republic of Korea
and Luxembourg, primary partners to the UNDP Gender Equality and
Women’s Empowerment Funding Window, provided critical flexible support Partnering with the private sector
to invest in new areas of work such as EQUANOMICS. Fruitful collaboration
Partnerships with banks and private investors helped redirect financial
has continued with the governments of the United Kingdom, Germany,
investments in gender equality. The Gender Equality Seal for the Private
and France, among others.
Sector remains a main UNDP initiative to promote women’s leadership
and participation, develop inclusive workplaces and ensure equal pay for
Leaving no one behind equal work. In 2023, 189 private sector companies were awarded the Seal,
including in energy, telecommunications, and finance sectors. This benefited
Partnerships with organizations working with people with disabilities and on
more than 450,000 workers, 48% of whom are women. The Stanbic Bank of
intersectional discrimination have become more prominent. In Samoa, UNDP
Uganda created a specialized women’s banking unit and plans to allocate
partnered with Nuanua Ole Alofa to support the development of the Women
USD 15 million to women’s financial inclusion, including a set of loans already
with Disability Stigma Inventory and capture insights on the experiences of
disbursed to more than 1,000 women
130 women living with disabilities.

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INSTITUTIONAL
1. LEADERSHIP

Country Office senior managers from gold-certified offices go the extra mile to prove

TRANSFORMATION:
commitment by moving beyond comfort zones, changing personal behaviours, and
demonstrating power-sharing practices and strategic thinking. UNDP offices that won gold
certification in 2023 include Bangladesh, Burundi, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India, Nepal,

GENDER EQUALITY SEAL the Pacific Office (Fiji), Paraguay and Samoa (multi-country office).

2. INTEGRATION AND SPECIALIZATION

The Gender Equality Seal for Development is UNDP’s flagship initiative to develop capacities The Seal standard of having a full-time gender specialist on staff led to changes in the UNDP
and accelerate impacts to achieve transformative results in gender equality. In the 2021-2023 gender architecture. Between 2021-2023, 14 new gender specialists were recruited. The
round, 76 country offices voluntarily completed the two-year initiative, with 66 achieving the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific recruited four subregional gender specialists and
minimum standards required for bronze, silver, or gold certification. By 2023, the Seal had a Gender Equality Seal coordinator. All gold-certified offices have a full-time, well-known
been fully implemented in 116 country offices over 10 years, which comprises 90 per cent of national senior gender adviser in place, with direct access to decision-makers and an ability
UNDP country offices. to influence national stakeholders.

3. CONTINUOUS LEARNING AND INNOVATION

While 93 per cent of Seal offices have provided training for all personnel, the most effective
Participants learning has built on behavioral and individual changes. The Programme for the Palestinian
People offers a shining example by implementing the Gender Transformative Workshops
methodology across field locations. Sessions provided participants with a safe space for self-
140 reflection on personal, social, and religious perceptions of social norms. Ensuring gender
capacities of heads of portfolios remains a challenge, as only 42 per cent of Seal offices
120 116
offered specialized capacity-building to team leads.
100
80 76 4. AN EQUAL AND INCLUSIVE CULTURE

60 54 While UNDP can celebrate gender parity overall in staffing, data shows more effort is needed
6 to ensure women are in decision-making positions, particularly in crisis countries. There is also
66
40 29 a gender gap in perceptions of UNDP as fostering an equal and respectful workplace, with an
20 29 anonymous survey showing men view their workplace as more equal and empowering than
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women. Work/life balance is one of the biggest challenges for all country offices, even the
5 10
0 2 3
high-performing ones.
2013/2015 2016/2018 2018/2020 2021/2023
5. MATCHING AMBITION WITH FINANCIAL RESOURCES
Source: UNDP Gender Equality Seal Tracking.
In 2023, the share of programme expenditures where advancing gender equality and
empowering women is a principal or significant objective increased to 69 per cent, up from
66 per cent in 2022. The UNDP office in Burundi has been in the Seal programme since 2017,
Far more than a certification, the Seal process takes. country office participants on a unique when expenditures on gender equality reached only 47 per cent. With a gold certification in
journey that connects UNDP core values, learning and a collective sense of purpose with a 2023, the Burundi office attained 84 per cent.
strict methodology to improve impacts on gender equality. As UNDP’s main vehicle to drive
institutional transformation required for gender equality agenda, the Seal has impact across
all aspects of UNDP’s work. The following are highlights from across the Seal building blocks:

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 6. ACCOUNTABILITY

In 2023, the Gender Steering and Implementation Committee, chaired by the UNDP
Administrator, took stock of the implementation of the Gender Equality Strategy 2022-
2025. The United Nations review of gender architecture pointed to the committee as good
practice. UNDP established an Advisory Circle comprised of civil society and external experts
on energy, women, peace and security, and feminist economics, to continue to help guide
implementation of the strategy.

7. COMMUNICATIONS FOR ADVOCACY

In 2023, UNDP launched major publications, such as the twin indices on women’s empowerment
and parity with UN Women, and communications campaigns supported International Women’s
Day, 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, and other major moments. During the
United Nations General Assembly, UNDP produced the web story ‘From global emergency to
global equality’. UNDP in China ran a campaign promoting rural girls in science that reached
up to 100 million people. UNDP in Bangladesh led a successful campaign on women’s safety
in public spaces and gender-based violence.

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 LOOKING AHEAD
UNDP found inspiration and renewed strength during the first two years implementing FOCUS ON WOMEN´S CIVIL RIGHTS
the Gender Equality Strategy. UNDP is embracing the challenge to deepen its efforts and
strengthen analytical capacities to transform norms, values, and power structures. UNDP has amplified support for women to access justice, especially in cases of sexual and
gender-based violence and in crises. The next step is to scale work to civil justice matters, such
Key lessons from evaluations also inform our next steps. Going forward, we will: as those related to women’s rights to land, natural resources, and inheritance among others.

SUPPORT MORE TRANSFORMATIVE UNIVERSAL SOCIAL PROTECTION TRANSFORM NORMS, VALUES AND POWER STRUCTURES

UNDP has taken key steps to better integrate gender equality in social protection, including Countries are working to shift gender social norms in various ways. Designing and implementing
aspects such as unpaid care and the informal economy. More attention and more support interventions to transform norms, values and power structures is at the core of accelerating
is needed, however, to back transformative national practices to provide adequate social gender equality.
protection to all women.

UNDP will continue to look to the Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025 for the guidance,
humbly learning from two years of implementation and the profound changes that gender
equality requires, to push beyond comfort zones and generate changes in thinking and
behaviours, building an enabling environment to advocate for gender equality.

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