Publications

This Technical Brief summarizes the previous Compendium on social norm change to achieve gender equality, which provides a framework for programmatic approaches to norm change at scale. The Technical Brief and Compendium present promising strategies, tested approaches and practical examples of social norm change. This includes a programme design framework that is relevant for different aspects of sexual and reproductive health and rights in various contexts. The publications build on previous work by UN agencies, civil society, academia and others.

The available evidence shows that there has been too little progress in preventing gender-related killings of women and girls. Concerted, urgent action is needed, to improve the knowledge base and strengthen responses to gender-related killings and other forms of gender-based violence against women and girls. By ensuring that every victim is counted, we can ensure that perpetrators are held to account and justice is served. By improving understanding of all types of gender-related killings of women and girls, we can strengthen prevention and improve responses. This paper features policy recommendations to support comprehensive and multisectoral approaches to prevent and address gender-related killings and other forms of gender-based violence against women and girls.

Every year, more than one billion children – or half of the world’s children – experience some form of violence. Exposure to violence compromises a child’s mental and social development, hampers educational outcomes, and reduces opportunities for gainful employment. It is estimated that physical, sexual, and emotional violence against children costs societies 3% to 8% of global GDP. Current data indicates that up to 50% of sexual assaults worldwide are committed against girls under the age of 16. Risks are particularly high in conflict-affected countries – globally, at least 72 million children are living among or near armed groups who have a history of perpetrating sexual violence against children.

UNDP’s Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025, aligned with its Strategic Plan, guides UNDP in its efforts to assist countries in accelerating progress on gender equality and the empowerment of women over the next four years. It aims to move beyond piecemeal efforts and to instead help countries to shift power structures and the economic, social, and political systems that perpetuate discrimination.

As gains in women’s rights remain fragile, it is important to prioritize funding for essential services that include sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) prevention and response in COVID-19 fiscal stimulus packages and new strategies. The Vanuatu experience of close partnership with women’s rights organizations shows the importance of sustainable funding for civil society organizations to tackle SGBV. This paper will explore engagement methods, approaches, and concrete strategies of UNDP work in Vanuatu to effectively support women’s rights and feminist movements in ending violence against women and girls as key actors for sustainable, equal and participatory development.

Women and men are differently affected by Member States’ progress towards Goal 16. Certain types of violence, trafficking, and access to justice issues affect women more than men, which risks leaving women behind when it comes to overall achievements under Goal 16.

The Strategy outlines how UNOV/UNODC will accomplish this over the coming five years. The implementation of the Strategy will continue to strengthen the work of UNODC throughout its five thematic areas in ensuring stronger analysis of stakeholders and understanding the different impacts of criminal justice, organized crime, terrorism and corruption on the whole of society. The Strategy also recognizes that women are disproportionately underrepresented at the policy, decision-making and at the managerial level, being particularly acute in the criminal justice and law enforcement sector as well as legislative and parliamentary bodies. UNODC will therefore continue to engage with Member States to remedy instances of gender inequality and exclusion.

Gender related issues can arise in any judge’s court, in any level of court, by any of the actors in the court and at any stage of a judge’s career, for both men and women. Gender issues are often dismissed as women’s issues or only thought to be relevant in cases related to the family or when women are litigants. Court staff, police officers, expert witnesses and lawyers all might bring a gendered stereotype into their conduct or the way they present evidence.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has developed a 10-Point Action Agenda for Advancing Gender Equality in Crisis Settings (10PAA), a roadmap to guide its development programming towards results that will help transform and advance gender equality in crisis contexts and achieve the Women, Peace and Security agenda. The 10PAA is central to UNDP’s new Crisis Offer, as well as its new Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025. It represents a strong corporate commitment to addressing the most stubborn roots of gender inequalities.  

This initiative aims to support the inclusive transformation of systems, by bringing to the fore the issue of power, specifically as considered through the lens of gender. To support this inclusive transformation, we offer a “Power Dispersal Dandelion,” an easy-to-use framework that anchors users in an inquisitive and explorative mindset and facilitates conversations that contribute to a deeper understanding of, and sensitivity to, power and gender dynamics in systems transformation work.