Sub-Regional Resource Facility for Arab States

Women's Empowerment

The promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment is a core commitment of UNDP. It is an essential means to achieve the MDGs and gender equality, the latter which accelerates overall economic growth and the quality of life, strengthens democratic governance and reduces poverty.

Women in the Arab States face discrimination and inequality. Stereotypical gender roles are deeply entrenched, limiting women’s economic potential and decision-making opportunities. The Arab Human Development Report on “The Empowerment of Women” offers an overview of women in the Arab world, identifying obstacles and opportunities for women’s empowerment in the region.

The SURF-AS Gender Team, led by Policy Advisor Jocelyne Talbot, provides UNDP Country Offices in the Arab States with policy advice and technical assistance in gender mainstreaming, women’s empowerment and technical assistance for in-house capacity development. Through COs’ increased knowledge in gender mainstreaming, and their relationships with key ministries and civil society, the message is clear: until gender inequality is solved, sustainable development cannot be achieved.

What is Gender Mainstreaming?

UNDP has adopted gender mainstreaming to fully integrate a gender perspective in its policies, programmes and management.

Gender Mainstreaming “is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies and programs, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated.” (ECOSOC 1997)

UNDP’s work in gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment is reinforced by its network of over 166 offices and its global partnerships with gender institutions. No organization has a wider spectrum.

UNDP mainstreams gender by:
1) Providing policy advisory services that promote gender equality and women’s empowerment
2) Developing capacities to integrate gender concerns in all practice areas and in global, regional and country offices
3) Supporting the development of gender-sensitive policies and strategies accompanied by gender responsive programmes and projects
4) Providing knowledge products in all thematic fields
5) Supporting innovative interventions that benefit women and men