UNDG TASK FORCE ON GENDER EQUALITY
26 June 2012, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
PARTICIPANTS
Moez Doraid (Chair, UN Women), Ingrid Arnò (UN Women), Linet Miriti-Otieno (UN Women),
Amaya Perez (UN Women), Laura Arciniegas (UNESCO), Zehra Aydin (UNEP), Upala Devi
(UNFPA), Sarah Hou (UNFPA), Peter Ekayu (OCHA), Kate Steiker-Ginzberg (UN-Habitat), Noreen
Khan (UNICEF), Samuel Momanyi (UNICEF), Raquel Lagunas (UNDP), Sofia Persson (WFP).
ACTION POINTS & DECISIONS
Item 1: ECOSOC Side Event on Strengthening Gender Equality in the QCPR
 The Task Team Secretariat to circulate UN Women position note on “Suggestions
for issues related to gender equality and the empowerment of women to be
promoted in QCPR 2012” ASAP
 Task Team members are asked to submit their feedback on the above policy
note to Ingrid Arnò by Friday 29 June 2012.
 Based on feedback received, the Task Team Secretariat will prepare a
PowerPoint presentation for the ECOSOC Side Event by Friday 6 July 2012.
 Task Team Secretariat to set up a preparatory meeting for entities presenting at
the Side Event in early July namely UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, and
WFP.
Item 2: Capacity Development
a) Mapping of staff working on gender across the UN system
 The Task Team Secretariat to forward to Task Team members the launch email
sent to all Resident Coordinators on 19 June 2012 for their information
(attached).
 Task Team Secretariat to send out email to Task Team members and IANWGE
members to map staff resources at HQ and Regional level by Friday 6 July 2012
(attached).
 Task Team Secretariat to investigate the best way of collecting information from
peacekeeping and integrated missions.
b) UN system basic course on gender equality
 UN Women’s Training Centre in Santo Domingo to share course outline with Task
Team members as soon as it is available.
 Task Team members asked to comment on the outline within one week of receipt.
 UN Women’s Training Centre to connect with UN Women Safety & Security
Officer to explore how they made their course mandatory for all UN staff.
1
Item 3: Gender Equality Marker Guidance Note
 Task Team Secretariat to submit Guidance and Background Notes to the UNDAF
Programming Network (UPN) for endorsement by Friday 29 June 2012.
 Task Team Secretariat to forward above email to Task Team members for their
information (attached).
 Subgroup to finalize Information Packet to support the roll out of the Guidance
note by the end of July 2012.
NOTES
Item 1: ECOSOC Side Event on Strengthening Gender Equality in the QCPR
During the ECOSOC Operational Activities segment in 2004 the IANWGE Task Team on
Mainstreaming Gender in the CCA/UNDAF organized a side event for Member States
during the discussions on TCPR. This was a very successful event, therefore, the Task
Team Secretariat is suggesting to host a similar joint side event entitled “Strengthening
Gender Equality in the QCPR”.
The Secretariat secured a slot to hold the side event on Friday 13 July from 1:15-2:30 in
CR 6 (NLB), which is the first day of Operational Activities segment. Some key messages
have been drafted in which we outline for Member States ways in which the work of the
UN system on gender equality and the empowerment of women can be strengthened.
Some of the points outlined below are drawn from the Gender Mainstreaming Paper
prepared for the QCPR.
The QCPR should be used as an opportunity to strengthen the resolve and investment in
gender equality and the empowerment of women. It should reaffirm the establishment
of UN Women and also remind the system to redouble its efforts to work on gender
equality and the empowerment of women. It could request greater focus on gender
equality and the empowerment of women outcomes in planning frameworks. Ask
Resident Coordinators to provide more in depth information on the country team’s
work on gender equality and the empowerment of women. Request the strengthening
of staff capacity and an increase in funding for joint programmes. Call on UNCTs to use
the Scorecard and other instruments for accountability. Request the roll-out of the UN
System-wide Action Plan (SWAP).
The Secretariat is seeking the Task Team’s endorsement of the side event as well as
volunteers to join UN Women in the presentation to and dialogue with Member States.
Discussion
The question was raised if any recommendations would be included on tracking
resources. The Chair noted that formulation, similar to that agreed to by Member States
during the negotiations of the gender mainstreaming resolution would be included
rather than an explicit reference to the gender marker. It is premature to reference the
2
Gender Equality Marker Guidance Note which has yet to go through the internal
approval process.
It was also noted that we should try to harmonize the language as much as possible.
Moving forward an attempt should be made to develop a new narrative that builds on
the language used in the SWAP and the Guidance Note.
The side event was endorsed by the Task Team members who were present at the
meeting and the issue of the level of agency representation on the panel was raised. The
Chair noted that representation at the Director level would be the most desirable, he
further stated that the position note prepared for the QCPR would be circulated for
comments to the entities participating in the side event, and that a preparatory meeting
would be called for shortly.
Item 2: Capacity Development
a) Mapping of staff working on gender across the UN system
The process of mapping human resources working on gender equality across the system
has started. On 19 June 2012 the Chair of the Task Team sent out launch email to all
Resident Coordinators with a template to be returned by 13 July. Responses have
started trickling in. The Task Team Secretariat is now proceeding with the headquarters
portion of the mapping.
The Secretariat is bringing this to the attention of the Task Team before extending it to
the IANWGE which has a broader membership. Members of the Task Team will receive
the headquarters template (including liaison offices) which they are expected to fill out.
However, it could additionally send the template listing all Country Teams since some
entities appear to centrally hold information on field-based staff.
Discussion
A couple of members noted that this approach would fail to capture information from
peacekeeping and integrated missions as well as regional structures.
UNFPA noted that in its case, Human Resources section centrally holds such information
at headquarters. UNICEF too holds this information centrally, moreover, it recently
updated its list of focal points.
In light of the above it was agreed that one of the headquarters templates would be
amended to reflect regional structures and that both templates would be sent to all
headquarters focal points so that when all the data from UN country teams are
compiled we can cross check it against the data received from headquarters focal
points.
3
Moreover the Secretariat would investigate the best way of collecting information from
peacekeeping and integrated missions.
b) UN system basic course on gender equality
For the past two years the IANWGE has called for the development of a basic course on
gender equality for all UN staff similar to the course on safety and security. This
initiative fits also under the SWAP.
In response to this request, the UN Women Training Centre in Santo Domingo (Training
Centre) has taken the lead in developing a draft curriculum for the course. This e-course
is not meant to replace existing agency-specific courses, rather it is aimed at all nonprogamme staff, such as drivers, support staff, operations staff, staff working in the area
of human resources etc. The e-course will reference more technical courses but will not
delve into technical aspects of gender equality rather it aims at triggering behavioural
changes by providing background information and general knowledge on gender
equality and the empowerment of women.
A consultant has been hired who has been reviewing all the on-line materials already in
existence and is preparing a course outline. The first draft of the course is expected to
be ready by mid-August and a peer review is due to take place in September.
Subsequently the materials will be converted into an on-line course to be rolled out in
the first quarter of 2013 and translated in all official UN languages.
Discussion
Some clarification questions were raised as to the impetus behind the course and its
target audience. It was explained that this course emulates the UNDP course for ALL
staff. Furthermore it was noted that the IANWGE agreed to a three tiered approach by
developing separate courses for the following audiences: i) for all staff; ii) for
programme staff; and iii) for senior managers.
UNDP noted that when it received feedback on its course two years ago, it was quite
clear that there was a need to use very clear and basic language. The focus should be
more on raising awareness rather than behavioural change. Moreover, the issue of girls’
empowerment should not be overlooked. The Training Centre expects that this course
will be quite user-friendly and fun to follow, covering perceptions of gender equality
from the prehistoric ages, through the French Revolution, to the new democracies.
It was suggested that an attempt be made at making this course also mandatory for all
staff like the safety and security course.
The outline of the course is expected to be completed soon and will be circulated to the
Task Team to comment on. Moreover, the Training Centre will reach out to Safety &
Security colleagues to find out what steps need to be taken to make this course
mandatory.
4
Item 3: Gender Equality Marker Guidance Note
The Subgroup on Accounting for Resources for Gender Equality noted that the Gender
Equality Marker Guidance Note has been endorsed by the Task Team and that it will be
sent to the UPN by the end of the week for its endorsement.
The Subgroup is now putting together experiences of the UN system to include in the
Information Packet that will support implementation of the Marker. Primarily though,
the Packet – which is expected to be completed by the end of July – will include a
common template with common steps to roll-out the marker. The template is expected
to be broad enough to account for entities’ specificity.
Discussion
OCHA volunteered to share its experience with the IASC gender marker for the purposes
of the Information Packet. Furthermore, it was noted that the decision sheet which will
have to be developed to obtain the endorsement of the Guidance Note by the UPN,
should mention that an Information Packet is being developed to support the UN
system with the roll-out of the Marker.
5