Annex 4. UNIFEM key thematic areas
UNIFEM will support and track changes in the three thematic areas of work that
contribute to its overarching goal of strengthening implementation of commitments. In
each it will spearhead global, regional and national-level advocacy, knowledge and
network building, South-South exchange and capacity-development. It will also support
cross-cutting actions at the national level. UNIFEM will build on many national, regional
and cross-regional initiatives already begun during the MYFF 2004 – 2007 (see chart at
the end of this Annex).
Specific UNIFEM contributions in each thematic area include:
-Enhancing women’s economic security and rights: The gender-differentiated impacts of
macroeconomic and trade policies, economic development strategies, and investment in
livelihood options remain poorly understood. At the same time, building understanding of
how to create an enabling environment for women to achieve secure and sustainable
livelihoods is central to the achievement of the MDGs and other development goals.
UNIFEM has a unique role to play in this area, in partnership with other key actors:
a)
UNIFEM will strengthen understanding of the gender dimensions of
macroeconomic policies – including PRSPs, National Development Plans and
Strategies, trade agreements and other policy frameworks – and advocate for
responses that mitigate negative consequences for women and enhance economic
opportunities for poor women. This will include continuing support for pilot
initiatives to bring a stronger gender equality perspective to new aid modalities,
including direct budget support and SWAPs. This work includes building capacity
of gender equality advocates to use tools – such as Gender Responsive Budgeting
(GRB) – and support inclusive policymaking processes. UNIFEM works closely
with UNDP, ILO and other UN agencies in this arena.
b)
UNIFEM will continue to support policy advocacy, policy formulation,
and capacity development to implement and monitor policies related to the
economic security and rights of particular groups of women, including migrant
women workers, women in informal sector work, indigenous women, HIV
positive women, rural poor women and others. Partners will depend on the area of
focus, and will include ILO on informal work, IFAD and FAO in support to rural
poor women, UNCTs in addressing the economic rights of HIV+ women, etc.
c)
On a pilot and selective basis, UNIFEM will partner with mainstream
development actors to identify promising initiatives that can significantly enhance
women’s economic/market opportunities if scaled up. Its work with the World
Bank on results-based initiatives in support of women’s livelihood options and
with FAO and UN-HABITAT on women’s right to land and property will
continue in the Strategic Plan period and be strengthened with additional
dimensions and partners.
-Reducing the prevalence of violence against women and HIV/AIDS: The SecretaryGeneral’s In-depth Study on All Forms of Violence against Women (A/61/122/Add.1)
provided a comprehensive overview of the causes, consequences, actions being taken,
and priorities for action in this sector. With regard to HIV/AIDS, the annual
UNAIDS/WHO AIDS Epidemic Update provides data against which to measure progress.
UNIFEM will contribute to this goal in four ways, focused on supporting intensified
implementation of commitments to end violence against women and reduce the
prevalence of HIV/AIDS.
a)
It will coordinate the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women –
bringing together all interested UN partners as well as outside experts – to support
innovative initiatives that contribute to strengthened implementation of laws and
policies. It will expand the breadth, depth, and resources of the Trust Fund, taking
concrete action to more systematically position the Fund as a resource for the
work of the entire UN system, as well as to build capacity of grantees to
document what works and disseminate lessons. Trust Fund resources will support
actions that spur implementation of existing laws, national policies and plans of
action to end violence against women, and support special funding windows, such
as a window to address the inter-linkages of VAW and HIV/AIDS and a window
for groups to address sexual violence in crisis and conflict countries;
b)
It will focus on addressing sexual violence in war and armed conflict
situations through active participation in the UN inter-agency partnership on this
issue (with UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and others), as well as through support to
demonstration programmes in conflict-affected countries;
c)
With partner UN organizations – particularly UNFPA and UNICEF – it
will continue to respond to requests for specific assistance at national or regional
levels, including through supporting countries to formulate, adopt, cost and
implement laws, policies and national action plans addressing gender-based
violence, and through coordination of regional programmes such as the South
Asia programme to eliminate trafficking of women and girls. It will continue its
active participation in the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS, focusing on the
inter-linkages of ending VAW and HIV/AIDS and will also strengthen its support
for networks of HIV positive women to be influential in national, regional and
global decisions that affect their lives and livelihoods. It will also participate in
the Inter-Agency Network against Violence against Women;
d)
It will spearhead and/or participate in UN system-wide and inter-agency
advocacy initiatives aimed at prevention– such as the annual Latin American and
Caribbean inter-agency campaign to end violence against women – with a
renewed focus on supporting the UN system to consistently test and revise
advocacy strategies that generate measurable changes in attitudes and
understanding amongst key audiences, including men and policy-makers.
-Increase gender justice in democratic governance in stable and fragile states: While
there is reliable data on changes in levels of women’s participation in decision-making
positions (particularly at national level), the achievement of gender-equitable governance
that is responsive to the needs of different groups of women requires much more than
returning larger numbers of women to public office. Gender justice in democratic
governance requires that: supporters of gender equality are able to call for accountability
and responsiveness from public and private authorities (electoral accountability);
institutional reforms in the public administration bring incentives and performance
measures to support improved responses to the needs of women and families; post-
conflict transitional justice and security sector reforms address gender-based atrocities
and guarantee the physical security women need to participate effectively in public life.
UNIFEM will contribute to meeting these requirements for gender justice in democratic
governance through four areas of action:
a)
Electoral accountability: UNIFEM will leverage its years of support to
women’s political participation through new efforts to go ‘beyond the numbers’
and to build the political impact of women in politics. It will invest in the
capacity of women and men voters to be effective constituencies for gender
equality policies from political parties. Through network-building (in partnership
with UNDP, NDI, IPU, International IDEA and others in the iKnow Politics
network and through regional programmes in partnership with parliaments and
other actors) and its targeted programming and technical support (in partnership
with UN Integrated missions, UNDP, DPA, and electoral commissions, in postconflict countries that are holding elections) it will build knowledge and
programming experience in this area.
b)
Women and peace-building: UNIFEM will continue to advance women’s
leadership and influence in peace-building and conflict prevention, post-conflict
reconstruction, and truth and reconciliation processes as its contribution to
implementing key provisions of Security Council Resolution 1325. This work
builds on the foundations of its peace and security programming from 2001 –
2007, but strengthens efforts to engage with communities to prevent sexual and
gender-based violence, and build early warning systems.
c)
Transitional justice and security sector reform: Stronger technical
expertise will be developed in these two areas. International investments in both
have tended to be gender-blind. The extent to which gender-based atrocities are
dealt with in transitional justice interventions can shape subsequent justice system
treatment of gender-based inequalities (including the treatment of these issues in
informal justice systems). The extent to which security sector reforms contribute
to public safety has a profound impact on women’s enjoyment of rights in a postconflict context. Key partners include DPKO and UNDP as well as the
International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC).
d)
Public sector and accountability reforms: Good governance is central to
the new aid agenda, budget reform, and to post conflict recovery and
reconstruction. UNIFEM will develop new programming in this area in
partnership with UNDP. This will involve supporting pilot programming to
demonstrate the importance of gender-sensitive incentive systems, performance
measures, and procedures for gender responsive planning, programming and
budgeting at national and local levels, including via capacity development in
gender responsive budgeting. Pilot efforts will be attached to existing public
sector and accountability reform efforts.
Current and planned regional and cross-regional/programmes
that respond to UNIFEM’s Goals and Outcome
The chart below is intended to demonstrate how UNIFEM’s existing and planned
global/cross-regional and regional programmes are relevant to the Goal and outcomes in
its Strategic Plan. Many of the programmes (especially, for instance, GRB) are relevant
to multiple outcomes and thematic areas. Please note that this is an illustrative, rather
than an exhaustive, listing. Also note that it does not include national-level programmes
that UNIFEM will be undertaking and for which it has already secured funds.
How to read: The programmes listed in bold/italics are global or cross-regional. Those in
regular type are regional. For each programme included, UNIFEM has indicated the
number of countries in which it is anticipated to take place, the key partners, and the
donor(s). This is only listed in the first mention of the programme. Programmes with an
asterisk (*) are those that are at an early conceptual stage.
Goal:
Outcome
National commitments to achieve gender equality and women’s
empowerment implemented in fragile and stable states to:
Enhance women’s End violence against Achieve
economic security women and
democratic
and rights
HIV/AIDS
governance
National development
strategies (including
PRSs, SWAPs, postconflict reconstruction
strategies, and other
nationally-owned plans)
advance gender equality
in line with national
commitments to women’s
empowerment (e.g.,
MDGs) and human rights
(e.g., CEDAW and
regional human rights
commitments
Gender-responsive
budgeting
programmesi
(approx 25 countries
/UNCDF, UNDP,
UNFPA,
Belgium/Spain/Finla
nd)
Constitutions and legal
frameworks and
processes – particularly
those related to economic
security and rights,
women’s care work,
property and inheritance
rights, trade, migration,
ending VAW, and
electoral and security
sector reform – are
Strengthening
implementation of
CEDAW (Southeast
Asia/7
countries/CIDA)
Gender responsive
budgeting
Gender equality
and aid effectiveness
(12
countries/ILO/Europ
ean Commission)

Securing women’s
land rights (CIS/3
countries/FAO/Norw
ay)
UN Trust Fund to
End Violence against
Women (approx. 15
countries per year/17
UN partners/multidonor)

Strengthening
implementation of
CEDAW/Southeast
Asia
Genderresponsive
budgeting
Programme of
technical support
for National
Machineries for
Women* (40
countries)

Gender
equality and aid
effectiveness
Gender &
Governance
Programme
(approx. 10
countries/UNDP/
Norway)

Security sector
reform through a
gender equality
formulated and
implemented to promote
and protect women’s
human rights and
eliminate gender
inequality
lens*

Strengthening
implementation
of CEDAW/
Southeast Asia
Gender
Equality Laws
Programme
(CEE/3 ctries
/UNDP, ILO)
UN Trust Fund to
End Violence against
Women
Formal and informal
justice systems1 promote
women’s human rights at
national and local levels
Budgets and budget
processes are aligned
with commitments to
gender equality
Gender equality experts,
advocates and their
organizations and
networks enhance their
capacity and influence to
ensure that there are
strong gender equality
dimensions in national
laws, policies and
strategies
Gender-responsive
budgeting
Gender-responsive
budgeting
Supporting women’s
engagement in peacebuilding & preventing
sexual violence in
conflict (6
countries/UK-DFID)
Gender responsive
budgeting
UN Trust Fund to
End Violence against
Women
UN Action against
Sexual Violence in
Conflict Countries (12
UN partners/ Spain,
Norway)
Genderresponsive
budgeting
Women’s
Election Watch*
(approx. 20
countries/Germa
ny, Canada)
UN Democracy
Fund programmes ( 10
countries)
Addressing
SGBV &
women’s role in
peace-building (8
countries/UKDFID)
Regional
The most marginalized
women have the
resources, capacities and
voice to ensure that their
priorities are included in
relevant national
policies, programmes
and budgets
Achieving Eequality (Arab
region/5
countries/CISCO
Systems, USAID)
UN Trust Fund to
End Violence against
Women
Strengthening
home-based workers
(Asia)
Supporting women’s
engagement in peacebuilding & preventing
sexual violence in
conflict
Key policy, service
delivery and media
institutions have the
resources, structures,
procedures, incentives
and capacities to
implement laws and
policies that promote and
protect women’s human
rights in line with global,
regional and national
agreements
Gender-responsive
budgeting
Programme of
support to HIV+
women*
Gender-responsive
budgeting
Progress of the
World’s Women
2009*
UN Trust Fund to
End Violence against
Women
Community-level
initiatives generate
effective models for
advancing women’s
human rights and
eliminating gender
inequality
Results-based
initiatives on
women’s economic
empowerment (5
countries/World
Bank)
i
Progress of the
World’s Women
2010*
Gender Equality in
National AIDS
Strategies (4
countries/Caribbean/
DFID)
UN Trust Fund to
End Violence against
Women
programmes of
support to women
parliamentarians
(Arab States/UKDFID; Pacific/
NZAID)
Empowering
Indigenous
Women (Latin
America, 4
countries, Spain)
Genderresponsive
budgeting
Progress of the
World’s Women
2008*
Gender Equality
Laws Programme
(CEE/3
countries/UNDP,
ILO)
Safe Cities for
Women’s Human
Rights (Latin America/
3 countries/Spain)
This encompasses four current programmes (cross-regional in four countries supported by Belgium; Latin
American regional programme supported by Spain; CEE programme supported by Finland; partnership
agreement with UNFPA on tools and capacity development) as well as: a programmes under-development
with UNCDF and UNDP on local level GRB in 8 countries; a plan to bring additional UN organizations
together to develop a system-wide approach to GRB.