Planned Budget (Total)
Other resources (non-core)
Country Indexes
outcome XM-DAC-41146-ECU_D_1.1
In 2026, the State and society have reduced socioeconomic inequalities and have promoted sustainable productive transformation with added value, the generation of livelihoods and decent work, guaranteeing equal rights and opportunities, and access for women and men to resources (UNSDCF Outcome 3)
Throughout 2024, several instruments were developed to advance the reduction of socioeconomic inequalities and close gender gaps in employment. Efforts focused on strengthening the institutional capacities of the Ministry of Labor for implementing Convention 190 in both the public and private sectors. Additionally, methodologies and technical tools for enforcing the Equal Pay Law, approved earlier this year, were finalized. In the area of caregiving, a new work plan was established with the Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion (MIES) to support the implementation of the Human Care Law and the National Care System. To promote this landmark law, UN Women facilitated public debates on caregiving, including the event “Towards the Construction and Territorialization of Care Policies and Systems in Ecuador,” co-organized with the University of Azuay. Technical and legal inputs for drafting the regulations of the Human Care Law were developed, and at the local level, progress was made in mapping the social organization of care and designing a management model for implementing the Local Care System in the Metropolitan District of Quito (DMQ). Collaboration with the Ministry of Women continued, with a focus on strengthening the capacities of over 2,700 women and LGBTQ individuals to generate income and sustainable livelihoods. As part of the technical tools developed, a set of indicators and recommendations for implementing and evaluating the Rural Women Policy was delivered to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. To support the design, implementation, and evaluation of public policies, as well as to generate research and knowledge on gender inequalities and the living conditions of women in the country, UN Women provided the Gender Equality Council with a systematized dataset and statistical information from the 2022 Census and other official sources. This information will inform the next edition of the publication “Women, Men, and LGBTQ Populations in Figures.” To strengthen the capacities of civil society organizations, UN Women continued supporting their advocacy agendas and mechanisms. This included working with second-tier organizations representing unions, workers’ associations, and women’s organizations, such as the Amazonian Women’s Network and CONFENIAE. Support also continued for promoting and discussing the political agenda of Afro-descendant women
outcome XM-DAC-41146-ECU_D_2.1
In 2026, the State improves public management and increases the protection and guarantee of rights, gender equality and social cohesion, while reducing threats to human security and promoting the eradication of all forms of violence. (UNSDCF Outcome 4)
In 2024, significant progress was made towards strengthening public management for the protection and guarantee of rights, gender equality, and social cohesion. UN Women implemented three key initiatives to promote women's political participation and prevent gender-based political violence. In collaboration with the Electoral Dispute Tribunal, 783 people across six provinces were trained on political violence, and an online course with modules on gender equality, international standards, and Ecuadorian legislation was created, aiming to reach 1,500 users. Training sessions in Manta and Guayaquil equipped 25 municipal authorities with tools to incorporate a gender perspective in local policies and address political violence. Additionally, the centennial celebration of women’s suffrage in Ecuador raised awareness about the importance of women's political participation for strengthening democracy, engaging both electoral institutions and civil society organizations. Training processes helped disseminate laws and justice access measures, reflecting an increase in reported political violence cases from 2 in 2020, 3 in 2021, 12 in 2022, 10 in 2023, and 13 cases resolved with a sentence and 12 ongoing cases in 2024, according to the Electoral Dispute Tribunal. UN Women enhanced women’s leadership in communities by establishing the Women Peacebuilders Network in Guayaquil with 105 female leaders, a model replicated in Quito and Milagro to empower women and promote peace. Over 260 women participated in the virtual course "Gender Perspective and Women's Participation in Peacebuilding," with 235 completing it successfully and reporting positive learning outcomes. Humanitarian kits were provided to 339 survivors of gender-based violence in human mobility contexts, and 184 individuals were referred to safe shelters. Technical assistance to Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs culminated in the approval of the first Women, Peace, and Security Plan (2025–2029), aligned with UN Security Council Resolution 1325, with key actions in violence prevention, institutional strengthening, women's leadership in peace processes, and gender-sensitive public policies. The impact of organized crime on women and girls was highlighted through a study that revealed alarming figures of violent deaths and sexual violence cases, emphasizing the need to incorporate gender perspectives in security policies. This data has raised awareness and mobilized authorities to strengthen responses. UN Women supported municipalities such as Quito, Cuenca, Guayaquil, Lago Agrio, and Ibarra in developing plans to prevent and eradicate violence against women and girls. In Quito, the first Metropolitan Plan for Violence Prevention and Eradication was formulated, while Cuenca developed a gender-sensitive analysis of the tourism sector, resulting in the "Safe Tourism Guide for Women" as part of its "Safe Tourism" strategy. In Ibarra, a public transportation harassment prevention plan was presented, with protocols planned for 2025. Nationally, five care and shelter spaces were strengthened, benefiting 2,630 individuals, primarily those in human mobility. A validated "Digital Self-Care Guide" was developed to prevent technology-facilitated violence, and the "Proteger a las Caminantes" project produced guides for preventing trafficking. UN Women strengthened institutional and community capacities in gender-based violence prevention in municipalities such as Guayaquil, Milagro, and Daule, focusing on response protocols, training 141 public officials, and implementing an Early Warning System (SART) to identify risks and respond effectively. Agreements with donors like USAID and the Italo-Ecuadorian Fund ensured the continuity of the Spotlight Initiative, while anti-trafficking projects provided specialized training to public officials. These efforts contributed to reducing social tolerance of gender-based violence and strengthening political and social commitments to its eradication, particularly at the local government level, creating improved conditions for the sustainability of initiatives and results achieved in 2024.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-ECU_O_1
Principled performance: focusing on keeping UN Women a responsible and trustworthy development organization that manages its financial and other resources with integrity, which is consistent with its programmatic ambitions and fiduciary obligations.
In 2024, the UN Women Ecuador Office estimated 97% execution of regular funds; however, challenges were faced in the implementation of non-core resources (82%). To ensure proper implementation, regular follow-up meetings were held between operations and program areas to jointly identify solutions to implementation challenges. The energy crisis of 2024 posed an unprecedented challenge for the office. However, thanks to the measures adopted and the RO support, the operations team could assure business continuity. Given the security situation in Ecuador, risk analysis was intensified in 2024 at both the programmatic and operational levels. The plus impact in relation to execution was observed at the territorial level, especially in the implementation of projects in areas of greatest conflict. In terms of reporting, 100% of reports to donors were delivered on time (according to the UN Women Corporate Dashboard).
outcome XM-DAC-41146-ECU_O_2
Advancing partnerships: whose purpose is that ECO effectively leverages and expands its partnerships, communications, and advocacy capacities to increase support and funding for gender equality in the fulfilment of its triple mandate
In 2024, despite the political instability, the UN Women Ecuador achieved strategic alliances at the national and local levels, such as the Ministry of Women's Affairs, the Municipality of Quito, the National Assembly, the Roundtable of International Cooperation, MEGECI, among others; alliances with donors as EU, USAID and FIEDS resulting in joint projects focused on the elimination of gender-based violence, as Spotlight Initiative 2.0. Ecuador is the first country in the region to funding the second phase an including new donors; strengthened the Civil Society Advisory Group to highlight the women`s priorities. Regarding the communication strategy, Ecuador CO positioned as a reference on gender equality and women's empowerment issues in normally reactive environments such as the private sector and younger feminist organizations, through the office's actions or in coordination with other UN agencies, relevant knowledge products. Part of the communication work, materials and processes were generated to support the work on women's economic empowermen t, especially in relation to entrepreneurship and the generation of livelihoods, and support the strengthening of civil society organizations; the plan of Zero Harassment campaign for the City of Quito, the Journalism for hope with Zarelia Feminist journalism festival; testimonies of the women participating in the projects, which allows us to learn first-hand about the impact of UN Women's actions on their lives were collected, for example those of the athletes who participated in the Olympic Games , who were involved in the process of disseminating the protocol for the prevention of violence in sport. Particular importance was the communications support work for the inter-agency project Spotlight Initiative in the mission of Cecilia Suárez, ambassador of the Secretary General for the Spotlight Initiative. This mission lasted 6 days and allowed us to place reflection on the prevention of femicide on the agenda of traditional media. In terms of alliances with non-traditional actors, UN Women maintain a key collaboration with the Ministry of Sports resulted in the development of a comprehensive public policy cycle aimed at preventing and responding to violence against women, VAW, and promoting gender equality in sports. Through this initiative, UN Women provided technical assistance for the implementation of the Action Protocol in cases of gender violence, training 315 officials and directors of sports federations and training resources were developed. In addition, UN Women strengthened partnerships with the private sector through the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). Thirteen companies signed onto the WEPs, and seven key events were organized to address topics such as the Violet Law and gender equality across various industries. A pilot implementation of the Business Guide for Diverse and Inclusive Change was carried out with six companies. Furthermore, a collaboration with Women for Women Ecuador supported the fifth edition of the El Talento No Tiene Género award and the development of a methodology for engaging men in gender equality efforts within the private sector https://ecuador.unwomen.org/es/digital-library/publications/2024/09/fomento-de-la-innovacion-para-mujeres-rurales-de-quito-catalogo-de-emprendimientos https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_1HRO-tlgd/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDb4XdKNoOd/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D https://www.weps.org/companies
outcome XM-DAC-41146-ECU_O_3
Business transformation: aimed at promoting the transformation of the organization and its business model to generate impact at scale, rooted in a culture of continuous improvement.
In 2024, UN Women Ecuador made significant strides in its business transformation, focusing on optimizing internal operations and advancing its impact at scale. Key administrative and programmatic adjustments were implemented, such as the introduction of a new SSA policy that streamlined processes for managing consultancies and contracts. This change facilitated the reorganization of the team’s tasks, strengthening the support provided by program assistants and ensuring smooth operations across all areas. Additionally, the effective management of requests from general services staff and program assistants ensured continuity in operations without setbacks. In resource mobilization, despite not reaching the USD 1,800,000 target for 2024 due to the economic, political, and insecurity challenges that impacted donor confidence, significant progress was made. The office secured USD 1,000,000 from the European Union for the second phase of the Spotlight Initiative, making Ecuador the first country to secure this continuity, with the funds distributed across three agencies. New partnerships were solidified, such as with USAID, which contributed USD 1,000,000, and the Italo-Ecuadorian Fund (FIAE), with which an agreement was signed for USD 750,000 following a complex negotiation process. An agreement was also established with the Ministry of Women for USD 1,000,000 for projects currently in implementation. Additionally, the office mobilized over USD 1,000,000 through strengthened cooperation with the Municipality of Quito for innovative projects between 2023 and 2024. Efforts were also made with international organizations such as CAF and the IDB to explore financing for key areas, including “Women and Water” and security projects in Ecuador. Negotiations were advanced to mobilize additional resources or extend the current phases of the PBF project, including a strategic study on women and organized crime. Furthermore, the second phase of the care project received funding from the regional AECID program, consolidating strategic initiatives aligned with gender equality priorities. Looking ahead to 2025, the office remains committed to a proactive approach to resource mobilization, which includes hiring a specialized consultant, strengthening relationships with the private sector, and promoting inter-agency and binational projects. Despite the challenges, UN Women continues to focus on innovation and a targeted strategy to advance gender equality and women’s rights in Ecuador. In terms of knowledge management, UN Women Ecuador strengthened its position as a leading knowledge hub on gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) in Ecuador. In 2024, the implementation of an integrated knowledge management strategy led to the development of key publications and strategic initiatives that amplified the office’s visibility and impact. Notable publications included the "Qualitative Study on the Impact of Organized Crime on Women, Girls, and Adolescents," which addressed the gender-specific effects of organized crime, and "Women and Sports 2," which explored challenges and achievements in women’s inclusion in sports. Other significant reports focused on promoting rural women’s economic empowerment and addressing violence prevention, including guides on trafficking for sexual exploitation and technology-facilitated violence against women and girls. These publications were widely disseminated through digital platforms and events, reaching both national and international audiences, and further solidified UN Women Ecuador’s role as a knowledge leader in the field. https://ecuador.unwomen.org/es/digital-library/publications/2024/12/mujeres-y-deporte-2-una-aproximacion-a-la-participacion-y-presencia-de-las-mujeres-en-el-ambito-del-deporte-en-ecuador https://ecuador.unwomen.org/es/digital-library/publications/2024/09/fomento-de-la-innovacion-para-mujeres-rurales-de-quito-catalogo-de-emprendimientos Gestión de conocimientoShowing 1 - 5 of 7