Outcome KIR_D_1.2

By 2027, the operational, normative and collaborative potential of the UNCT Cooperation Frameworks to contribute to greater gender equality is fully optimised by UN Women’s interventions.

This outcome is on track. There has been some progress towards the realisation of the operational, normative, and collaborative potential of the Pacific United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) to contribute to greater gender equality and women’s empowerment in Kiribati. The United Nations in the Pacific has committed to the rollout of a comprehensive assessment of the United Nations System-wide Action Plan (UNCT-SWAP) Gender Equality Scorecard for a second time in less than 5 years. This commitment demonstrates a willingness to being able to more concretely understand areas that need further joint action to progress gender mainstreaming and advance gender equality and women’s empowerment. The assessment will be undertaken across all three sub-regional United Nations Resident Coordinator Offices (RCOs) in a separate but coordinated manner as the RCOs come under one Pacific regional UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2023-2027). This is the first time that the Micronesia RCO, overseeing the Kiribati Joint Presence Office, will be included in the UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard assessment. In December 2023, the Kiribati Country Implementation Plan 2023-2024(CIP) finalised draft was completed. It is earmarked for endorsemetn by the Kiribati Government in the first quarter of 2023. The Kiribati CIP builds upon the Pacific United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027 (UNSDCF) developed by the United Nations (UN) and 14 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). The Kiribati CIP is firmly anchored to country-level priorities and structures and defines the UN actions and deliverables in Kiribati, including those of UN Women, to help achieve the outcomes of the Pacific UNSDCF. The CIP will guide the joint efforts, and the collective results expected will help Kiribati to ensure all people are equal and free to exercise their fundamental rights, enjoy gender equality and peace, remain resilient to existential threats, and live in harmony. Throughout 2023, UN Women played a pivotal role within the Joint Programme Presence in Kiribati to advance and ensure the inclusion of gender equality and women's empowerment throughout the Kiribati CIP. Capacity building of agencies through training and access to tools and guidance on gender-responsive programming was undertaken which in turn has advanced joint action on gender equality in Kiribati. UN Women’s overarching commitment focused on supporting Kiribati’s national development priorities on gender, Sustainable Development Goal 5, and alignments with international standards such as CEDAW and the Beijing Platform for Action.

By 2027, the operational, normative and collaborative potential of the UNCT Cooperation Frameworks to contribute to greater gender equality is fully optimised by UN Women’s interventions.

This outcome is on track, Throughout 2024, UN Women's strategic interventions in Kiribati have demonstrated, via its coordination mandate, success in optimizing Pacific UNSDCF to advance gender equality. These interventions have reached 140 persons across government, civil society, and community sectors. The comprehensive approach has fostered transformative change at institutional, policy, and grassroots levels, creating sustainable pathways for gender equality and women's empowerment, with particular attention to reaching those furthest behind. UN Women effectively engaged seven UN agencies in systematic gender mainstreaming efforts, and its active engagement in a dedicated four-member UNCT sub-committee has created efficient pathways for gender-responsive engagement with the Government of Kiribati, while quarterly UNCT coordination meetings ensure sustained focus on gender equality initiatives. In addition, there has been dissemination of critical knowledge products, including the Strengthening Peacefull Villages (SPV) Midline Impact Evaluation Report, the Kiribati Gender Equality Brief and the SDGs Gender Snapshot 2024. These resources equipped agencies with context-specific gender analysis and evidence-based strategies for effective violence prevention programming. The evaluation findings have been particularly valuable in helping UN agencies understand unique gender dynamics in Kiribati and design interventions that address intersectional vulnerabilities, especially in remote island communities, while providing concrete evidence on the effectiveness of community-based approaches to transforming social norms around gender-based violence. It has also been helpful in providing UN agencies with a practical model of feminist evaluation methodology in action. The extensive geographical and demographic reach across Kiribati's diverse island communities has seen twenty-eight stakeholders, including representatives from marginalized groups, contribute their expertise to the Te Rau N Te Mwenga Act review, while another twenty-eight representatives participated in the Beijing +30 reporting process. The Women's Practice Parliament engaged 44 women from across all islands, ensuring representation from remote and traditionally underserved communities. The transformative leadership training program achieved particular success, with 36 women completing the training, including participants from outer islands who typically face barriers to accessing such opportunities. Notably, two participants have already declared their candidacy for upcoming elections, demonstrating the program's effectiveness in shifting power dynamics and promoting women's political participation. Institutional transformation has been particularly evident in the justice sector, where UN Women's support has led to significant improvements in rights-based, gender-responsive service delivery. The development of a gender-sensitive vernacular Judiciary Bench Book has enhanced access to justice for women, particularly addressing language barriers faced by rural and remote communities. The Attorney General's Office has implemented gender-responsive recruitment guidelines, while the Kiribati Police Service has established standardized GBV response procedures ensuring proper handling of cases with a survivor-centered approach. This coordinated justice sector approach recognizes women, particularly GBV survivors, as rights holders entitled to dignified and protective services. The health sector has implemented new survivor-centred Standard Operating Procedures, specifically designed to address the needs of marginalized groups including persons with disabilities and those in geographically isolated areas. The education sector has also made substantial strides through the development of gender-responsive curriculum and inclusive teaching methodologies that recognize diverse learning needs. Protection mechanisms have been strengthened through the enhancement of the Elimination of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Policy, which now incorporates critical considerations of climate change resilience and its disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations. The revised Gender Equality and Women Development Policy further reinforces these protections by clearly defining the responsibilities of duty bearers while strengthening protections for rights holders. The establishment of a high-level gender sub-committee in the Kiribati Police Service demonstrates institutional commitment to gender equality and rights-based service delivery. The initiative's success in gender mainstreaming is reflected in the systematic integration of gender analysis in policy development, comprehensive capacity building across sectors, and the creation of sustainable mechanisms for gender-responsive service delivery. The comprehensive consultation process with women's organizations, survivors, and service providers ensures procedures reflect diverse needs and experiences while transforming institutional responses to protect women's rights and safety. Through these coordinated efforts, UN Women in Kiribati has successfully demonstrated how strategic interventions can optimize the operational, normative, and collaborative potential of the Pacific UNSDCF to advance gender equality. The initiative's comprehensive approach, combining institutional strengthening, policy development, and grassroots engagement, has created sustainable pathways for continued progress toward gender equality in Kiribati, ensuring no one is left behind.