Outcome MYM_D_1.1

By 2023, the enabling environment for the implementation of the WPS agenda and the integration of gender equality in humanitarian, peace and development frameworks, programming and policies is strengthened.

In 2022, UN Women Myanmar Country Office (MCO) made strong progress under outcome 1. Through providing timely gender-sensitive data and building capacities of stakeholders across the triple nexus, UN Women demonstrably strengthened the enabling environment to better implement Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE), Gender in Humanitarian Action (GIHA), and Women, peace and security (WPS) integration in programmes and policies of UN partners and CSOs. Some of the key results in this outcome include the integration of gender analysis and actions in four key programming and policy frameworks of the UN and other development partners, such as in the UNCT's Socio-Economic Resilience and Recovery Plan (one of the main joint frameworks guiding the work of the UNCT in the absence of a UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework); Human Rights Protection Framework the Humanitarian Needs Overview, and the Myanmar Humanitarian Response Plan 2022. Moreover, a hundred per cent or 20 out of 20 organizations supported by the Myanmar Humanitarian Fund scored a “4” in the Gender and Age Marker. To ensure the gender responsiveness of the frameworks used to respond to the crises also outside UNCT, the UN Women MCO updated the Myanmar Gender profile in Humanitarian Action 2022 through a consultative process involving over a hundred stakeholders representing all clusters at national and sub-national levels and thematic areas – Accountability to Affected Population (AAP), Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), Mental Health, Persons with Disabilities (PWD), Cash Working Group, and LGBTQ+; across the country. Additionally, Gender Alerts (GAs) were produced during the reporting period, reaching over 150 readers. The usefulness of these Gender Alerts was confirmed through audience feedback mapping. Notably, all the respondents from various UN agencies, Myanmar women's rights organizations (WROs), and donor embassies interviewed found the GAs very useful. It was found that the initial alerts immediately after the coup were critically important in helping stakeholders better understand and assess the gendered implications of the situation. Subsequent GAs was deemed equally important because they were found to have a unique gender focus lacking from most other analyses. Moreover, it presented gendered data and analyses in a consolidated, concise, structured, up-to-date, fact-checked, and well-referenced manner (with useful hyperlinks). Respondents also appreciated that the information was from and covered a range of sources, actors, and issues. The respondents mentioned that they used GAs for annual reporting, planning future programming, making 'the business case' for particular programming, preparing for meetings between donors and women rights organizations, briefing third parties presenting/reporting on Myanmar, such as the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) or delegations at the UN Human Rights Council or UN Security Council. During the reporting period, data and feminist analysis on key gender issues produced by UN Women in collaboration with partners also provided critical gendered analysis to inform programming and policies. These included two joint studies with UNDP on urgent issues faced by women due to the pandemic and the military coup and on socio-economic situations and GBV issues in eight townships under Martial Law in Yangon. These surveys, along with the previous Household Vulnerability Survey, will also contribute data to the SDG Observatory set up by UNDP to measure and provide information on the progress made by Myanmar in advancing the SDGs and on the impact of the double crisis. Other research supported were: a trend analysis on the status of Women CSOs in Myanmar, an Access to Justice survey, a Gender Resilience Index report, a Civil Disobedient Movement study, an Accountability to Affected People (AAP) perception survey, and a Gender Responsive Conflict Analysis Report. UN Women's support of these surveys ensured that the voices of women, girls, and the most vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities, were captured. This will ensure that future programming based on the research will be responsive to their particular needs. To highlight gender mainstreaming and women's needs and issues in local, regional, and global thinking about Myanmar's double crisis and its response, UN Women MCO notably increased the capacities of humanitarian, peace, and development actors to integrate GEWE, GIHA and WPR in their work. UN Women exceeded significantly two of the three indicators, producing six tools (against a target of two) and reaching 57 partner representatives, i.e., UNCT or UN staff/representatives, development partner, or embassy representatives (against a target of 10). Significant progress was also made in the number of humanitarian, peace, and development coordination bodies/workstreams with MCO's technical assistance. UN Women MCO has served as either co-chair or secretariat for four (out of the target of five) as Co-chair of the UNGTG UN Women led the annual UNCT-SWAP assessment, which included 8 out of 15 indicators. The report was presented and approved by UNCT in November 2022. All indicators were met or exceeded but for two, one on gender parity in UN personnel and one resource allocation and tracking. Action on both missing indicators will be taken in 2023. UN Women MCO, as the main source of gendered analysis and information on the crises across stakeholders, will continue its work on ensuring the gender sensitivity of the frameworks used to respond to the crises in the implementation of the second year of the Interim Strategy Plan 2022-2023.

By 2023, the enabling environment for the implementation of the WPS agenda and the integration of gender equality in humanitarian, peace and development frameworks, programming and policies is strengthened.

In 2023, UN Women Myanmar Country Office (MCO) made strong progress under SN outcome 1 ‘By 2023, the enabling environment for the implementation of the WPS agenda and the integration of gender equality in humanitarian, peace and development frameworks, programming and policies is strengthened’ . Through timely gender-sensitive data and building capacities of stakeholders across the triple nexus, UN Women demonstrably strengthened the enabling environment to better implement Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE), Gender in Humanitarian Action (GIHA), and Women, peace, and security (WPS) integration in programmes and policies of UN partners and CSOs. Under SN outcome 1: S even Gender Alerts (GAs) reaching over 150 readers, were produced during the reporting period, analysing the compounded protracted and escalating crisis on gender, women, and girls. A special issue GA was co-produced by UN Women Myanmar, UN Women Bangladesh, and UNDP Bangladesh, focusing on the Rohingya situation in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Under the same SN outcome 1 key results included the integration of gender analysis in the UNCT's Socio-Economic Resilience and Recovery Plan 2023 (one of the main joint frameworks guiding the work of the UNCT in the absence of a UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, the Humanitarian Needs Overview, and the Myanmar Humanitarian Response Plan 2023 and the gender analysis and strategic prioritisation in the CCA and the UN Transitional Cooperation Framework (UN TCF) 2024 – 2025. As part of the UN TCF development process, the MCO played a pivotal role in shaping the gender-responsive narrative and developing joint work plans. Notably the MCO took on the leadership of the UN TCF outcome four on ‘drivers of peace’. As stated in the 2023 UNCT-SWAP Scorecard Assessment, GEWE is mainstreamed across three (2,3 & 4)out of total of four outcomes in the UN TCF in line with SDG priorities including SDG 5 (Performance Indicator 1.2). In addition, as per internal analysis 95% (35 out of 37) of the output indicators in the UN TCF are sex-disaggregated/gender responsive by their indicator statement and 32% (12 out of 37) of the indicators are measuring changes in gender equality and the empowerment of women in line with SDG targets, including SDG 5 (Performance Indicator 1.3). Through the United Nations Gender Theme Group (UNGTG), the MCO initiated the integration of the Gender Equality Marker (GEM) in the UN TCF 2024-2025. The process involved 31 Gender Focal Points (22 women, 9 men) across all UN agencies, and a self-paced training and peer learning on the UNCT-GEM coding. The GEM application process was managed by a UN Women consultant, one UN Women staff, one RCO staff and one UNFPA staff member (all women). The GEM capacity building enhanced UN agencies’ skills to evaluate gender responsiveness of agency specific and joint programmes, and to brainstorm how gender mainstreaming could be strengthened in the upcoming projects to reach GEM 3 (principal) or GEM 2 (significant) codes. Furthermore, the UNCT – though its Joint Work Plan (JWP) - will be able to track down financial commitments towards GEWE and report against the QCPR Indicator 1.4.18 ‘Proportion out of total UNCTs with a Joint Work Plan in UN INFO 2.0 that allocated 70% or more of the UNCT annual funding framework available resources to activities [i.e., sub outputs] with gender equality as a principal [i.e., GEM code 3] or significant objective [i.e., GEM code 2]’. The UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard Annual Report 2023 was submitted after the endorsement of the UN GTG and UNCT. In 2023, six performance indicators (PIs) were assessed. PI 1.2 Gender equality mainstreamed in Cooperation Framework outcomes (approaches minimum requirements); PI 1.3 Cooperation Framework indicators measure changes on gender Equality (exceeds minimum requirements); PI 2.1 Joint programmes contribute to reducing gender inequalities (meets minimum requirements); PI 3.2 UNCT collaborates and engages with women’s/gender equality civil society organizations (exceeds minimum requirements); PI 4.3 Gender parity in staffing is achieved (missing requirements); PI 5.2 UNCT has adequate capacities developed for gender Mainstreaming (meets minimum requirements). Out of the six assessed indicators, one misses the requirement (gender parity); one approaches the minimum requirement (gender mainstreamed into the Cooperation Framework); two exceed the minimum requirement and one meets minimum requirement. Further under SN outcome 1, and to ensure the gender responsiveness of humanitarian programming and strategies, UN Women conducted gendered technical review of approximately 15 cluster and sector documents covering cluster strategies, guidance notes, standard operating procedures, terms of reference, workplans and narrative reports. Most importantly, UN Women together with the Child Protection Area of Responsibility (AoR) developed the very first Gender Tipsheet for Child protection for children under the age of 13 that is now widely used by the field –based child protection actors. The tipsheet also is shared globally and regionally to other child protection AoRs for reference and application. In additional UN Women leads together with the GiHA CoP the development of the sector on Mainstreaming Gender in Cash-Based Intervention for Nutrition in Emergencies that will complete the Nutrition Cluster Guidance Note on Emergency Response for Myanmar. 1. Child protection: https://www.myanmarchildprotection.com/gender-steering-committee 2. Nutrition Cluster: https://themimu.info/sites/themimu.info/files/nutrition_cluster/CVA_for_Nutrition_in_Emergency_Operational_Guidance_Myanmar.v1_draft_2_FV.pdf