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    Summary of country programme

    The UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States (ROAS) was established in Cairo, Egypt, in 2012. ROAS covers 17 countries across the Arab States region, including countries with low, medium and high income and several countries currently experiencing serious crisis impacting on overall human development.

    ROAS exercises the triple mandate of UN Women to support Member States to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls: the development of norms and standards; regional programmes to support Member States and civil society actors to implement such norms and standards; and inter-agency coordination to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment by all UN actors in the region.

    ROAS’s work in the region is guided by its four-year Strategic Note (2018 - 2021), which is aligned with the global UN Women Strategic Plan, and by key international frameworks for the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment, including the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Beijing Platform for Action and the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.

    ROAS supports UN Women country offices in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the State of Palestine, Tunisia and Yemen. ROAS also provides technical assistance to Kuwait, Bahrain and Syria as a non-resident agency and works closely with the UN Women liaison office in the UAE.

    Drawing on its convening power and regional expertise, ROAS works to forge effective partnerships to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the Arab States region and serves as a regional knowledge hub to strengthen multi-stakeholder efforts to support the achievement of Agenda 2030.

    In addition, ROAS provides quality assurance and backstopping support to its country offices to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in accordance with Agenda 2030 and key international frameworks.

    For more information please visit:

     

    UN Women Arab States | UN Women – Arab States (English)

    UN Women Arab States | UN Women – Arab States (Arabic)

    Planned Budget (Total) Other resources (non-core)
    Country Indexes

    UN Women in action: Strategic insights and achievements

    View annual report narratives for the year

    Advancing SDGs: UN Women's impact and key achievements

    In 2024, over 470,000 women, girls and their families across the region, including in Gaza and Lebanon, experienced significant improvements in their lives through access to humanitarian assistance, as UN Women scaled up this assistance in response to the conflict in the region. In a survey conducted by UN Women with over 10,000 respondents across the region (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria & Yemen) in refugee camps and host communities, women reported on average a 41% reduction in the use of negative coping mechanisms, such as begging, child labor, or engaging in risky or exploitative work thanks to the delivery of food and non-food items. The surveys also indicate that women were 1.6 times less likely to accept violence as inevitable in difficult circumstances and 98% of women reported an increased understanding of their rights to seek justice when needed as a result of access to psychosocial support and legal assistance. Further, 60% of women reported they felt safer as a result of comprehensive protection programming provided with support of UN-Women. Women are now better equipped to make informed decisions about their health, protection, and personal well-being, contributing to a significant improvement in safety perceptions, including for their families. This shows the significant benefits of targeted humanitarian assistance provided by UN-Women. To address the urgent needs arising from conflict and displacement and achieve these results, UN Women, conducted rapid gender analysis to gather data on the specific vulnerabilities and needs of women and worked with and through women-led organizations to offer life-saving assistance, including food, unconditional cash transfers, dignity kits, and protection services, to safeguard the dignity and well-being of women and girls. UN-Women's data and analysis was also used by international actors to inform decision-making and drive meaningful action. Organizations such as Human Rights Watch, OHCHR, and the International Court of Justice featured this data in their global reports, noting the importance of the data for protecting women's rights and monitoring /informing adherence to International Law. The data included information on famine, harsh childbirth conditions, and women�s mortality in Gaza and Lebanon, and was further widely shared through media and social media platforms, bringing global attention to women�s rights violations and the specific vulnerabilities of women in conflict situations and crises. These efforts directly contributed to Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality) and Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) by enhancing women�s access to justice, protection, and essential services, without discrimination based on gender. These responses also aligned with UNSCR 1325 by integrating women�s leadership and participation into humanitarian action, ensuring that their voices and needs are central to emergency response efforts.

    Advancing SDGs: UN Women's impact and key achievements

    The response in Syria is a flagship example of the kind of impact ROAS had in response to major crises that affected the region. Specifically, humanitarian actors responding to the crises accessed expert advice through UN-Women on gender-responsive humanitarian response. Affected women received needed goods and services through the ROs gender-responsive humanitarian assistance. Finally, women increased their voice in peace processes through the existing Women�s Advisory Board (WAB) and women�s civil society in Syria (peace-humanitarian nexus). On 6 February 2023, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake and aftershocks rocked southeast Turkey and Syria. Capitalizing on its coordination mandate, ROAS ensured the activation of a gender-responsive humanitarian action through the Gender Working Group (GWG). The GWG influenced the work of the protection cluster and the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse working group, and advised the Humanitarian Leadership Group for the Syria-T�rkiye cross-border response. Humanitarian response actors could rapidly access UN Women�s gender analysis to inform response plans due to the production of the only post-earthquake analysis. The analysis findings were integrated in the 2024 Humanitarian Needs Overview for Syria. The GWG diligently advocated for women's enhanced participation in decision-making around earthquake response and introduced reforms in collaboration with the UN and other entities. Similarly, the regional Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group, co-chaired by ROAS with OCHA, produced gender analysis and engaged in advocacy to strengthen the gender sensitivity of the humanitarian response to the earthquake. On gender-responsive humanitarian assistance, 240 vulnerable women and girls in camps accessed psychological support and care services, alongside longer-term livelihoods interventions. Of these, 150 women in 4 widow camps enhanced their digital skills through vocational trainings, followed by job placements in civil society organizations. Additionally, 90 women increased their media and life skills through trainings and coaching. Women also enhanced their participation in the management of their camps by establishing and running women-led committees. The committees focus on voicing internally displaced Syrian women�s needs and priorities to camp management and humanitarian actors, to ensure that humanitarian response integrate and address those needs. On women�s voice in peace processes, the political access and influence of the members of the WAB in Syria increased, despite a stalled political process. WAB's outreach efforts increased, opening opportunities for dialogue with grassroots women and strengthening constituency building. The support ROAS provided strengthened WAB's position as a women-led peacebuilding entity, contributing also to the work of UN Special Envoy for Syria.

    Results and resources

    Impact: All women and girls in Cameroon will fully enjoy and exercise their human rights, in a gender equal society, and meaningfully contribute to the country's sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development and EU integration

    Impact

    All women and girls in Cameroon will fully enjoy and exercise their human rights, in a gender equal society, and meaningfully contribute to the country's sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development and EU integrations

    Outcomes (aligned with interagency frameworks)
    RAS_D_10.2

    Women and girls in armed conflict and protracted crises meaningfully participate in peace and security processes, from formal peace talks to local peacebuilding efforts, advocate effectively for women’s rights and gender equality in prevention and reconstruction efforts, and benefit from the implementation of WPS commitments across the Arab States region

    RAS_D_10.2.1

    Regional inter-governmental bodies, national stakeholders and UN partners have increased capacities and ownership of the WPS agenda to implement and localize women, peace and security commitments in the Arab region

    RAS_D_10.2.2

    UN Women generates timely, evidence- and data-based knowledge products that inform programming and advocacy on WPS across all peacebuilding tracks

    RAS_D_10.2.3

    Women civil society and women peacebuilders in the region are enabled at all levels, including in both formal and grassroots processes, to advocate for women’s rights, and for gender-responsive peacebuilding, reconstruction, and conflict prevention

    RAS_D_10.3

    Women and women’s organizations lead, participate and advocate effectively in the Syrian political process from a gender and women’s rights perspective

    RAS_D_10.3.1

    Syrian women have increased access to the political processes and discussions on the future of Syria.

    RAS_D_10.3.2

    Syrian women’s civil society organizations at the local level have increased capacity, access to financial and technical resources and ability to influence stakeholders operating on all tracks of the political process as well as key decision-makers in their communities.

    RAS_D_10.3.3

    Local, national and international stakeholders have access to high quality knowledge products that improve understanding and inform programme design on gender equality, women’s rights, political participation, and socio-economic issues in the context of Syria

    RAS_D_10.3.4

    International stakeholders working on the political participation of women in Syria improve coordination and information-sharing on programming and policy interventions on gender equality and women’s rights.

    RAS_D_7.1

    Arab States accelerate the implementation of global and regional gender norms and standards with quality comparable data particularly on the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Cairo Declaration for Arab Women

    RAS_D_7.1.1

    Governments in the Arab States are able to drive action for the implementation of normative gender commitments, particularly the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Cairo Declaration and the SDGs.

    RAS_D_7.1.3

    UN Women ROAS drives the UN towards the achievement of greater impact in the lives of women and girls in the region, aligned through common results and international standards (BDPfA, the SDGs, in particular),integrating the ‘Leaving No One Behind’ principle

    RAS_D_7.1.10

    UN agencies at regional and national level coordinate and collaborate on WPP/L to contribute to SDG.5.5

    RAS_D_7.1.4

    Election Management Bodies (EMBs) have better capacity to adopt and implement gender responsive policies, processes and undertake oversight of compliance during the electoral cycle, including VAWP.

    RAS_D_7.1.5

    Regional CSOs/EMBs and National Women’s Machineries (Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Libya) have better capacities to adopt and implement policy frameworks on quotas to increase women’s political participation and leadership and to mitigate VAWP.

    RAS_D_7.1.6

    Women political leaders form a diverse cadre to exercise their voice, agency, and leadership from local government to national parliament

    RAS_D_7.1.7

    Civil society, academia, and other key actors form a network of support for government elected and aspirant women to help create a positive image of women in politics.

    RAS_D_7.1.8

    Regional and national women with disabilities’ organisation and parliamentarian caucuses have increased capacity to use a gender and disability inclusive perspective in political processes, policy and programming

    RAS_D_7.1.9

    Media producers and consumers have increased awareness about women's effective roles in politics and capacity to address VAWP in media

    RAS_D_8.1

    More women access equitable employment opportunities and services, increasing the rate of women’s participation in the workforce in Arab States, including the most marginalized.

    RAS_D_8.1.1

    Women, men, youth and relevant institutions in the AS are better able to advance women’s economic empowerment by articulating tangible benefits of WEE and confront stereotypes on care-giving, and women in the world of work

    RAS_D_8.1.1

    Women, men, youth and relevant institutions in the AS are better able to advance women’s economic empowerment by transforming patriarchal masculinities and social norms using the unpaid care and domestic work of men and boys as entry point.

    RAS_D_8.1.2

    LAS advances the women’s economic empowerment through improved advocacy and policy making with focus on key enablers (i.e. gender responsive procurement, unpaid care)

    RAS_D_8.1.3

    The private sector implements common practices that attract, retain and promote more women in business

    RAS_D_8.1.4

    Ministries and institutions in the Arab States use regional WEE statistics, and tools to advance normative frameworks and services towards women’s equitable participation in the workforce

    RAS_D_8.1.5

    Greater impact of the UN achieved towards advancing women’s income security, decent work and economic autonomy

    RAS_D_8.1.6

    More men and boys are able to take their share in caregiving and household responsibilities to enable WEE, with more catalytic laws and policies that promote their caregiving and household responsibilities, and paternity leave

    RAS_D_9.1

    More women and girls are protected from violence, particularly domestic violence and violence in the public sphere

    RAS_D_9.1.1

    Governments in the Arab States have enhanced capacities to develop and implement evidence based legislative and policy frameworks to prevent and respond to violence in collaboration with key civil society stakeholders and in alignment with international standards and commitments

    RAS_D_9.1.2

    Men and women are better able to advance GEWE and prevent VAW as result of contextualized models and initiatives implemented by partner organizations across the Arab States, that promote social norms change, with a focus on young men and young women

    RAS_D_9.1.3

    The UN system more effectively prevents and responds to end VAW.

    Organizational effectiveness and efficiency
    RAS_O_4

    Advancing business transformation: UN-Women strategically plans for and transforms its business model to deliver impact at scale, through agile and ethical leadership rooted in a continuous improvement culture.

    RAS_O_5

    Empowered people: With its unique and inclusive culture, UNWomen is an employer of choice with a diverse and highly performing cadre of personnel that embodies UN values.

    RAS_O_6

    Products, services and processes: UN-Women efficiently and effectively discharges of all business processes that advance integrated delivery of its mandate at HQ, Regional and Country levels, including through shared services.

    RAS_O_7

    UN-Women in the Arab States is an accountable and trustworthy development organization that manages its financial and other resources with integrity and in line with its programmatic ambitions and fiduciary obligations

    RAS_O_8

    UN Women in the Arab States effectively leverages and expands its partnerships, communications and advocacy capabilities to increase support for and financing of the gender equality agenda, while securing sustainable resourcing for the delivery of its own mandate

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    Budget
    Expenses
    Outcome Result statement IATI identifier
    OutcomeRAS_D_10.2
    Outcome result statementPPID’s structure is optimized to support delivery of SP results and further pivot to the field
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-RAS_D_10.2
    OutcomeRAS_D_10.3
    Outcome result statementUN Women offices have access to coherent Programme, Project and Partner management policies, procedures, systems, training opportunities and a dedicated network of support
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-RAS_D_10.3
    OutcomeRAS_D_7.1
    Outcome result statementPPID personnel are empowered through leadership and learning opportunities in a work environment that reflects diversity and inclusion, promotes professionalism and supports the welfare of personnel for greater effectiveness of UN Women’s work
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-RAS_D_7.1
    OutcomeRAS_D_8.1
    Outcome result statementPrincipled performance: UN-Women is an accountable and trustworthy development organization that manages its financial and other resources with integrity and in line with its programmatic ambitions and fiduciary obligations.
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-RAS_D_8.1
    OutcomeRAS_D_9.1
    Outcome result statementAdvancing partnerships and resourcing: UN-Women effectively leverages and expands its partnerships, communications and advocacy capabilities to increase support for and financing of the gender equality agenda, while securing sustainable resourcing for the delivery of its own mandate.
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-RAS_D_9.1
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    Budget
    Expenses
    Outcome Result statement IATI identifier
    OutcomeRAS_O_4
    Outcome result statementAdvancing business transformation: UN-Women strategically plans for and transforms its business model to deliver impact at scale, through agile and ethical leadership rooted in a continuous improvement culture.
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-RAS_O_4
    OutcomeRAS_O_5
    Outcome result statementEmpowered people: With its unique and inclusive culture, UNWomen is an employer of choice with a diverse and highly performing cadre of personnel that embodies UN values.
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-RAS_O_5
    OutcomeRAS_O_6
    Outcome result statementProducts, services and processes: UN-Women efficiently and effectively discharges of all business processes that advance integrated delivery of its mandate at HQ, Regional and Country levels, including through shared services.
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-RAS_O_6
    OutcomeRAS_O_7
    Outcome result statementUN-Women in the Arab States is an accountable and trustworthy development organization that manages its financial and other resources with integrity and in line with its programmatic ambitions and fiduciary obligations
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-RAS_O_7
    OutcomeRAS_O_8
    Outcome result statementUN Women in the Arab States effectively leverages and expands its partnerships, communications and advocacy capabilities to increase support for and financing of the gender equality agenda, while securing sustainable resourcing for the delivery of its own mandate
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-RAS_O_8
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    Resources allocated towards SDGs

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    Our funding partners contributions

    Regular resources (core)

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    $1.17 M in total
    Other resources (non-core)
    $9.38 M in total
    Regular resources (core)

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    $1.17 M in total
    2023 2022
    United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) $583,051
    2023
    United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
    Total contribution:$583,051
    Development:$583,051(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    $583,051
    2022
    United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
    Total contribution:$583,051
    Development:$583,051(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    2023
    United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)$583,051
    Total contribution$583,051
    Development$583,051(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    2022
    United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)$583,051
    Total contribution$583,051
    Development$583,051(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    Other resources (non-core)

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    $9.38 M in total
    2023 2022
    European Commission $1,022,817
    2023
    European CommissionOECD-DAC donor
    Total contribution:$1,022,817
    Development:$1,022,817(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    $1,022,817
    2022
    European CommissionOECD-DAC donor
    Total contribution:$1,022,817
    Development:$1,022,817(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    Finland $1,358,854
    2023
    FinlandOECD-DAC donor
    Total contribution:$1,358,854
    Development:$1,358,854(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    $1,358,854
    2022
    FinlandOECD-DAC donor
    Total contribution:$1,358,854
    Development:$1,358,854(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    Germany $515,716
    2023
    GermanyOECD-DAC donor
    Total contribution:$515,716
    Development:$515,716(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    $515,716
    2022
    GermanyOECD-DAC donor
    Total contribution:$515,716
    Development:$515,716(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    Netherlands (the) $502,847
    2023
    Netherlands (the)OECD-DAC donor
    Total contribution:$502,847
    Development:$502,847(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    $502,847
    2022
    Netherlands (the)OECD-DAC donor
    Total contribution:$502,847
    Development:$502,847(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    Norway $865,659
    2023
    NorwayOECD-DAC donor
    Total contribution:$865,659
    Development:$865,659(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    $865,659
    2022
    NorwayOECD-DAC donor
    Total contribution:$865,659
    Development:$865,659(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    United Nations Women as Administrative Agent for Joint Programmes $424,738
    2023
    United Nations Women as Administrative Agent for Joint ProgrammesUnited Nations pooled fund
    Total contribution:$424,738
    Development:$424,738(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    $424,738
    2022
    United Nations Women as Administrative Agent for Joint ProgrammesUnited Nations pooled fund
    Total contribution:$424,738
    Development:$424,738(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    2023
    European Commission$1,022,817
    Total contribution$1,022,817
    Development$1,022,817(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    Finland$1,358,854
    Total contribution$1,358,854
    Development$1,358,854(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    Germany$515,716
    Total contribution$515,716
    Development$515,716(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    Netherlands (the)$502,847
    Total contribution$502,847
    Development$502,847(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    Norway$865,659
    Total contribution$865,659
    Development$865,659(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    United Nations Women as Administrative Agent for Joint Programmes$424,738
    Total contribution$424,738
    Development$424,738(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    2022
    European Commission$1,022,817
    Total contribution$1,022,817
    Development$1,022,817(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    Finland$1,358,854
    Total contribution$1,358,854
    Development$1,358,854(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    Germany$515,716
    Total contribution$515,716
    Development$515,716(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    Netherlands (the)$502,847
    Total contribution$502,847
    Development$502,847(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    Norway$865,659
    Total contribution$865,659
    Development$865,659(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    United Nations Women as Administrative Agent for Joint Programmes$424,738
    Total contribution$424,738
    Development$424,738(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    Download data

    Strategic plan contributions

    Budget
    Expenses
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