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    Summary of country programme

    UN Women’s Regional Office for East and Southern Africa Strategic Note 2022–2025 covers 12 country offices and 1 programme presence in Somalia; it supports 11 UN country teams. The overarching goal is to address gender inequality and empower women and girls across the region.

    The programme has five priorities: accountability for financing and implementation of gender commitments, enabling safe spaces for rights-holders, transforming harmful behaviours and practices, gender data and research, and effective coordination of UN regional mechanisms.

    Major partners include regional organizations, civil society and UN regional entities. Significant expected outcomes comprise enhanced gender equality, reduced patriarchal barriers and increased opportunities for women and girls. Strategic Note direct funding is crucial for mobilizing resources and coordinating high-impact initiatives.

    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
    The most impactful result in the reporting year was UN Women’s significant contribution to enhancing women’s participation in peace processes in Sudan, where Sudanese women led efforts to ensure 50% representation in peace talks despite ongoing conflict. With advisory, coordination, advocacy and financial, support from UN Women and in collaboration with regional actors such as the African Union (AU), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN), women’s advocacy culminated in the Kampala Feminist Declaration, a powerful statement from 49 women-led organizations which addressed critical issues such as governance reforms, security, the humanitarian crisis, and truth and reconciliation, while condemning systemic gender-based violence. The advocacy efforts informed and directly influenced key peace dialogues, including the AU Women Dialogue, the AU-IGAD Inter-Sudanese Political Dialogue, and USA-led Geneva peace talks. A key milestone from these efforts was the establishment of a technical committee dedicated to ensuring women’s voices were heard and prioritized in peace processes by the group of states and mechanisms supporting the peace talks (AU, IGAD, United States of America, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and United Nations).
    Furthermore, continuous advocacy by UN Women and partners resulted in increased attention to the gendered impacts of the conflict, and in particular, conflict related sexual violence (CRSV). By amplifying the voices of women and bringing these grave violations to light, there has been increased recognition of CRSV in regional and global dialogue, policy spaces and in the media. This was facilitated by the two Gender Alerts (on the gender dimensions to the crises and the urgency of addressing gender-based violence respectively) produced by UN Women which presents analysis and calls to action by gender equality advocate for use by policy-makers, humanitarian actors and the public. This outcome not only reinforced women’s critical role in shaping Sudan’s future but also demonstrated how empowering women can lead to more inclusive and sustainable peace solutions. This result is a direct contribution to SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).
    The Regional Office provided technical and financial support to engage and advocate with regional bodies such as the AU and IGAD that are leading the peace processes, UN Office of the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes and other regional actors. The Regional Office also facilitated Sudanese women in the region to be engage with these key stakeholders and interlocutors. This was done in collaboration and close coordination with the Sudan Country Office who supported internal consultations to inform discussions at the regional level.
    Advancing SDGs: UN Women's impact and key achievements
    Women’s voices in the Women, Peace, and Security domain were enhanced by providing a conducive environment through the development of The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Eastern Africa’s Regional Action Plan (RAP on UNSCR 1325 (2023-2030)[i]. The RAP enhances accountability for the implementation of National Action Plans. Furthermore, it strives to improve the policy environment, fostering greater inclusion of women in peace processes, reinforce efforts in preventing conflicts and violence against women, girls, and vulnerable groups, particularly focusing on the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, and address new and emerging threats in the region. IGAD's strategy involves collaborative efforts with Member States and women's organizations to ensure the realization of RAP commitments. As a result, IGAD has ensured an all-inclusive political dialogue and its collaboration with Sudanese women to ensure their full inclusion in the ongoing peace process. Over 400 Sudanese women from 14 out of the 18 states of Sudan representing 80 diverse groups, coalitions, and networks of Sudanese women peace builders were involved in the peace process with support from UN Women.
    The result contributed to the following SDG targets:
    o Target 5.5. Ensure full participation in leadership and decision-making
    o Target 5.2 Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres
    o Target 5.9. Adopt and strengthen policies and enforceable legislation for gender equality
    o Target 16.1 Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
    o Target 16.2 End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children
    o Target 16.3 Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.
    o Target 16.6 Develop effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels.
    o Target 16.7 Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory, and representative decision-making at all levels.
    o Target 16.a Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime.
    In providing a conducive environment for women’s collective efforts to stop the war as well as their strategic engagement in the peace process UN Women partnered with the following:
    • African Union and IGAD to facilitate strategic spaces for Sudanese women to position their agenda within the ongoing peace processes and political dialogue.
    • AWLN collaborated with female peace advocates and women's rights organizations to bolster and amplify their voices in urging an end to the conflict. The focus was on shedding light on the repercussions for women and girls, mobilizing support for women's peacebuilding and protection initiatives in Sudan through coalition building, and developing a unified agenda for peace.

    Results and resources

    Outcomes (aligned with interagency frameworks)
    ESA_D_1.1

    Regional actors in ESA have strengthened policies, programmes and practices on gender equality which challenge gender stereotypes and promote positive social norms

    ESA_D_1.1.1

    Regional and national entities in ESAR have strengthened capacities to design, implement and monitor evidence-based policies and programmes which seek to reduce harmful practices and change gender stereotypes

    ESA_D_1.1.2

    Regional entities have strengthened access to evidence and learning on promising practices for advancing positive social norms through their policies and programmes

    ESA_D_1.1.3

    Effective coordination efforts across partners that promote positive social norms and challenge gender stereotypes including patriarchal masculinities

    ESA_D_1.1.4

    Gender equality partners have increased skills to advocate for gender equality from their respective platforms

    ESA_D_1.2

    Regional women’s movements, networks and organizations use their voice, leadership and agency to hold duty-bearers accountable for their commitments to gender equality and empowerment of women and girls

    ESA_D_1.2.1

    Increased capacity of regional, women’s movements, networks and organizations to exercise their voice, leadership and agency to monitor implementation of Beijing Platform for Action and other global and regional normative frameworks and commitments

    ESA_D_1.2.2

    Women’s movements, organizations and networks supported to generate knowledge products

    ESA_D_1.2.3

    Regional solidarity and safe spaces supported for diverse gender equality advocates and organizations to influence advocacy agendas related to GEWE.

    ESA_D_2.1

    Regional bodies in ESA hold Member States accountable for implementation of GEWE commitments

    ESA_D_2.1.1

    Relevant regional entities capacity strengthened to support Member States implement selected normative frameworks

    ESA_D_2.1.2

    Relevant regional entities capacities strengthened to assess progress of MS on the implementation of selected normative frameworks

    ESA_D_2.1.3

    Relevant regional entities have capacities to integrate gender equality into fiscal laws, policies and standards

    ESA_D_2.1.4

    Financial entities in ESA are able to apply gender related conditionalities in their financing agreements

    ESA_D_2.1.5

    Generation Equality commitments are made and implemented in ESAR and multistakeholder platforms drive collective action

    ESA_D_2.2

    Gender statistics, sex-disaggregated data and knowledge products are produced and used to inform policy making, advocacy and accountability for delivering results on gender equality and empowerment of women and girls in ESA region

    ESA_D_2.2.1

    Normative frameworks, standards, guidance notes and protocols are developed by stakeholders to regulate and inform the production of gender data, statistics and research on GEWE

    ESA_D_2.2.2

    Stakeholders and UN Women R/M/COs have strengthened capacity to produce, use, monitor and report on gender data, statistics and research.

    ESA_D_2.2.4

    Increased demand for and adoption of evidence-based planning, programming and decision-making at regional and country level

    ESA_D_2.3

    The UN system in ESA region is coordinated, and coherently and systematically contributes to progress on gender equality and empowerment of women and girls

    ESA_D_2.3.1

    UNCTs in ESAR (including Non Resident Agency countries - NRA) have capacity to implement UN Gender Equality Commitments

    ESA_D_2.3.2

    In ESAR, UN crisis related planning and strategies integrate gender equality commitments

    ESA_D_2.3.3

    Regional thematic interagency mechanisms mainstream gender in their priority areas

    ESA_D_2.3.4

    UN Women M/COs in ESAR provided with technical support to strengthen their internal and external coordination functions

    Organizational effectiveness and efficiency
    ESA_O_1

    Assuring an accountable organization through principled performance

    ESA_O_2

    Advancing partnerships, resourcing; Effectively influencing for impact & scale

    ESA_O_3

    Advancing business transformation

    ESA_O_4

    Nurturing and empowered workforce

    ESA_O_5

    Products, services and processes

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    Budget
    Expenses
    Outcome Result statement IATI identifier
    OutcomeESA_D_1.1
    Outcome result statement
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-ESA_D_1.1
    OutcomeESA_D_1.2
    Outcome result statement
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-ESA_D_1.2
    OutcomeESA_D_2.1
    Outcome result statement
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-ESA_D_2.1
    OutcomeESA_D_2.2
    Outcome result statement
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-ESA_D_2.2
    OutcomeESA_D_2.3
    Outcome result statement
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-ESA_D_2.3
    Download data
    Budget
    Expenses
    Outcome Result statement IATI identifier
    OutcomeESA_O_1
    Outcome result statementAssuring an accountable organization through principled performance
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-ESA_O_1
    OutcomeESA_O_2
    Outcome result statementAdvancing partnerships, resourcing; Effectively influencing for impact & scale
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-ESA_O_2
    OutcomeESA_O_3
    Outcome result statementAdvancing business transformation
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-ESA_O_3
    OutcomeESA_O_4
    Outcome result statementNurturing and empowered workforce
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-ESA_O_4
    OutcomeESA_O_5
    Outcome result statementProducts, services and processes
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-ESA_O_5
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    Resources allocated towards SDGs

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    Our funding partners contributions

    Regular resources (core)

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    $1.24 M in total
    Other resources (non-core)
    $1.30 M in total
    Regular resources (core)

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    $1.24 M in total
    2023 2022
    United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) $619,732
    2023
    United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
    Total contribution:$619,732
    Development:$619,732(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    $619,732
    2022
    United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
    Total contribution:$619,732
    Development:$619,732(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    2023
    United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)$619,732
    Total contribution$619,732
    Development$619,732(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    2022
    United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)$619,732
    Total contribution$619,732
    Development$619,732(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    Other resources (non-core)

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    $1.30 M in total
    2023 2022
    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation $336,738
    2023
    Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationFoundation
    Total contribution:$336,738
    Development:$336,738(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    $336,738
    2022
    Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationFoundation
    Total contribution:$336,738
    Development:$336,738(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    Republic of Korea (the) $20,517
    2023
    Republic of Korea (the)OECD-DAC donor
    Total contribution:$20,517
    Development:$20,517(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    $20,517
    2022
    Republic of Korea (the)OECD-DAC donor
    Total contribution:$20,517
    Development:$20,517(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    Sweden $48,377
    2023
    SwedenOECD-DAC donor
    Total contribution:$48,377
    Development:$48,377(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    $48,377
    2022
    SwedenOECD-DAC donor
    Total contribution:$48,377
    Development:$48,377(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) $35,381
    2023
    United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)United Nations organization
    Total contribution:$35,381
    Development:$35,381(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    $35,381
    2022
    United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)United Nations organization
    Total contribution:$35,381
    Development:$35,381(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office $211,483
    2023
    United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund OfficeUnited Nations pooled fund
    Total contribution:$211,483
    Development:$211,483(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    $211,483
    2022
    United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund OfficeUnited Nations pooled fund
    Total contribution:$211,483
    Development:$211,483(100%)
    Humanitarian:$0(0%)
    2023
    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation$336,738
    Total contribution$336,738
    Development$336,738(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    Republic of Korea (the)$20,517
    Total contribution$20,517
    Development$20,517(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    Sweden$48,377
    Total contribution$48,377
    Development$48,377(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)$35,381
    Total contribution$35,381
    Development$35,381(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office$211,483
    Total contribution$211,483
    Development$211,483(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    2022
    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation$336,738
    Total contribution$336,738
    Development$336,738(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    Republic of Korea (the)$20,517
    Total contribution$20,517
    Development$20,517(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    Sweden$48,377
    Total contribution$48,377
    Development$48,377(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)$35,381
    Total contribution$35,381
    Development$35,381(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
    United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office$211,483
    Total contribution$211,483
    Development$211,483(100%)
    Humanitarian$0(0%)
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    Strategic plan contributions

    Budget
    Expenses
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    Results stories

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    How Gender Data is Enabling Better Services for Gender-Based Violence Survivors – A Tale of Five Countries in East and Southern Africa

    27 November 2024
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