Planned Budget (Total)
Other resources (non-core)
Country Indexes
outcome XM-DAC-41146-BGD_O_1
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
UN Women has made significant progress on this output to demonstrate its position as an accountable and trustworthy partner to advance the gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) agenda in Bangladesh. Despite a year marked by civil unrest that led to a historical political transition, the Bangladesh Country Office (BCO) upheld its position as an accountable and reliable partner and demonstrated its commitment to quality results, with an anticipated programme delivery rate of 80 per cent. The projected final expenditure is USD 5.7 million against an annual budget of USD 7.1 million. Diligent monitoring of fund utilization and reporting by programme partners enabled the identification of gaps and challenges, particularly given the sociopolitical crisis faced mid-year. Furthermore, the office’s commitment to sound financial and operational management was validated by an internal audit by the Independent Evaluation and Audit Services (IEAS) of UN Women and an external quality assurance review by the Government of Sweden. The former resulted in a ‘satisfactory’ rating; the office implemented all recommendations by the auditors by December. The latter has resulted in mobilizing Strategic Note Direct Funding (SNDF) for the Bangladesh Country Office for the very first time totalling USD 7.1 million from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). In total, the office generated USD 14.5 million in revenue, a significant achievement for the office during its current Strategic Note 2022 – 2026 period. Rigorous assessment of risks and relevant mitigation measures strengthened the office’s focus on business continuity and operational excellence. Personnel and partners strengthened their knowledge on key issues such as fraud risk, occupational health and safety, and partner management processes. The office’s strong partner management was reflected in the partner audit reports, with a total of 11 partner agreements (PAs) audited that all received ‘unmodified’ reports. Commitment to communicating high-quality results was also demonstrated as 96 per cent of donor reports were submitted on time. UN Women’s active engagement through its convening and coordination role within the UN system in Bangladesh was further strengthened by its continued work with the Operations Management Team and other inter-agency mechanisms, on key issues including Gender Responsive Procurement and gender parity within the UN system, with a vision to advance UN 2.0 linked to organizational culture change. Further efficiency will be enabled as the office transitions to the common premises (UN House) in 2025, with reduced costs and use of common resources, which was delayed in 2024 due to the civil unrest. The office continued to demonstrate organizational accountability with regular updates and outreach to Office of Oversight Services (OIOS) or Ethics Advisor, as required. As a year of change came to a close, BCO took the lessons learnt from the experiences during the civil unrest and to review/bolster its business processes and procedures with a focus on staff safety, whilst ensuring business continuity. The organization’s ability to be flexible and nimble, whilst keeping care and wellbeing of both personnel and partners at the forefront, will enable BCO to take on the challenges in the coming year.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-BGD_O_2
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
Progress towards this outcome is on track. In 2024, UN Women ensured sustained support for the gender equality agenda through increased engagements with youth, civil society, development partners, sister agencies, and media. As an active member of the UN Thematic Working Group on Youth and Adolescents, UN Women advanced dialogue with youth on a range of issues which eventually informed a joint programme proposal co-developed with UNOPS on young women’s political participation. Advocacy with civil society continued through the newly established UN Women Civil Society Group (CSG). UN Women’s positioning as a thought leader on gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) was further bolstered, through a range of communication and knowledge products, including the Take Five interview with the Swedish Ambassador , audio visuals including a message from the Swedish Ambassador on World Refugee day, UNSILENCED: Stories of Survival, Hope and Activism , UN Women docuseries sheds light on Global Efforts to End Violence Against Women , special interview with International financial institutions advancing gender equality in Bangladesh and during 16 Days of activism A step forward for women’s safety in Bangladesh: The push for sexual harassment legislation , and Mending families, building peace: Women leaders in Cox’s Bazar , UN Women Bangladesh Newsletter January-June 2024 Additionally, UN Women reinforced its position through two strategic partnerships focusing on visibility and outreach. Awareness on digital safety, focusing on tech-facilitated abuse and violence, was increased through an interactive drama platform , developed in collaboration with UNDP, which engaged over 1.5 million people online. A joint social norm change effort “Bangladeshi and Swedish Baba” Photo Exhibition sparked discussions on challenging traditional gender roles and reimagining fatherhood as a shared, nurturing responsibility. The exhibition co-organized by the Embassy of Sweden, UNDP, UNFPA and UN Women garnered national attention, through widespread media coverage, and received 3,500 visitors in person and over one million views online. Finally, the office secured sustainable resources to effectively deliver its mandate by mobilizing Strategic Note Direct Funding (SNDF) for the very first time from the Government of Sweden, totalling USD 7.1 million, as well as multi-year funding from the European Union for the first time towards UN Women’s gender-based violence prevention programme, totalling 4.8 million Euro.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-BGD_O_3
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
In 2024, UN Women demonstrated its continued commitment to inclusive and adaptive leadership with an expanded focus on duty of care, particularly in the face of the unprecedented civil unrest in Bangladesh. Streamlined business processes and workflows enabled the Bangladesh Country Office (BCO) to be fit for purpose. A continuous improvement culture was fostered through real-time information sharing and knowledge exchange, both in-house and externally. Further, South-South collaboration was enhanced through the participation of government representatives and women’s rights activists in cross-regional exchanges supported by UN Women. Internally, good practices from the country office, especially in terms of communicating high-quality results and enhanced learning from programme implementation, were highlighted at regional and global levels. Despite a volatile operating context, the office was able to secure multiyear funding in line with the requirements for maintaining a large country typology office. Progress was made on relocation to the UN common premises; however, due to the civil unrest in the country, the timeline for shifting has been delayed to Q1 2025. Lessons learnt from this reporting period highlight the need for an inclusive approach that fosters knowledge exchange and peer-to-peer learning, with greater commitment to advancing gender equality across the broad spectrum of programmatic and operational interventions.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-BGD_O_4
With its unique and inclusive culture, UN-Women is an employer of choice with a diverse and highly performing cadre of personnel that embodies UN values
The Bangladesh Country Office made significant progress in fostering inclusive leadership, staff development, and organizational excellence during the reporting year, aligned with the UN 2.0 vision on organizational culture. Significant investments were made in staff capacity development, covering technical and life skills with a focus on feminist and adaptive leadership principles. Approximately 90% of personnel benefitted from training opportunities, both in-country and abroad. Additionally, one staff member undertook a detailed assignment. Areas of ongoing learning and support were identified, based on the findings of the BCO Staff Survey rolled out in 2024. Personnel capacity was strengthened through a wide range of learning opportunities, including Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, Programme management (for example, results-based reporting), Procurement processes, Performance evaluation, Adaptive leadership principles, evaluation techniques, protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), staff care and wellbeing and fraud. Facilitation and leadership skills of personnel was improved, by encouraging staff across levels, to co-chair all-staff meetings on a rotational basis. An office-wide approach to collaborative learning was evident, with over 80 per cent of Country Office personnel voluntarily participating in at least one of eight task teams, initiatives, or groups. These efforts significantly boosted knowledge sharing and teamwork. To support psychosocial wellbeing and mental health, nine sessions on psychological safety were conducted in 2024 by the UN Women Staff Counsellor, including: six sessions focusing on empathy, psychological safety, and stress management, two sessions tailored for UN Women partners, and one session involving staff members' family members in the wake of the violent political turmoil that eventually led to the fall of the former government in July – August 2024. This focus on mental health contributed to improved morale and reinforced UN Women’s commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive work environment grounded in feminist principles. Staff welfare was prioritized during the political unrest in Bangladesh, through dedicated sessions – creating a safe space for open conversation and reflection for all staff. These sessions fostered a sense of solidarity in the face of a volatile situation, and solidified values, principles and ethical standards of UN Women staff. Sessions were also organized for partners during the civil unrest, which were highly appreciated. Despite widespread internet outages, the BCO team effectively maintained communication with staff through alternative channels. This demonstrated the team’s resilience, commitment, and ability to manage critical situations. The Country Office’s commitment to being an employer of choice was highlighted by an increased number of fixed-term appointments, reflecting a shift toward better contract modalities to attract and retain high-quality personnel. A key takeaway is that building an empowered and agile workforce requires ongoing effort from both management and individual team members. Peer-to-peer and institutional learning, often driven by self-motivated initiatives, have proven invaluable. Recognizing and supporting such proactive efforts can further enhance workforce empowerment and organizational excellence. In addition, fostering a culture of care and wellbeing, both internally and externally, places UN Women as a reliable partner for both its staff and partners.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-BGD_O_5
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
There has been significant progress in 2024 in this output. Effective delivery of UN Women’s mandate, including operational excellence and coordination, further strengthened the Bangladesh Country Office’s position as a reliable partner to key development stakeholders. This has resulted in the office securing funding against its Strategic Note 2022 – 2026 for the first time, from the Government of Sweden through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). This milestone was achieved through relentless office-wide efforts, despite a year of turmoil due to the civil unrest that led to the fall of the former government. Internal capacities were strengthened to continue to focus on effective programming and reporting of results, in line with the office’s commitment to maintaining its Tier 1 status for donor reporting. The systematic approach undertaken to ensure effective reporting will be prioritized in the coming year. Quality evaluations and external reviews further demonstrated the effectiveness and efficiency of the Office’s programming in Bangladesh, whilst providing key lessons for future programme development and improvements of internal mechanisms. For example, the evaluation of the “ Combating Gender Based Violence ” project highlighted the necessity for long-term support to finance interventions that ensure behavioural and structural changes, whilst strengthening the intersectional approach in line with the “leave no one behind” principles of UN Women from the outset of programme design.Showing 6 - 10 of 18