Region:Asia PacificCurrent UN Women Plan Period Afghanisthan:2018-2022
World Bank Income Classification:Low IncomeThe World Bank classifies economies for analytical purposes into four income groups: low, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high income. For this purpose it uses gross national income (GNI) per capita data in U.S. dollars, converted from local currency using the World Bank Atlas method, which is applied to smooth exchange rate fluctuations.Least Developed Country:YesSince 1971, the United Nations has recognized LDCs as a category of States that are deemed highly disadvantaged in their development process, for structural, historical and also geographical reasons. Three criteria are used: per capita income, human assets, and economic vulnerability.Gender Inequality Index:0.575GII is a composite metric of gender inequality using three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment and the labour market. A low GII value indicates low inequality between women and men, and vice-versa.Gender Development Index:0.723GDI measures gender inequalities in achievement in three basic dimensions of human development: health, education, and command over economic resources.
Population:209,497,025Source of population data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2022). World Population Prospects: The 2022 RevisionMale:19,976,265 (9.5%)Female:189,520,760 (90.5%)
An enabling environment for the implementation of WPS commitment is created in South Africa (including on ending VAWG)
The governments of South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho Botswana and eSwatini are making greater efforts towards implementation of the WPS Agenda. UN Women partnership with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the United Nations Development Programme, Regional Service Centre for Africa (UNDP-RSCA) to host and facilitate the member state and regional consultations on the WPS Agenda respectively, succeeded in influencing countries in the region to commit to accelerating implementation of the Agenda. Namibia is finalizing the Gender Policy for the security sector whilst Botswana has expressed interest in developing a WPS NAP. Lesotho with support from UN Women is developing their first generation WPS NAP in 2023 whilst South Africa has committed to accelerating implementation of its National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security. The MCO in partnership with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) in South Africa through convening the NAP Task team which includes government and civil society to assess progress on the implementation of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security contributed to increasing urgency towards implementation of the WPS NAP. Recommendations from the workshop included that the country needed a Conflict Management Strategy especially on the backdrop of the July 2021 unrest as well as floods in KZN earlier in 2022. The need to sensitize various departments at Director Generals and Deputy-Director General levels as well as members of parliament to familiarise them on the WPS NAP was highlighted as a strategy to accelerate implementation. This work is set to be done in 2023.
Further, following the success of the SADC regional member state consultations on WPS, MCO and SADC agreed to host the mediation training of member states and non-state actors. The mediation training conducted in late September with about 70 participants - 40 state actors and 30 non-state participants enhanced the capacity of women mediators (both state and non–state actors) in conflict prevention and mediation to prevent and manage social and political intra and inter-state conflicts in their countries.
Gender equality tools and skills to monitor and measure progress on global commitments under the normative framework
For tracking progress on the implementation of CSW resolution 60/2 on "Women, the Girl Child and HIV/AIDS" UN Women SAMCO supported the elaboration of the reporting tool (shared with the countries) as well as the GROM (Gender Responsive Oversight model) developped jointly with UN agencies (UNAIDS, UNFPA, UN Women) as well SADC Parliamentary forum, as an accountability tool to hold governments accountable in implementing resolution 60/2.
The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.
References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).