Outcome LKA_O_5

Effective normative, programmatic and coordination products, services and processes

UN Women's commitment to delivering effective normative, programmatic, and coordination products, services, and processes has yielded impactful outcomes in 2023. Normative frameworks, such as the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAP WPS) developed with the support of UN Women, have not only created a tangible set of outcomes to be achieved in relation to peacebuilding in Sri Lanka but also provide a blueprint to other countries interested in developing their own. The office’s programmatic initiatives have successfully addressed pressing humanitarian issues faced by women and girls affected by food insecurity, loss of livelihoods, and increased susceptibility to violence. This has resulted in tangible improvements in the lives of over 1,100 women and their households across 5 districts of the country. The new focus on humanitarian assistance has further illustrated the capacity of the office to undertake critical interventions, though unfortunately hampered by the inefficiencies caused by the transition to Quantum. Moreover, the coordination mechanisms led by UN Women have enhanced collaboration with other UN entities, partners and mechanisms such as the UN Communications Groups, fostering a more unified approach to addressing challenges in advancing gender equality and women's empowerment. The final evaluation of a WPS project concluded in 2022 has further provided evidence on how UN Women's programmes have empowered women economically and socially. The office is at a critical juncture as it shifts towards the implementation of the NAP WPS and pursuing to expand on its existing good track record of results. In its future programming, it will continue to deepen the link between women’s economic empowerment and the WPS Agenda, as well as preventing violence against women and girls.

Effective normative, programmatic and coordination products, services and processes

UN Women's commitment to delivering effective normative, programmatic, and coordination products, services, and processes has yielded impactful outcomes in 2024. Normative frameworks, such as the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAP WPS) have achieved a limited level of progress on account of UN Women’s technical and coordination support to the Government of Sri Lanka. The office’s programmatic initiatives earlier in the year have successfully addressed pressing humanitarian issues faced by women and girls affected by food insecurity, loss of livelihoods, and increased susceptibility to violence. Moreover, the coordination mechanisms such as the UN Gender Task Force led by UN Women have enhanced collaboration with women’s civil society organisations and other UN agencies and mechanisms such as the UN Communications Groups, fostering a more unified approach to addressing challenges in advancing gender equality and women's empowerment. The final evaluation of the humanitarian assistance project concluded earlier in the year has further provided evidence on how UN Women's programmes have empowered women economically and socially during crisis contexts. The evaluation found that the project effectively addressed the needs of the target beneficiaries by providing critical support to 906 vulnerable women and their children living in shelters, with 100% of beneficiaries surveyed reporting that the interventions aligned with their needs and concerns. The project also provided business trainings and 4rounds of relief supplies to 600 women entrepreneurs and in-kind support to 545 of them, resulting in 95.1% of women surveyed confirming that the project met their needs during the crisis. The evaluation concluded that the project achieved all its intended outcomes, including food security, increased knowledge and exposure to livelihood diversification opportunities, resulting in improved well-being for beneficiaries.