The Office of the Focal Point for Women in the UN System at UN Women leads and coordinates a network of over 650 Gender Focal Points across the UN System.

Appointed under the Secretary-General’s Bulletin Gender Focal Points are essential agents of change. Alongside their regular responsibilities, they use their skills and commitment to advance gender parity and create inclusive, enabling work environments.

In 2024, the number of UN entities that reached gender parity increased to a historic high of 28, a significant increase from only five in 2017. For the first time, gender parity was also reached at the International Professional and Higher Categories grades. 

These landmark achievements were made possible thanks to the dedication and hard work of Gender Focal Points, who, with the support and coordination of the Office of the Focal Point for Women in the UN System, led initiatives to create more balanced recruitment processes, strengthen career development opportunities for women, secure leadership support, and foster inclusive workplace policies that build positive, enabling environments for all personnel.

Building on this momentum, the Office of the Focal Point for Women in the UN System has gathered good practices and success stories from across the UN, highlighting the exceptional work of Gender Focal Points in applying the Enabling Environment and Field-Specific Enabling Environment Guidelines. These guidelines outline practical steps and recommendations to make UN workplaces more supportive, fair, and welcoming for everyone. They include tips for promoting work-life balance, ensuring equal opportunities for career growth, and fostering a culture of respect and inclusion, with specific adaptations for offices in field locations where unique challenges may arise.

In recognition of these accomplishments, several Gender Focal Points were awarded at the Global Annual Gender Focal Point Meeting—an annual gathering where Gender Focal Points from across the UN come together to share progress, challenges, and innovations—in October 2024 for their outstanding contributions.

Good Practice Examples

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is committed to achieving gender parity in the Professional and Higher Categories by 2025. To help reach this target, IAEA started applying Temporary Special Measures (ST/AI/2020/5) in 2020. These measures, temporary in nature, allow to take targeted actions aimed at speeding up progress toward gender parity. By carefully tracking progress each year and focusing on outreach and recruitment for women, the IAEA has raised women’s representation in these roles from 32% in 2020 to 47% in 2024, bringing it closer to achieving full parity.

International Organization for Migrations (IOM)

IOM has reached and maintained a nearly equal balance of men and women at the Professional and Higher Categories level (grades P-1 to P-4) and among senior field leaders like Chiefs of Mission and Heads of Office, with 49% of these roles held by women as of June 2024. This progress has been achieved through various initiatives, including Temporary Special Measures (ST/AI/2020/5). These measures, temporary in nature, allow to take targeted actions aimed at speeding up progress toward gender parity.[GF1]  Efforts are also in place to reach gender parity at higher-level positions (P-5 and above).

Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

OHCHR launched the Gender Accreditation Programme to promote a workplace culture that values gender equality, diversity, and inclusion. This program assesses offices based on seven key criteria, which include providing work-life balance support, enforcing policies against misconduct and sexual exploitation, and ensuring accommodations for staff with specific needs. Since the program began, many OHCHR offices globally have achieved high ratings across these areas, reflecting its positive impact. The Programme’s success was also highlighted when it was nominated for the prestigious 2023 Secretary-General’s Award.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - Nepal 

UNDP Nepal has successfully rolled out its Workforce Diversity Policy, focusing on creating opportunities for marginalized groups and achieving gender parity in long-term contracts by May 2024. This was made possible through targeted outreach aimed at women from disadvantaged backgrounds and flexible measures like remote interviews to improve accessibility for marginalized candidates. The organization has also worked to create a safe and supportive work environment, free from sexual harassment and abuse, by setting up PSEA (Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) focal points at both its headquarters and four field offices, as well as providing additional training for 360 staff members. In addition, a Zero-tolerance campaign has been launched in English and Nepali to reinforce these values. To further promote inclusivity, the office has renovated facilities to include All-Gender Restrooms and vending machines for menstruation pads, ensuring a welcoming and diverse workplace.

United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) 

UNOPS has introduced its People and Culture Objectives to ensure accountability in promoting gender equality, diversity, inclusion, and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse. This approach actively involves all staff members, supervisors, and leaders in creating a fair and equitable work environment. To improve outreach and attract diverse talent, UNOPS has hosted virtual career events specifically for women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields and has incorporated messages about diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and flexible working in all job postings. These efforts have engaged over 100 STEM professionals.

In 2023, UNOPS achieved gender parity in recruitment, with women making up 53.9% of new hires. To further support this, UNOPS lowered job requirements in areas where gender parity was lacking, such as reducing educational qualifications to secondary school and halving the required experience. Additionally, its Talent Benches programme, which aims to fill critical roles within the organization, reached 56% female representation by 2024, demonstrating UNOPS's ongoing commitment to achieving gender parity.

United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) - Peace and Security Cluster

The UNOPS Peace and Security Cluster successfully implemented its Gender and Diversity Strategy, which included 21 customized implementation plans for its country offices and strongly supported the application of Temporary Special Measures to achieve gender parity. These measures, temporary in nature, allow to take targeted actions aimed at speeding up progress toward gender parity.

In 2023, UNOPS’ Peace and Security Cluster took several proactive steps to increase female representation within its workforce. These included reclassifying technical and operational roles to make them more accessible to women, redesigning job postings to eliminate gendered language, and introducing mandatory unconscious bias training for recruitment panels. As a result, women represented 50% of new hires in technical and management roles.

Additionally, UNOPS engaged in extensive outreach with local universities and higher education institutions, involving over 150 participants, to encourage women’s involvement in mine action. In Iraq, these efforts led to women making up 60% of new hires in 2022. Female representation in technical roles also rose from 45% to 62% within just two years, highlighting the success of these initiatives.

United Nations Department for Safety and Security (UNDSS) 

UNDSS launched a dialogue series to engage leadership, middle management, and staff in promoting gender parity and addressing the unique challenges faced in field operations. This initiative contributed to the development of a new, comprehensive Gender Strategy for UNDSS and led to the creation of a concise resource package for Gender Focal Points in field settings, including a one-page guide on reporting misconduct. In addition, UNDSS enhanced its communications efforts and reassessed its recruitment processes to attract a broader pool of women candidates, further strengthening its commitment to gender equality.

International Maritime Organization (IMO)

The International Maritime Organization has approved a new Gender Equality Strategy in 2024 and has organized an in-person workshop and all-staff town hall on Gender Parity in collaboration with UN Women. In alignment with the new Strategy, IMO has implemented a Public Engagement Policy, mandating gender balance in all IMO Secretariat events and panels, as well as in staff participation in external events. It requires that panels organized by IMO reflect gender diversity, and IMO staff, including the Secretary-General, are encouraged to decline invitations to external panels lacking gender balance.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) launched a Gender-responsive Leadership Programme aimed at senior management both at headquarters and in the field. This program has raised awareness and driven organizational change around gender equality. As a result, it has strengthened collaboration across agencies, increased funding for gender initiatives, and introduced gender-sensitive training for middle management.

In addition, UNODC’s Early Career Initiative for Women, launched in 2021, has provided valuable support for women to advance their careers. This initiative contributed to a notable increase in female representation at senior levels, with women making up 46% of P-4 roles and 48% of P-5 roles in 2024, up from 43% and 42% in 2020, respectively.

UNODC has also organized workshops for male security staff to address gender parity challenges, creating a space for constructive dialogue and feedback to further improve gender equality efforts across the organization.

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has made notable progress in improving gender representation within its recruitment processes, especially during the shortlisting stage. In partnership with an external company specializing in Behavioral Sciences, WIPO has enhanced its recruitment practices to promote gender parity. This effort has led to achieving full gender parity in its entry-level programs for young experts.

UNICEF 

UNICEF has made significant strides in achieving gender parity by implementing Temporary Special Measures (ST/AI/2020/5). These measures, temporary in nature, allow to take targeted actions aimed at speeding up progress toward gender parity. In just 18 months, the representation of women at the P-5 level increased from 43% to almost 49%. This success demonstrates the effectiveness of these measures in addressing gender imbalances while also revealing the underlying gender biases in the recruitment process. It underscores the necessity of taking proactive steps to combat such biases and highlights the value of outreach to a diverse pool of both internal and external candidates.

Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS

UNAIDS has incorporated gender inclusivity into the mandatory performance management competencies for all managers. Additionally, UNAIDS has launched a cultural transformation workstream that focuses on exploring feminist principles, challenging traditional leadership stereotypes, and promoting strong female leadership as role models within the organization. These efforts are designed to foster a more inclusive and equitable workplace.

Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO)

PAHO has successfully implemented a tailored plan to promote gender parity within the organization. This includes the development of a comprehensive dashboard to track progress and the delivery of unconscious bias training. As a result, PAHO has achieved and maintained gender parity at various staff levels, including P-1, P-2, P-3, P-5, and P-6. These efforts have helped ensure that gender equality remains a central focus in PAHO’s recruitment and staffing practices.

United Nations Department for Safety and Security (UNDSS) - Office in Nairobi

UNDSS in Nairobi has made significant strides in closing the gender gap within its Security and Safety Service. Through targeted recruitment efforts, the representation of women increased from 30% in 2017 to 47% in 2023, with the number of women in supervisory roles rising from 3 to 5. Additionally, UNDSS has implemented supportive measures, including the creation of new changing rooms with refrigeration spaces for breast milk. The organization also redesigned uniforms and fragmentation vests to better suit women, further supporting their integration and well-being within the service.

“I knew I had to go back to school. Staying at home wasn’t going to help my family,” says 18-year-old Asiyatu Khefa, who dropped out of school in Mangochi district, after becoming pregnant. With a baby in her arms and limited support, Asiyatu’s future seemed uncertain. But today, she is back in school, driven by her dream to become a nurse. Asiyatu and many other girls are getting a chance to reclaim their futures thanks to interventions by UN Women Malawi’s Women’s Movement for Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding project.

This project is part of a joint initiative called Strengthening Malawi’s Peace Infrastructure for Conflict Prevention and Sustaining Peace in Borderland Districts. The initiative is a collaborative effort between UN Women, UNFPA, and UNDP, with support from the UN Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund. By working together, these organizations are addressing deep-rooted gender inequalities and building sustainable peace in border districts, including Mangochi, Machinga, and Karonga.

Mangochi district in the southern region of Malawi is known for its scenic lakeshores, but it is also known as a district grappling with deep-rooted social challenges. The area has some of the highest rates of child marriages and illiteracy in the country with a 2021 Malawi National Gender Statistics Assessment supported by UN Women’s Women Count programme revealing that 42% of girls in Malawi are married before their 18th birthday. Furthermore, the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) 2015-16 reports that 25.8 % of females in the district are illiterate, further narrowing their opportunities.

In response to the crisis, UN Women supported by the UN Secretary General’s Peacebuilding Fund launched a project focused on addressing gender inequalities and empowering women in three border districts: Mangochi, Machinga, and Karonga. In Mangochi, the Women’s Movement for Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding has been a driving force in preventing and responding to gender-based violence, ending child marriages, and helping girls return to school, while also providing safe spaces for them. Since its inception in 2023, the Movement, comprising 50 women from five traditional authorities, has helped end over 50 child marriages in Mangochi, with 28 girls now back in school.

Asiyatu was approached by a member of the Women’s movement who encouraged her to return to school. The women’s group helped her re-enroll and provided ongoing mentorship, ensuring she could balance her studies and motherhood. “When I came back, I wasn’t judged by my friends,” says Asiyatu. “The support the Women’s Movement offers us is motivating.”

Lukaya Adam was married off at 16 to reduce her family's financial burdens. When the Women’s Movement heard about her situation, they intervened, working closely with local leaders to annul her marriage. Two years later, Lukaya thrives in high school, waiting to give birth and dreaming of becoming a doctor. Her journey symbolizes the hope that with the right support, no girl’s future is beyond reach.

With the unwavering efforts of the Women’s Movement, the girls of Mangochi are not just surviving—they are thriving, creating a brighter future for themselves and their communities. The Movement’s impact is clear: girls are returning to school, and communities are slowly shifting their views on early marriage and education. As we celebrate the 2024 International Day of the Girl under the theme, “Girls’ Vision for the Future”, it is a reminder that when girls are given the tools and support, they need, their potential is limitless.

Duong Khanh Ly, the founder of a tea cooperative in northeast Viet Nam, had a problem.  

Severe downpours would often soak tea leaves that had been left outside to dry, spoiling entire batches and cutting into the profits of the co-operative’s 15 female members.  

So, Duong approached CHIASE, a non-governmental organization and partner of the United Nations’ EmPower programme, which helps women become more resilient in the face of climate change. 

CHIASE supported the cooperative as it accessed a collateral-free, low-interest loan that members used to construct a solar-powered building for drying leaves and other agricultural products. Since then, production has surged, says Duong, a 33-year-old mother of two who lives in the Bắc Kạn region. 

Launched in 2018, EmPower is led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN Women. The effort is designed to tackle a problem many women face across the Asia-Pacific region: a lack of access to credit.  

The initiative works with banks to develop loan products that allow women and other marginalized groups to purchase renewable energy equipment and other clean technologies. That gear, which includes solar-powered water pumps and irrigation systems, also helps rein in emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases. 

The first phase of EmPower benefited some 473 women-led micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and the second phase, launched in 2023, is expected to support 1,600 women-led MSMEs. 

“This programme shows the transformative power that accessible and affordable financing can have on the lives of women,” says Dechen Tsering, the Acting Interim Director of UNEP’s Climate Change Division. “It also demonstrates that renewable energy is a viable alternative to fossil fuels, which is crucial at a moment like this.” 

Her comments follow a new report from UNEP that reveals the Earth is heading for a 2.6°C to 3.1°C rise in temperatures before century’s end, an increase that could prove catastrophic.  

This week, country representatives are in Baku, Azerbaijan for the UN Climate Change Summit (COP29), where, among other things, they will explore how to drum up financing for renewable energy projects, especially in the developing world.  

Efforts like EmPower, which enlist the private sector, are considered an important part of that push. UNEP’s recent Adaptation Gap Report found the world needs US$187-359 billion per year to adapt to climate change, financing that developing countries in particular, would be hard-pressed to marshal. 

On 20 November, COP29 featured a day devoted to the importance of gender equality in responding to the climate crisis, which weighs disproportionately on women and girls. 

In Viet Nam’s Bắc Kạn district, Duong’s community is doing all that it can to adapt to climate change. The new drying house sits atop a hill to safeguard it from floods. The building features a curved roof, similar to a greenhouse, and covers 10 square metres. The structure is made out of polycarbonate sheets and uses sunlight to generate heat, which dries tea leaves laid on orderly of racks. A small solar-powered fan provides electricity to ventilate the drying house.  

The setup is a dramatic improvement for the cooperative. Members used to dry tea leaves outside, forcing them to quickly collect the produce whenever rain threatened. They would also constantly flip tea leaves to ensure they were thoroughly dried, something they no longer need to do with the new drying house.  

“In the past, drying tea and bamboo shoots was very difficult. If it rained and the products couldn’t be collected in time it was all ruined,” says collective member Dang Thi Nga. 

The drying house has not only increased productivity but also the quality of the cooperative’s products, leading to higher incomes for the community, said Duong. The collective members also received training in production, business planning, online selling, and how to prepare for natural disasters. The co-operative is now planning to expand production, develop new products and register their tea for trademark protection.  

EmPower aims to mobilize US$20 Million in gender-responsive investment for renewable energy entrepreneurship in Viet Nam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia and Philippines. The effort could potentially benefit more than 100,000 women.  

“The EmPower programme is showing that women can become more resilient to climate change and lead the push into a sustainable, equitable future,” said Tsering. 

UN Climate Change Conference   

The  29th session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29)  is being held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November. It aims to drive action on climate change by reducing emissions and halting global warming. You can follow live COP29 updates on  UNEP’s climate action feed.   

The Sectoral Solution to the climate crisis    

UNEP is at the forefront of supporting the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global temperature rise well below 2°C, and aiming for 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels. To do this, UNEP has developed the Sectoral Solution, a roadmap to reducing emissions across sectors in line with the Paris Agreement commitments and in pursuit of climate stability. The six sectors identified are: energy; industry; agriculture and food; forests and land use; transport; and buildings and cities. 

EmPower: Women for Climate-Resilient Societies Programme 

Jointly implemented by UN Women and the UNEP with support from the Governments of Germany, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland, EmPower is dedicated to empowering women and marginalized groups to take the lead in building climate-resilient communities. 

UN Women co-chairs the Gender Theme Group (GTG) of the Tunisia UN Country Team (UNCT), together with UNFPA. UNCT Gender Theme Groups are inter-agency bodies mandated to provide strategic support to strengthen gender mainstreaming efforts, ultimately achieving greater results for women and girls. In 2024, UN Women has implemented a comprehensive plan to enhance the GTG’s capacity to fulfill these functions in line with the global standards and procedures.    

Informed by good practices piloted in the Arab States, UN Women Tunisia worked with GTG members to develop the 2024 Annual Workplan. The plan is results-focused, aiming to improve the UNCT’s implementation of global gender mainstreaming standards. It fully reflects the priority actions identified in the 2022 UNCT Gender Equality Scorecard assessment, which tracks performance across seven critical dimensions of UNCT’s work.  The Annual Work plan places particular emphasis on strengthening UNCT capacities to track investments in gender-targeted and mainstreamed projects, while monitoring and reporting on gender results in the UN Country Team joint workplan.

With guidance from UN Women’s Regional Office for the Arab States, the Tunisia GTG received comprehensive training in April on the latest updates in gender mainstreaming tools and practices, to support the UNCT to implement its commitment to gender equality. The workshop provided essential training and valuable insights on the UNCT Gender Equality Marker (GEM), which tracks resource allocation towards gender equality across the UN’s Joint Work Plan (JWP). Additionally, the Tunisia team explored how correctly using the gender, youth and peace and security markers in joint work planning can enhance UNCT efforts to leave no one behind in UN programming in Tunisia.

This capacity-building initiative was further strengthened on September 23, when the UN Women’s Regional Office for the Arab States delivered a comprehensive training session to the GTG in Tunisia. The training focused on the latest updates to the GTG Standards and Procedures, the UNCT-GEM, and the UNCT System-Wide Action Plan Gender Equality Scorecard (UNCT-SWAP GES). Participants from the United Nations Resident Coordination Office (RCO), UNDP, UNFPA, UNAIDS, and OHCHR engaged in collaborative discussions on how to enhance accountability for gender mainstreaming in all areas of work.

A key outcome of the training was the review of Tunisia’s progress on the Gender Equality Scorecard. Participants reviewed progress in implementation of the Scorecard performance indicators since the 2022 comprehensive report and identified five priority indicators to be reported on in the 2024 report, with agencies assigned to lead their implementation, in line with best practices.

This collaborative approach demonstrated GTG’s commitment to facilitate greater UNCT accountability for gender mainstreaming. Additionally, RCO committed to integrating these indicators into the Terms of Reference for the development of the next UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), ensuring that gender equality remains a core priority in future development plans.

Migration has long been a crucial driver of global development, with millions of people seeking better opportunities, safety, and stability across borders. Every aspect of migration is influenced by a person’s gender: from the reasons for migrating, the information received before leaving, and the journeys embarked on, to integration in countries of destination and return, the work performed, and access to services.

Yet, international migration governance has been largely gender-blind, therefore reproducing or reinforcing existing gender and race inequalities, exposing women and girls to a greater risk of discrimination and human rights violations, including gender-based violence and trafficking. Women, who represent 48.1 per cent of international migrants, are more likely than men to face gender-specific barriers in accessing safe and regular migration pathways.

This is why the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UN Women signed a new Strategic Collaboration Agreement solidifying the organizations’ united commitment to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in migration and displacement contexts.

“Although global statistics on migration are increasingly available, they often fail to capture the gendered dimensions of migration, including the specific experiences of women and girls,” said Catalina Devandas IOM’s Representative of the Director General Office of Partnerships, Advocacy, and Communication. “This partnership with UN Women aims to strengthening our relationship and ensure the rights of women and girls is at the heart of all we do.”

Women are overrepresented in informal and low-wage sectors, such as domestic work, agriculture, and care services, and are likely to face precarious working conditions and limited access to social protection. Migrant women face additional barriers when it comes to financial inclusion. Many struggle to access banking services, loans, and digital financial tools due to a combination of legal restrictions, mobility challenges, and gender-based discrimination. In times of conflict and displacement, women and girls are disproportionately affected by the breakdown of services, such as healthcare and education, which are critical to their well-being and empowerment. Furthermore, women and girls are also disproportionately affected by climate-related disasters.

“UN Women and IOM’s renewed partnership—founded on ongoing collaboration across several countries—will contribute to gender-responsive migration governance, labor mobility, and humanitarian responses and advance our joint commitments to women’s leadership and protection in crises,” said UN Women Deputy Executive Director Kirsi Madi.

As climate change intensifies, the number of women and girls displaced by environmental factors is expected to rise, exacerbating existing inequalities. Yet, women are powerful agents of change, driving development in their countries of origin and in their host communities. Women’s remittances are often invested in education, healthcare, and local investments, playing a crucial role in poverty reduction and community development.

It is, therefore, imperative that migration governance and humanitarian responses adopt a gender-responsive approach, one that accounts for the diverse experiences of women and girls, as well as the organizations that represent them. This involves recognizing their agency, leadership, and capacity to drive positive change. Investing in gender equality in migration is not only a matter of human rights; it is a cornerstone for building stronger, more resilient communities. Humanitarian responses that centre the leadership of women and girls ensure more equitable outcomes. Policies must prioritize safe and regular migration pathways, ensure access to decent work and social protection, and combat gender-based violence and trafficking.

Signed at the IOM office in Geneva, the new agreement brings stronger gender-responsive migration policies and humanitarian responses; enhances gender data collection and analysis to drive policies and responses; and helps with the implementation of joint programs in humanitarian and development contexts. Through their partnership, IOM and UN Women will not only address the immediate needs of migrants, internally displaced women, and those in host communities; but will also contribute to their rights and empowerment as agents of change.

Bangkok, Thailand — The European Union (EU) announces a financial support of EUR 13 million to the United Nations (UN) for a new initiative called ‘PROTECT’, which aims to strengthen the rights of women migrant workers, children, and at-risk groups in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

The three-year PROTECT project will promote decent work and reduce vulnerabilities of those at risk by ensuring labour rights, preventing, and responding to violence against women and children, human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

H.E. Mr David Daly, Ambassador of the European Union to Thailand said “People worldwide are forced to leave their homes in search of opportunities and better lives. Along their journey in transit and at their destination, women migrant workers and children are at a higher risk. We are proud to continue supporting our UN partners in this new project aimed at addressing a global phenomenon at the regional level. Together with Thailand and other partner countries in the region, we will provide protection for women and children, strengthen migration governance, tackle human trafficking and migrant smuggling, as well as develop legal pathways for sustainable migration policy.”.

There are 10.6 million migrants in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, of whom nearly half are women and 1.3 million are children. Migrants, especially those in low wage occupations, face many challenges including labour exploitation, human trafficking, violence and harassment. Women migrant workers are also more likely to end up in informal sectors where they are offered temporary jobs and little to no social protection. Children accompanying migrant workers face a high risk of abuse, exploitation and trafficking as well as inadequate access to child protection services.

‘PROTECT’ project will be implemented by four UN agencies namely the International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The agencies will work with relevant stakeholders in four Southeast Asian countries to strengthen laws and policies, improve capacities and mechanisms to better protect target groups’ rights and increase access to information and services

Noting the significance of the new project to the region, Chihoko Asada-Miyakawa, ILO Assistant Director General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific said, “Labour migration is a driver of economic and social development in countries of origin and destination, benefiting migrant workers, communities and employers alike. Migration governance policies and approaches need to be gender responsive , more inclusive and in line with international labour standards if we are to provide the protection and access to decent work that migrants deserve, which is critical for social justice.”

"Addressing the pervasive issue of violence and harassment against women migrant workers in Southeast Asia is imperative. Through this joint project, we will continue to champion their rights, safety, and dignity, working towards a future where all women migrants can live and work free from fear and exploitation,” said Alia El-Yassir, UN Women Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.

“Children on the move are incredibly vulnerable, especially in the context of labour migration,” said Debora Comini, UNICEF Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific. “They risk exploitation, abuse and violence; they are deprived of access to education, health, and social protection. Migration policies and practices must be child-sensitive and uphold the rights and best interest of every child, regardless of their migration status.”

“To break the cycle of exploitation and abuse, the protection of victims of trafficking and smuggled migrants before and during the criminal justice process is critical,” said Masood Karimipour, UNODC’s Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. “Under this new project, UNODC will build on its work with law enforcement and justice counterparts in the region, ensuring that victims’ rights continue to be upheld and criminals held to account.”

The PROTECT project, which runs until December 2026, builds on the results and lessons learnt from two earlier EU-funded projects: ‘Safe and Fair: Realizing women migrant workers’ rights and opportunities in the ASEAN region’, which was implemented by ILO and UN Women, in collaboration with UNODC from 2018 to 2023 and ‘Protecting Children Affected by Migration in Southeast, South and Central Asia’ implemented by UNICEF from 2018 to 2022.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN Women, with the support from Sweden, held a series of workshops aimed at improving gender-sensitive credit solutions and integrating a gender perspective in climate-resilient agriculture. The workshops took place in Pale and Zenica as part of the project “Women Driving Resilience in Agriculture and Rural Areas.”

The workshop titled “Gender-Sensitive Credit Solutions for Economic Activities in Rural Areas” held in Pale, a municipality near Sarajevo in the east of Bosnia and Herzegovina, aimed to enhance financial accessibility for women engaged in economic activities in rural areas. During the workshop, the current credit practices available to women in agriculture were examined, obstacles to accessing finance were identified, regional best practices were showcased, and guidelines for improving women's access to finance were defined.

Elma Zukić, president of the Association of Microcredit Organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighted the importance of supporting women in this sector: “Women make up to 45 percent of our total portfolio, engaged in various forms of activities. However, the agricultural segment is generally underrepresented, and even more so from the perspective of women. Only 8 percent of agricultural assets are owned by women, which highlights the need for comprehensive support for women and women entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector.”

The workshop brought together a diverse group of participants, including representatives from banks and microcredit institutions, women's associations, agricultural experts, and the academic community. Professor Grujica Vico from the University of Istočno Sarajevo and FAO national consultant emphasized the significance of the event: “We had the opportunity to discuss these topics within a very heterogeneous group of various stakeholders. We examined current practices, identified key challenges and barriers, explored possible ways to overcome these barriers, and learned about practices from neighbouring countries and gender-sensitive solutions being considered there.”

Simultaneously, events on the integration of the gender perspective in climate-resilient agriculture and rural development were held in Pale and Zenica, city in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. These workshops brought together representatives from entity ministries of agriculture, cantonal agriculture and rural development sectors, women's associations in rural areas, and entity gender centers to support the integration of gender aspects into agricultural and rural development policies.

Gordana Rokvić Knezić, national consultant for gender issues within the project, stated: "We had the opportunity to discuss with local representatives the policies in place at the regional, cantonal, and local levels and to explore whether we can implement gender-sensitive programs to support rural women at these levels.”

The workshops are based on an upcoming needs assessment that examines the integration of the gender perspective and maps climate vulnerabilities in agriculture and rural development, jointly conducted by UN Women and FAO. A total of 12 workshops are planned across Bosnia and Herzegovina, demonstrating a commitment to creating more resilient and inclusive sectors capable of addressing the unique challenges faced by women in rural areas.

The need for tailored financial products that meet the unique needs of women in rural areas was highlighted, along with the importance of ongoing education in financial and digital literacy.

Anna Jenderedjian, gender and social protection specialist at the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, emphasized that the workshops were conducted with the aim to bring awareness to public sector specialists. “In particular to bridge the gap between the institutions responsible for agriculture, producer organizations and women's associations, who know about gender equality issues but might not be so involved in the areas of agriculture, to better understand the priority areas and avenues for transition to more inclusive, sustainable agriculture development policies,” Jenderedjian added.

These initiatives will equip key actors with strategies for effective integration of the gender perspective into agricultural and rural development policies, enhancing the resilience and inclusivity of these sectors in light of climate vulnerabilities.

Continued cooperation and dialogue among all relevant actors is crucial for ensuring long-term progress in these areas. Initiatives like these represent a significant step towards improving gender equality and sustainability in rural economic activities, financing, and climate-resilient agriculture.