UN Women’s regional office for East and Southern Africa (ESARO) based in Kenya covers 12 Country Offices[1], one programme presence (Somalia), and supports 11 UN Country Teams (UNCTs)[2] where UN Women is a non-resident agency. ESARO’s strategy is based on a Theory of Change informed by evidence-based gender analysis and developed through a team wide participatory approach. In alignment with the UN Women global strategic plan, the regional strategy is built upon a contextual analysis and key regional challenges coupled with the findings and recommendations of reviews, evaluations and lessons learned. The regional office uses our convening power and influence to accelerate change through deepening partnerships, co-creating knowledge and gender data, mobilizing resources, and coordinating efforts toward an environment where: 1) women and girls are safe, their voices heard and make informed choices, and 2.) regional entities[3] advance women’s human rights, reduce patriarchal barriers of discrimination, and create equal opportunities for women and girls in their diversity. ESARO’s work focuses on five priorities that address different dimensions of change:

1. Sustained engagements with duty-bearers to be more accountable for financing and implementation of gender commitments (systemic change)
2. Enabling safe spaces and convening platforms to coalesce rights holders to hold duty bearers accountable (relational level change)
3. Strengthening partnerships and efforts on evidence-based approaches to transform harmful behaviours and practices that perpetuate gender stereotypes and inequalities (social and cultural change)
4. Making the connection between action and results through gender data, research and analysis (knowledge for change)
5. Advancing GEWE accountability through effective coordination of UN regional mechanisms and platforms (peer influence change)