Gender equality is a fundamental human right and a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. The United Nations (UN) Secretariat is dedicated to providing opportunities for women-owned businesses, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
United Nations Commitment
The UN is committed to increasing the participation of women-owned businesses in its procurement of goods and services. The Office of Supply Chain Management (OSCM) will continue to support and develop initiatives that promote this goal. This includes active engagement in partnerships to leverage resources and create new initiatives aimed at breaking down barriers that can prevent women-owned businesses from participating in the global marketplace.
Main Initiatives and Partnerships
To fulfill this commitment, the UN maintains close relationships with organizations that support women's empowerment.
Women’s Empowerment Principles Training Open to UN Suppliers
OSCM maintains a close partnership with UN Women, a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. This collaboration aims to promote the Women's Empowerment Principles among UN Secretariat suppliers.
Advancing gender equality and women's empowerment within supply chain operations helps reduce systemic discrimination, increases supplier diversity and enhances access for women-owned businesses to relevant networks, high-value market opportunities, and sustainable revenue streams.
The Women's Empowerment Principles offer guidance on promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community. Established by the United Nations Global Compact and UN Women, these principles are informed by international labor and human rights standards. They emphasize that businesses have a responsibility to support gender equality and women's empowerment.
Women’s Empowerment Principles Training is Open to UN Suppliers
You can find events here.
Capacity Development for Women-Owned Businesses
Since 2023, the UN has partnered with International Trade Centre (ITC)/SheTrades to provide capacity-building training opportunities to promote women's economic empowerment.
The ITC's SheTrades Initiative works across the trade and business ecosystem to provide women entrepreneurs and producers with access to key knowledge, resources, and networks.
SheTrades works at the multilateral, regional, and national levels to ensure that all women's needs and interests are considered, acted upon, and translated into results on the ground.
Further Information and Resources
For those interested in learning more about the United Nations’ commitment to gender equality and how to do business with the UN, here are some helpful links: