Advancing women’s participation and leadership in public institutions: Join the online training

2 April 2026 - Women’s participation and leadership in public institutions is both a human rights imperative and a cornerstone of effective, inclusive governance. When women are excluded from decision‑making, issues such as childcare, access to services, safety and unpaid care work often receive less attention. 

A recent UN DESA study, based on findings from a project in four countries, highlights persistent barriers to women's leadership – findings that mirrored discussions at CSW70, where Member States called for faster progress on women’s participation and decision-making in public life.

In many countries, women account for nearly half of civil servants, yet far fewer reach senior positions — in some cases, women hold less than 20 per cent of leadership roles. Even where overall representation is strong, advancement remains limited, particularly in policy areas traditionally dominated by men. Women are also more often concentrated in lower‑paid, administrative roles, while men continue to occupy higher‑level decision‑making posts. 

While legal frameworks exist, many policies are not effectively implemented or do not specifically address public administration. Human‑resource reforms are needed, including measures such as quotas, targeted recruitment and gender‑responsive HR audits that uncover hidden barriers in supposedly neutral hiring and promotion systems. Gender equality structures within public administration often struggle with limited resources, weak technical capacity, and, in some cases, restricted autonomy. Coordination and accountability mechanisms can be unclear, with gaps in reporting processes and limited enforcement of sanctions.

The UN DESA e‑learning course Advancing Women’s Participation and Leadership in Public Institutions provides practical guidance on identifying barriers, designing gender‑responsive policies and strengthening women’s leadership across the public sector. The course helps participants play a role in shaping institutions that are more representative, equitable and responsive to the people they serve.