Implementation of Strategy on Gender Mainstreaming within the United Nations System

Repository of policies, strategies and action plans within the UN system.

The repository has been developed and updated by UN System Coordination Division of UN Women. Contributions can be sent to un.coordination[at]unwomen.org.

Last updated: 14 August 2012

A. Offices, Funds, Programmes and Specialized Agencies

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

Strategic Framework 2010-2019 which defines gender equiality as one of the Organization's key objectives for the next 10 years.

Under FAO's Organizational Result K2 - Governments develop enhanced capacities to incorporate gender and social equality issues in agriculture, food security and rural development programmes, projects and policies using sex-disaggregated statistics, other relevant information and resources: Strategy for Capacity Development of Member Countries on Gender Mainstreaming in Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Nutrition Security, including on Land Tenure Security and in the generation of Sex-Disaggregated Data

Under FAO's Organizational Result K4 - FAO Management and staff have demonstrated commitment and capacity to address gender dimensions in their work: Strategy for Capacity Development of FAO staff on Gender Mainstreaming in Agriculture, Rural Development, Food Security and Nutrition

FAO Policy on Gender Equality: Attaining Food Security Goals in Agriculture and Rural Development

The purpose of this policy document is to provide FAO with a framework to guide its efforts to achieve gender equality in all its technical work and to assess results, and calls on the whole organization to contribute to these efforts. This policy specifies FAO's goal and objectives related to gender equality, and delineates an accountability structure to ensure policy oversight, and achievement of results (Annex A). This includes specifying roles and responsibilities for coordinating and supporting the implementation of the policy (Annex B). A separate human resource action plan addressing gender parity issues in FAO has been developed for 2010-2013 and a gender policy for human resources is planned for the longer term.

Action Plan

Gender and Development Plan of Action (2008-2013)

FAO Gender and Development. Plan of Action (2002-2007)

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

IAEA Gender Equality Policy (2008)

Concept Paper. A perspective on gender in the IAEA (2004)

International Fund for Agriculture and Development (IFAD)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

Policy on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment

IFAD Strategic Framework 2011-2015 incorporates gender equality as one of the Organization's strategic objectives.

Action Plan

Mainstreaming a gender perspective in IFAD’s Operations: Plan of Action 2003-2006

International Labour Organization (ILO)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

ILO and gender equality: ILO vision of equality between women and men.

Action Plan

ILO Action Plan for Gender Equality 2010-15: Phase II : Aligned with Programme and Budget 2012 -13

ILO Gender Equality Action Plan 2010-15

ILO Action Plan for Gender Equality 2008–09

International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

Gender Mainstreaming in IOM, 1998

Staff and programme policy on gender issues

International Trade Centre (ITC)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

ITC Gender Mainstreaming Policy

Action Plan

ITC Gender Mainstreaming Plan of Action, 2011-2015

International Training Center of the International Labour Organization (ITC/ILO)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

Gender equality and mainstreaming at the International Training Centre of the ILO

Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UN-AIDS)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

Getting To Zero: 2011–2015 Strategy Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) incorporates equality for the HIV response as one of its strategic directions

Presentation of policy guidance to address gender issues (2007)

Action Plan

Operational plan for UNAIDS Action Framework: addressing women, girls, gender equality and HIV 2009-2014

Agenda for Accelerated Country Action for Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV. Operational plan for the UNAIDS action framework: addressing women, girls, gender equality and HIV (2009-2014)

Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

Breaking Barriers: Gender Perspectives and Empowerment of Women in Least Developed Countries, 2006

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

2011 Gender Equality Policy

Strategic Management Plan 2010-2011 which considers gender as a cross-cutting issue

Resolution 12/17 adopted by the Human Rights Council on the Elimination of discrimination against women

Gender Mainstreaming and Human Rights of Women: OHCHR policy statement

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

Policy on Refugee Women and Mainstreaming a gender equality perspective (2001)

Age, gender and diversity mainstreaming (2010)

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

Working for an equal future: UNICEF Policy on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Girls and Women

Action Plan

UNICEF Strategic Priority Action Plan for Gender Equality: 2010-2012

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

Mainstreaming gender in trade policy (2009)

Trade and Gender:
Opportunities, Challenges and the Policy Dimension (2004)

Trade and Gender:
Opportunities, Challenges in the developing countries

Gender and Trade: conceptual note (2003)

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

UNDP strategic plan, 2008-2011:
Accelerating global progress on human development* in which achieving gender results is one of the defined priorities.

Empowered and equal: UNDP Gender Equality Strategy 2008-2011

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

Medium-term Strategy 2010–2013:
Environment for Development reiterates the Programme's commitment to gender responsiveness

Government Council Decision 23/11: Gender equality in the field of the environment

Action Plan

UNEP Gender Plan of Action (2006)

Gender Plan of Action of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

34 C/11 – Recommendations by the Executive Board on the Draft Medium Term Strategy for 2008 2013

Action Plan

UNESCO Priority Gender Equality Action Plan for 2008-2013 (GEAP)

United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

UN-HABITAT's Gender Policy

Dynamic Cities Need Women. Visions and Challenges for a Women-Friendly City. 2009

Mainstreaming Gender in Water and Sanitation: Strategy and action plan

Policy paper on women and urgan governance (2000)

Action Plan

Gender Equality for a Better Urban Future. An overview of UN-HABITAT’S
Gender Equality Action Plan
(2008-2013)

Gender equality action plan 2008–2013

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

Policy on gender equality and the empowerment of women

Millennium Development Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women. UNIDO ’s Contribution:
Women Economic Empowerment

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

Delivering on the Promise of Equality
UNFPA's Strategic Framework for Gender Mainstreaming and Women's Empowerment 2008-2011

UNFPA Strategy and Framework for Action to Addressing Gender-based Violence 2008-2011

Gender at the heart of icpd: The Unfpa Strategic Framework on Gender Mainstreaming and Women's Empowerment

Action Plan

Accelerating the Integration of Gender Issues in Humanitarian Action. UNFPA and the IASC Task Force on Gender and Humanitarian Assistance (2007)

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

UNRWA Medium Term Strategy
2010 - 2015 promotes gender equality as one key area

UNRWA Interim Programme Strategy for 2008-2009 highlights gender equality as one of its objectives

UNRWA's Policy on gender equality (2007) (link to be added)

UNRWA Medium Term Plan (MTP): A better future for palestine refugees
2005-2009 recognizes the importance of addressing gender issues in responding to refugees

Action Plan

“Equality in Action” (2010)

United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

UN-Women strategic plan, 2011-2013

World Food Programme (WFP)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

WFP Strategic Plan (2008–2011) highlights the link between gender and hunger and reaffirms WFP’s commitment to ensure gender sensitivity and equality

Consolidated framework of WFP polices. An updated version (2010)

WFP Gender Policy: Promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women in addressing food and nutrition challenges (2009)

Gender Policy (2003–2007): Enhanced Commitments to Women to Ensure Food Security

WFP Mission Statement (1994) commits its assistance programmes to be designed and implemented on the basis of broad-based participation, including women.

World Health Organization (WHO)

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

Integrating Gender Perspectives in the work of WHO: WHO Gender Policy (2002)

Strategy for Integrating Gender Perspectives in the work of WHO: WHO Gender Policy (2009)

World Bank

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

Implementing the Bank’s Gender Mainstreaming Strategy:
FY09-FY10 Annual Monitoring Report

Implementing the Bank’s Gender Mainstreaming Strategy:
FY08 Annual Monitoring Report, June 2009

World Bank Gender Mainstreaming Strategy Paper (2002)

Action Plan

Applying Gender Action Plan Lessons:
A Three-Year Road Map for Gender Mainstreaming (2011- 2013)

Gender equality as smart economics
A World Bank Group Action Plan (2007-2010)

Integrating Gender Issues into the World Bank’s Work, 2004

World Meteorological Organization

Policy / strategy on gender mainstreaming

WMO policy on gender mainstreaming

In 2007 WMO developed the Policy on Gender Mainstreaming which aims at promoting, encouraging and facilitating gender equality across WMO and to establish a mechanism by which progress can be measured. The policy was promoted among constituencies and approved, in its final form, by Sixteenth World Meteorological Congress in 2011. Most of WMO constituent bodies have established gender focal points and considered gender mainstreaming as a standing item in the agenda of their intergovernmental sessions. The WMO Executive Council oversees the implementation of the policy, and since 2007 it has established a special Advisory Panel of Experts on Gender Mainstreaming.