UN Officials in Asia-Pacific trained on UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard
Date:
Author: Ayako Kubodera
Bangkok, Thailand — UN Women in collaboration with the UNFPA Asia-Pacific Regional Office (APRO) and the UNSDG Asia-Pacific organized a regional coordination training workshop entitled, UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard: Regional Training Workshop for UNCTs in the Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand on 11-12 March 2019. UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard is an accountability framework that promotes improved planning, coordination, programming and results for gender equality and women’s empowerment at the country level, tied to support to Member States to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
UN Country Teams (UNCTs) in the Asia-Pacific region nominated the participants for this Workshop, who are the chair/co-chair of the Gender Theme Group or equivalent, and one staff from the Office of the Resident Coordinator (RCO). 41 participants from eight UN agencies (OHCHR, RCO, UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNU, WHO), coming from 21 countries in the region were nominated to participate in the Workshop. Through the Workshop, participants were able to gain full understanding of the implementation and utilization of UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard, and its importance in the context of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and the repositioning of the UN Development System.
Mr. Bjorn Andersson (Regional Director, UNFPA APRO) and Ms. Aparna Mehrotra (Director, UN System Coordination Division, UN Women) welcomed the participants and opened the Workshop. They emphasized the importance of the strengthened gender equality in the UNDAFs and encouraged the participants to be empowered to take leadership for gender equality in the development and implementation of UNDAFs and the work of the UN. They also underscored the significance of working as a collective and the importance of accountability to move the needle for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Objectives of the Workshop was fulfilled through group exercise, presentation and peer-to-peer learning. Knowledge, experience and lessons were shared by the participants from Nepal and Viet Nam whose UNCTs recently conducted the UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard exercises. Group work and presentation facilitated by Mr. Michele Ribotta (UN Women) and Ms. Andrea Esser (UNCT SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard Consultant) dissected each indicator of the seven dimensions that constitute the Gender Equality Scorecard. Ms. Roberta Clarke (Expert and former UN Women Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific) and Ms. Wenny Kusuma (Representative, UN Women Nepal) weighed in on their experiences of ensuring political buy-in for the Gender Equality Scorecard and its recommendation within the UNCT.
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