Regional programming

Regional Gender Programming

Despite the multiple commitments to the advancement of women and achievement of gender equality made by all countries in the region, as well as endorsement of the Human Development Paradigm, significant barriers to gender equality are evident. These are derived essentially from widespread and deeply entrenched discriminatory attitudes and consequent practices towards women. The need to change these exclusionary attitudes and practices is the principal challenge addressed.

Although the reform process sparked by increased contact with market forces since 1989 provides opportunities to remove these barriers, the on-going turmoil of the recent past, together with limitations in the will and capacity of leadership in all spheres to take the necessary steps, have generated a situation in which the many long-standing obstacles to women’s advancement that derive from these attitudes and practices are in fact sustained, have been intensified or have become increasingly apparent, even while improvements can be identified in certain countries (notably EU access countries), or among certain socio-economic groups.

• Limited political commitment to gender equality: The actual impact of the wide range of activities on gender equality programming, and hence on women’s situation in the region, has been sub-optimal. There are general limitations in funding for gender specific initiatives at the country office level, and limited engagement to work on gender specific concerns on the part of both UNDP CO management and partner governments.
• Gender mainstreaming tools and instruments are not used: The tools and documents produced under the above activities are in general of high quality. The Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit referred to above is based on local experience and provides many good examples of how gender is integrated into development. However, in general the use and implementation of the Toolkit is lacking, in large part due to the above-referenced lack of political will to advance gender equality, but also placing in some question the relevance of the methodology used to introduce it.
• Need for a strategic approach to national capacity development and programming at country level, to foster and support locally-identified priorities. Enhanced efforts on strengthening internal capacity should focus not on development of new tools but rather on their use and adaptation to local circumstances, which is often challenging for practitioners in the region. Further, there is a need for targeted capacity development in foundation skills such as strategic planning, coordination and facilitation as well as in core issues of gender equality in the four practice areas. Above all, enhanced political will, targeted leadership, enhanced legal framework and participation of women in all the instruments of democratic governance as well as active monitoring by civil society of progress towards defined goals are crucial in achieving gender equality results.
• Regional cooperation between various international organizations working on gender is of critical importance, although challenging and time-consuming. The establishment of Gender Theme Groups remains the exception rather than the rule, and there is very little gender-related joint programming at country level. A recent study indicates the need for continued effort and focus on the development of coordination capacity. 

Ongoing regional project:

The Regional Report on governance and women’s leadership in the Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States focuses on the challenges of transition and development processes in context of participation and position of women in governance. It aims to uncover reasons for women’s low political participation (such as electoral systems, stereotypes, historical legacy etc.) and propose concrete actions to address them. Importantly, the Regional Report also aims to mobilize local stakeholders and partners to share their valuable knowledge and support joint advocacy efforts to promote equal participation of women and men in governance. 

Regional project in design phase:

Proposed regional project on UNDP Support to Implementation of 8 Point Agenda in the Western Balkan Region aims to support the mainstreaming of both gender equality and crisis prevention and recovery considerations. The project is guided by the UNDP Eight-Point Agenda for Gender Equality in Crisis Prevention (8PA), with holistic approach though Point Three “