| UNCT WORKING GROUP ON GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT
"Making the UNCT work for Women's
Empowerment and Gender Equality"
What is the UNCT Working Group on
Gender and Development?
T he UNCT Working Group on Gender and Development is the
lead mechanism of the UN Country Team (UNCT) in strategizing,
advocating, monitoring and coordinating gender related efforts
within the UN. It was created to provide leadership in promoting
gender mainstreaming in UNCT programmes and initiatives. It
also provides support in strengthening the capacity of UN
agencies to implement the UN ECOSOC mandate on "Mainstreaming
the gender perspective in all policies and programmes in the
United Nation System."
The Group maximizes global and national events to advocate
for women and girl child rights and strategic responses to
gender issues. It seeks out and create opportunities for the
continuing review of plans and policies that legitimizes,
ensures implementation and institutionalizes the allocation
of resources, monitoring and periodic assessment of gains
achieved on gender equality.
Who comprise the Working Group on
Gender and Development?
T he Group is composed of representatives from Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO),
International Labour Organization (ILO), Joint United
Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations RC
Advisor's Office (UN RC), World Bank (WB), United Nations
Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), World Health Organization
(WHO) and Asia Pacific Gender Equality Network (APGEN).
The group meets regularly to discuss the progress of its
work, recommend policies to UNCT, and coordinate related initiatives.
Most of its members are the designated gender focal point
of their respective agencies.
What are its plans and activities?
One of the technical roles assigned to the Group is to "assist/facilitate
the integration of GAD in: a) common country programming activities
beginning with the Common Country Assessment (CCA); b) UN
Development Assistance Framework; and c) UN Country Team joint
initiatives."
Toward this end, the Group is being assisted by the United
Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in planning and
carrying out activities that will build capacities for gender
mainstreaming and foster advocacies in other UNCT working
groups. This is being undertaken through the SPPD PHI/01/006
project entitled, "Assessment, Strategy Setting and Monitoring
and Evaluation of the Gender Dimensions of UNDP and UNCT programming
in the Philippines". The projects and activities for the year
are the following:
- Gender Assessment of the Development Situation
- Assessment of the gender dimension
of the Philippine development situation. The
GWG drew up a set of Key Gender Issues and Strategic Areas
for Action which will serve as a tool for identifying
coordinated planning and action. The report will
be used as reference in lobbying for gender mainstreaming
in various CCA working groups.
- Gender Assessment of Program and Institutional
Capacities of UNCT Agencies. - A
reflective agency driven exercise that aims to examine capacities
to confront development issues and pursue strategic actions
with gender and rights at the center.
- Development of UN Strategy Paper on Gender.
- A paper that will highlight the
possible agenda for action on gender by the UNCT and those
by in which UN agencies could support or partner with government,
donors and civil society organizations.
Other activities:
The Group, in partnership with UNIFEM, completed a GAD Training
Needs Assessment (TNA) that determined the capacity development
needs of programme managers and staff in the area of gender.
In this regard, UNIFEM provided technical assistance in the
conduct of the "Skills Training on Gender Assessment
for the UNDP Programme Staff and Partners" on 23 to 25
September 2002. Likewise, a GAD resource directory is being
developed to enable UN agencies to access potential partners
or technical support in its effort to promote gender in its
work.
Membership:
|
|
Name
|
Agency
|
Position
|
|
Dr. Nicholas Alipui
|
UNICEF
|
Representative/Lead Convenor
|
|
Ms.Mayvelyn B. Remigio
|
UNICEF
|
Assistant Project Officer
|
|
Ms.Sarah Lacson
|
FAO
|
Programme Assistant
|
|
Ms.Hilda Tidalgo
|
ILO
|
Programme Assistant (alt)
|
|
Ms.Naomi Cassirer
|
ILO
|
Gender Specialist
|
|
Dr. Emmanuel E. Buendia
|
UNDP
|
Portfolio Manager, Governance
|
|
Dr. Marlyn Borromeo
|
UNAIDS
|
Country Coordinator
|
|
Ms.Lourdes Quintos
|
UNAIDS
|
Programme Assistant
|
|
Dr. Jean Marc Olivé
|
WHO
|
Country Representative
|
|
Mr.Jose Tiburcio Nicolas
|
WB
|
Operations Officer
|
|
Ms.Anna L.Señga
|
UNRC
|
RC Advisor
|
|
