Shaping the international agenda II: Progress on raising women’s voices in intergovernmental forums

Women’s full and equal participation in all decision-making processes is necessary to achieve gender equality and drive progress towards sustainable development. A follow up to Shaping the international agenda publication: Raising women's voices in intergovernmental forums (2017), this publication is a useful tool to raise awareness and promote gender parity in intergovernmental bodies and processes.

The second edition of “Shaping the international agenda” updates the findings and recommendations based on survey responses received from members of the United Nations Governing Bodies Secretariat (UNGBS) in 2020. The survey results demonstrate progress made by the secretariats of the United Nations governing bodies on implementing actions under seven categories of recommendations:

  1. explicit policies and mandated targets,
  2. tracking and reporting,
  3. training and capacity building,
  4. financial support,
  5. advocacy and networking,
  6. communications strategies, and, a new area of focus since the previous report,
  7. initiatives addressing sexual misconduct.

As in Shaping the international agenda: Raising women's voices in intergovernmental forums, this report concludes with recommendations to further enhance gender parity goals directed at three important groups of actors: the UNGBS; Member States of the United Nations; and ministers, ambassadors, heads of organizations and other senior officials. Ultimately, it is joint, complementary, sustained and co- ordinated efforts that will help achieve the full, effective and equal participation of women in decision-making processes.

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