Regular resources report 2020

In 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic ballooned from a global health emergency into a socioeconomic crisis, making the case for flexible, reliable regular resources stronger than before. Thanks to the generosity of our partners who provide regular (core) resources, UN Women was able to draw global, regional and national attention to the many gender dimensions of the pandemic as soon as they emerged.

UN Women received USD 166 million in regular resource contributions. This report analyses how UN Women has used regular resource contributions to fulfill its normative, coordination, and operational activities. Through the presentation of tangible results, this report presents case studies to showcase the impact that regular resources have in the countries where UN Women is present. 

Enabled by 2020 funding to regular resources, UN Women was able to face the “shadow pandemic” of violence against women and girls that erupted during lockdowns. For example, UN Women in Ecuador worked with the Humanitarian Country Team on gender-based violence and child protection training that resulted in 72 service providers from 38 cities improving service response times for victims. Moreover, UN Women’s advocacy was instrumental in putting gender equality at the centre of the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, which, as of March 2021, had approved projects in 69 countries with a total value of USD 73.5 million.

The 2020 report recognises the value of regular resource contributions, as these unrestricted funds enable UN Women to continue as the only global institution fully dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment.