Family-friendly policies and other good workplace practices in the context of COVID-19: Key steps employers can take

Date: Friday, March 27, 2020

With many businesses struggling to survive as a consequence of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, loss of jobs and income and rising working poverty are a reality for many workers. This document offers (interim) recommendations for employers to mitigate the negative consequences stemming from COVID-19.

Feminist perspectives on the 2030 Agenda in Ecuador: Selective engagement, inclusions and omissions

Date: Thursday, March 26, 2020

This paper examines how the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has been integrated into the national debate on gender equality in Ecuador. It identifies which policies from the Agenda have been taken into account and which have been rejected. It also examines how the actors involved in clarifying the scope of these policies—women’s movements, sexual diversity organizations, public officials, and UN agencies—have coordinated their activities with the Agenda.

‘Our time, our rights’ poster series

Date: Thursday, March 19, 2020

On the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, using striking images and bold typography, this series of posters contrasts key gaps with concrete actions to close them, sending a graphic message that the commitments made 25 years ago can and must be met. The posters echo the call across generations of feminists, from those just joining the movement to those who brought Beijing to life.

Women in politics: 2020

Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2020

The “Women in politics: 2020” map, created by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women, presents global rankings for women in executive, government, and parliamentary positions as of 1 January 2020. It shows all-time highs for the number of countries with women Heads of State and/or Heads of Government, and for the global share of women ministers, parliamentary speakers, and parliamentarians.

Gender equality: Women’s rights in review 25 years after Beijing

Date: Thursday, March 5, 2020

Marking the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action, as well as the first time that progress on the implementation of the Platform is reviewed in light of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, this report takes an integrated approach to reporting on progress, gaps, and challenges related to the advancement of gender equality and women’s rights.

A new era for girls: Taking stock on 25 years of progress for girls

Date: Sunday, March 1, 2020

This report calls on global, national, and regional stakeholders to expand opportunities for girls and young women to be the changemakers and designers of the solutions to their challenges and opportunities; invest in the skills development of adolescent girls so they can compete in today’s labour market; improve girls’ health and nutrition; and end violence in all its forms against them.

Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces for Women and Girls Global Flagship Initiative: Second international compendium of practices

Date: Monday, February 24, 2020

This publication illustrates in a practical way how participating cities of the Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Global Initiative are working to implement women’s safety approaches through the lens of intersectionality. These include a range of women-led solutions, from the creation of data, to integrated policies with meaningful participation of women’s rights organizations, to urban planning solutions that prioritize minoritized women, and prevention initiatives addressing discriminatory behaviours.

Spotlight on SDG11: Harsh realities: Marginalized women in cities of the developing world

Date: Monday, February 17, 2020

This study, based on data from 59 low- and middle-income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Southern Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, finds that women and their families bear the brunt of growing income inequality and failures to adequately plan for and respond to rapid urbanization. The publication examines the effects of multidimensional poverty in urban areas, with women facing greater exposure to life in slum-like conditions than men.

Background paper: A synthesis of evidence on the collection and use of administrative data on violence against women

Date: Wednesday, February 5, 2020

To monitor progress on efforts to eliminate violence against women (VAW), quality, standardized data are needed. Administrative data can provide vital information to understand the issue, and to inform policy and programmes to present and respond to VAW. This background paper synthesizes current information on key issues and ongoing debates on the collection and use of VAW administrative data collected and managed by authorities and different types of service providers.

Regular resources report – Data and case studies from 2018

Date: Friday, January 31, 2020

This report analyses how UN Women has used regular resource contributions to fulfil its normative, coordination, and operational activities mandate, in order to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide. Through the presentation of tangible results, this report presents case studies at the global, regional, and country levels to showcase the impact that regular resources have in the countries where UN Women is present.

Investing in free universal childcare in the Republic of North Macedonia: Analysis of costs, short-term employment effects and fiscal revenue

Date: Friday, January 31, 2020

This paper examines the case for investing in free universal childcare services in North Macedonia in order to reduce gender inequality in employment, labour market activity and earnings; promote higher human capital through greater enrolment of children in early childhood learning and development; and ensure equal access to all children in formal childcare as to foster the life chances and well-being of young children.

Leaving no one behind: Access to social protection for all migrant women

Date: Monday, January 20, 2020

Social protection is a universal human right and a key element of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. While this right unequivocally applies to migrants, irrespective of migration status, migrant women in particular often remain excluded. Against this backdrop, this policy brief discusses the barriers that migrant women face in accessing social protection and provides recommendations for States to meet their obligation to overcome these, particularly in relation to health care, maternity protection and essential services for victims and survivors of violence.

The big conversation: Handbook to address violence against women in and through the media

Date: Thursday, December 5, 2019

Modern day society is surrounded by media (television, film, radio, print and social media); consuming information, entertainment and ever-increasing channels of communication. These platforms, and the content they deliver, present both unrelenting challenges and incredible opportunities for achieving gender equality and eliminating violence against women and girls. This handbook is designed to provide specific guidance on how to work with media for the achievement of these goals.

Transnational families, care arrangements and the state in Costa Rica and Nicaragua

Date: Thursday, December 5, 2019

This paper concerns the implications of migration within Central America for family life. Focusing on the case of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, it shows how Nicaraguan families develop strategies based on a history of informal and flexible caregiving. While these informal strategies allow families to navigate the challenges migration and family separation entail, they also contribute to continued vulnerability and reinforce the gendered burdens of caregiving within transnational families.

Enabling environment in action: Flexible working arrangements and inclusive engagement

Date: Monday, December 2, 2019

This report provides a summary of the 2019 Global Annual Meeting of Gender Focal Points and Focal Points for Women in the United Nations, organized in September 2019. It includes conclusions from the sessions and action points for accelerating gender parity efforts and implementing an enabling environment across the UN system. The report concludes with remarks by the UN Women Executive Director and recognition of good examples of implementing the “Enabling environment guidelines”.

Family-oriented cash transfers from a gender perspective: Are conditionalities justified?

Date: Thursday, November 21, 2019

This brief reviews a decade of feminist research on conditional cash transfers that has raised serious questions about the assumptions that underpin the use of conditionalities and their impact on poor women’s lives. It highlights concerns about the detrimental effects that conditionalities may have in contexts where quality public services are lacking and where multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination mean that well-intended programme requirements easily slip into coercive and disempowering implementation practices.

The effect of cash-based interventions on gender outcomes in development and humanitarian settings

Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2019

This discussion paper begins by presenting an overview of the latest research on cash transfers, gender protection, and empowerment outcomes. It continues by discussing some of the programme design features to consider when seeking to improve gender outcomes. Finally, the paper concludes with a set of research questions that can help shape future research and practice in this area.

Fiscal space for social protection: A handbook for assessing financing options

Date: Thursday, October 31, 2019

This handbook provides practical guidance, elaborated with case studies, on how additional fiscal space can be created for a universal social protection system. The analyses should help governments on how they can increase spending on priority sectors for women, children, and vulnerable groups.

TRANSFORM – The magazine for gender-responsive evaluation – Issue 17, October 2019

Date: Wednesday, October 30, 2019

This issue of TRANSFORM summarizes the corporate evaluation of UN Women’s contribution to humanitarian action as part of its Corporate Evaluation Plan. The evaluation assessed the relevance, appropriateness, effectiveness, efficiency, connectedness, and sustainability of UN Women’s approach to humanitarian action at global, regional, and country levels. The evaluation’s scope was from 2014 to the present, with a brief review of work conducted from 2011 to 2013.

TRANSFORM – The magazine for gender-responsive evaluation – Issue 16, September 2019

Date: Monday, September 30, 2019

This issue of TRANSFORM focuses on the meta-synthesis of UN Women evaluations completed during 2017 and 2018. The meta-synthesis reviewed and aggregated insights from 39 evaluation reports against selected development and organizational effectiveness and efficiency criteria. The issue also discusses internal and external enablers that drive or impede progress towards the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment.