Top government partners

In 2021, UN Women received more than 50 per cent of its funds from its top 10 government partners. These long-term partnerships are particularly valuable, as predictable and continuous support helps UN Women to grow and plan strategically. In partnership with governments around the world, UN Women delivers for women and girls, and seeks equality for all.

Here are the top government partners for UN Women:

The Government of Australia is a longstanding champion of gender equality working at domestic and international levels for the rights of women and girls. As UN Women’s largest funding partner in the Pacific and one of the 12 countries with a National Committee for UN Women, Australia supports a range of initiatives to enhance women’s economic empowerment, strengthen women’s leadership, and address high rates of violence against women in the region. The Government of Australia has joined the Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence. In 2021, Australia was UN Women’s eighth largest government contributor in total as well as the ninth largest government contributor to regular resources with USD 6 million and the fifth largest government contributor to other resources with USD 16.4 million.

Canada and UN Women share an important commitment to gender equality. A clear demonstration of this commitment is Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy. Canada actively participated in the Generation Equality Forum, including co-leadership of the Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership. In 2021, the Government of Canada also joined the action coalitions on Gender-Based Violence; Bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and Economic justice and rights as well as became a signatory to the Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action (WPS-HA) Compact. In 2021, Canada was UN Women’s fifth largest government contributor in total. Canada was the eleventh largest government contributor to regular resources with USD 5.1 million and the third largest government contributor to other resources with USD 21.6 million.

UN Women and the European Union (EU) have been collaborating to empower and protect the rights of women and girls since UN Women was established. Following the signing of a partnership agreement in 2012, the cooperation has deepened at all levels. UN Women is one of the core agencies of the  Spotlight Initiative, a global, multi-year initiative by the EU and the United Nations, focused on eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls. Moreover, the EU is co-leading the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence. In 2021, the EU was the second largest contributor to UN Women in total and other resources with USD 50.6 million.

As a longstanding champion of gender equality, Finland was a key advocate among Member States for the establishment of UN Women and remains a key partner as it co-leads the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Technology and Innovation for Gender Equality. In 2021, the Government of Finland joined the Action Coalition on Bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and became a signatory to the Women, Peace & Security and Humanitarian Action (WPS-HA) Compact. In 2022, the Nordic Council of Ministers made a joint commitment under the Action Coalition on Feminist Action for Climate Justice to move from gender-blind to gender-just climate action. Finland is one of the 12 countries with a National Committee for UN Women. In 2021, Finland was the largest regular resources contributor with USD 18 million, the seventh largest government contributor to other resources with USD 11.5 million and the third largest government contributor in total with USD 29.5 million. Finland’s cooperation with UN Women has grown increasingly stronger, and UN Women’s mandate and work correspond closely with the priorities of the Finnish Development Policy, which includes particular emphasis on the rights of women and girls.

Since the establishment of UN Women, Germany has been an active and engaged partner to advance the mandate and work of the organization. With its strong focus on multilateralism, Germany is a co-lead of the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Economic Justice and Rights. In 2021, the Government of Germany joined the Action Coalitions on Gender-Based Violence and Bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as well as became a signatory to the Women, Peace & Security and Humanitarian Action (WPS-HA) Compact. Germany is a strong proponent of trilateral cooperation under the Team Europe Approach and one of the 12 countries with a National Committee for UN Women. Germany has steadily increased its financial contributions to UN Women. As UN Women’s sixth largest government contributor in total in 2021, Germany contributed to regular and other resources with USD 16.7 million and USD 9.7 million respectively.

Japan emphasizes women’s economic empowerment and workplace participation as a tenet of Japan’s ongoing economic policy reform and as a strategic priority of Japan’s development cooperation. Since 2014, Japan has steadily increased its contributions to UN Women and in 2021, Japan was the ninth largest government contributor in total with USD 21.2 million. Japan was the fourth largest government contributor to other resources with USD 17.5 million. Japan and UN Women’s priorities align in several areas: ending sexual violence in conflict, the promotion of a gender-responsive infrastructure, and girls’ education and women’s leadership, especially in disaster risk reduction. In 2021, the Government of Japan joined the Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence and became a signatory to the Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action (WPS-HA) Compact. Japan is one of the 12 countries with a National Committee for UN Women.

Norway prioritizes the rights of women and girls in national and development policies and is a strong supporter of UN Women. In 2021, Norway was the fourth largest government contributor in total as well as the seventh largest government contributor to regular resources with USD 11.9 million and the sixth largest government contributor to other resources with USD 15 million. Apart from the financial support to the organization, the Government of Norway is a strategic political ally for enhanced coordination of gender equality in the UN system, with other Member States for more streamlined support to intergovernmental processes and to regional and national processes, impacting women and their communities. The Government of Norway is a member of the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Bodily Autonomy and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and signatory to the Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action (WPS-HA) Compact. In 2022, the Nordic Council of Ministers made a joint commitment under the Action Coalition on Feminist Action for Climate Justice to move from gender-blind to gender-just climate action.

Sweden has long been a strong supporter of gender equality initiatives in the United Nations and is the first country to adopt a feminist foreign policy. Besides being one of the 12 countries with a National Committee for UN Women, the Government of Sweden is the largest financial supporter of UN Women and an important strategic partner. In 2021, Sweden was the largest contributor in total, the fifth largest contributor to regular resources with USD 12.6 million and the largest contributor to other resources with USD 50.9 million. The partnership was further strengthened with the signing of a multi-year funding agreement in November 2021, whereby Sweden committed SEK 600 million (approximately USD 70 million) in regular resources to UN Women for a four-year period, a 12 per cent increase from the previous 2018-2021 agreement. The Government of Sweden co-leads the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Economic Justice and Rights. In 2021, the Government of Sweden joined these other Action Coalitions on Bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and Feminist movements and leadership as well as became a signatory to the Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action (WPS-HA) Compact. In 2022, the Nordic Council of Ministers made a joint commitment under the Action Coalition on Feminist Action for Climate Justice to move from gender-blind to gender-just climate action.

Switzerland continues to be a strong champion of gender equality engaging with UN Women around issues of equal pay, women’s economic and political empowerment, and ending violence against women and girls. The Swiss Government is at the forefront of reducing and eliminating the gender pay gap, ensuring that national measures are in place to make the principle of equal pay for work of equal value for women and men a standard practice. During the Generation Equality Forum in Paris, Switzerland joined the Action Coalition on Economic Justice and Rights and made significant commitments to advance women’s economic empowerment. In 2021, Switzerland was UN Women’s second largest government contributor of regular resources with USD 17.4 million and the seventh largest government contributor in total with USD 23.1 million.

The United States of America is a strong proponent of gender equality as exemplified through the recent release of its first ever all-of-government strategy on Gender Equity and Equality in 2021. The US Government joined the Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence, Economic Justice and Rights, Bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and became a signatory to the Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action (WPS-HA) Compact. The US is one of the 12 countries with a National Committee for UN Women. In 2021, the US was the fourth largest government contributor to regular resources with USD 14.9 million and the tenth largest government contributor in total with USD 19.7 million.