UNDP Fiji MCO

has achieved the Gold Gender Equality Seal Certification!

UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji MCO has shown co-ownership of gender equality across programmes and operations, and the accelerator lab has contributed to finding innovative solutions to address the root causes of gender inequalities in the Pacific Islands. UNDP Fiji MCO has achieved transformational results throughout the Pacific Islands, with national partners from government, civil society and the private sector praising the office’s pivotal role in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. 

“We are immensely proud to receive the Gender Equality Gold Seal for our transformative gender-focused efforts at UNDP Pacific. This recognition stands as a testament to our unwavering commitment to integrating gender equality into every facet of our programmatic activities, while also serving as a poignant reminder of the journey that lies ahead. We understand that achieving gender equality is not a destination, but an ongoing voyage and we will continue to ensure that our actions foster fairness, empower individuals, and contribute to a more equitable world for all” 

– Munkhtuya (Tuya) Altangerel, Resident Representative, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji

Some key achievements include:

Enhancing women’s voice, agency, and decision-making:

Supporting marginalized young women Solomon Islanders participation in youth caucuses, and social entrepreneurship training, which have resulted in structural change in communities with young women gaining a more meaningful role in communities and shifts in social behaviours towards women’s participation in community-based activities.

Advancing women’s representation and power in politics

UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji MCO supported the first woman elected to the Vanuatu parliament since 2008; an increase from zero to three women were elected in Tonga; two women were elected in Naura; six women were elected in Fiji; and one woman was elected to Congress in FSM.

Much of these achievements were made possible due to the MCO’s capacity to influence and implement national policies, such as the Electoral Bill in Vanuatu, which now mandates gender balance of elected officials.

Reducing women’s vulnerability and strengthening their resilience

Ensuring climate change resilience by designing and making available gender responsive climate insurance products, and supporting women’s access to clean energy, particularly those in remote islands. The MCO has also engendered the NDCs.

Breaking barriers in women’s access to income

UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji MCO is enhancing women’s roles in non-traditional areas, including anti-corruption initiatives, and natural resource management, including male dominated areas such as fisheries. They are also building the financial literacy for over 4,000 women micro-entrepreneurs.

Select good practices and innovations in advancing foundational elements of gender equality: 

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In the area of communications, there is a strong emphasis on creating a new narrative on the roles of women in non-traditional areas, such as women in fisheries. 

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The Accelerator Lab works as the innovation engine that uses data-driven advocacy campaigns to initiate behavioral change against gender-based violence in the Pacific, which holds the promise of igniting positive spillovers and transformative change.   

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In the area of recruitment, the MCO has developed a Guideline for Gender-sensitive Recruitment Process that has been internalized and systematically used by the HR team.  

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In the area of programming, the MCO has demonstrated instances of successful cross pollination between portfolios in addressing gender inequalities particularly in non-traditional areas such as the intersection of gender with the right to information, corruption, public financing, and food security. 

 
“What Gender Seal meant for us is a transformation of the institutional culture to be more aware of gender equality issues and we see the same transformation in our programming results” 

– Yemesrach Workie, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji

“We work with communities that are far for government to reach and in these communities we are trying to break cycle of silence, giving a voice to women, and bringing them to the forefront of community decisions” 

– Salesi Savu, Project Coordinator Rights and Cohesion project, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji