Gender equality and the empowerment of women are at the heart of UNDP’s development mandate. First and foremost, gender equality is a matter of human rights. It is also a driver of development progress. Unless women and girls are able to fully realize their rights in all spheres of life, human development will not be advanced. With the Gender Equality Strategy 2014-2017, UNDP is well placed to ensure that gender equality and the empowerment of women are integrated into every aspect of its work to support countries to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities and exclusion.

UNDP Jamaica has established a Gender Focal Team, which comprises Asha Bobb-Semple, Taitu Heron, Sasha Shirley, Shelly Trim, Alethia Lambert,  led by Deputy Resident Representative, Dr. Elsie Laurence-Chounoune, to ensure an effective gender mainstreaming mechanism at the Country Office. The team will assist with the coordination of the office gender initiatives, provision of strategic leadership and management on gender mainstreaming, advocacy, policy support and capacity enhancement to ensure gender equality and women’s empowerment are achieved.

The Gender Focal Team will also promote organizational learning at individual and work unit levels on how to practically and effectively mainstream gender into policies, programmes, operations and structures of UNDP Jamaica Country Office and the implementing partners within the framework of existing programmatic support.