UNDP supports partners to develop and implement policies, advocacy, and legal reforms to accelerate women's equal participation in decision-making, from the household to the community, to national parliaments, peace processes and global forums.

The strategy includes promoting women's participation as voters and candidates in electoral processes and supporting women's representation in political institutions, including constitutional committees, parliaments, public administrations, and the judiciary.

UNDP also promotes women's leadership and participation at local and regional levels in decision-making that directly affects them and their communities, such as climate change mitigation and adaptation, disaster risk reduction, conflict mitigation, mediation and peacebuilding.

Women need to contribute to decision-making that affects their lives and benefit from the process of democracy.  Parity democracy proposes a new model of an inclusive state, as proposed by the 2030 Agenda, and a new social pact where substantive equality between men and women is a reality.

Institutionality 

In the last 25 years there have been very significant democratic advances in Latin America and the Caribbean. Women's movements have historically pushed for the achievement of greater levels of equality for women, an endeavor in which public policies represent an essential tool for the development of new conditions promoting equality and the strengthening of democratic principles.

In this sense, policies focused on mainstreaming processes must recognize and evaluate the gender-differentiated impact of the State's actions and broaden its institutional scope of action in terms of gender equality. This includes addressing gender dimensions from the initial stages of the decision-making process to the implementation phase, in an attempt to have an impact on goals, strategies and the distribution of resources, and to seek a substantive transformation in the operationalization of policies and programs.

Women's political participation and parity 

Contemporary democracy -in a context of structural inequalities, which have worsened and/or resulted from the COVID 19 pandemic- faces the challenge of narrowing the gap between formal equality and substantive equality, in order to advance towards a horizon of democratic parity. 

In order to contribute to the effective exercise by women of their political rights under conditions of equality and non-discrimination, as well as to contribute to the achievement and consolidation of parity democracy, the initiative ATENEA is being implemented. This initiative is jointly developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

Migration 

The increasing feminization of migration and the continued reproduction and exploitation of gender inequalities highlight the importance of addressing migratory processes from a gender perspective. UNDP has previously worked with the ILO in this field, most recently in the "Regional Strategy for Socioeconomic Integration" (ILO, UNDP) which was enriched with the contributions of the agencies that are part of the Integration Sector of the Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants of Venezuela (R4V). This strategy is aimed at the main host countries of the refugee and migrant population from Venezuela in order to promote social dialogue in this area, reduce the levels of socioeconomic vulnerability of refugees and other migrants from Venezuela, maximize the contribution of this population to the economies of host countries and promote social cohesion through initiatives that also benefit the host communities.

Response to VAWG 

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) in all its forms is a human rights violation. It compromises the physical, social and economic autonomy of women and affects society as a whole. For UNDP, combating violence against women, adolescents and girls is a key requirement for ensuring effective governance for all[1]. 

UNDP adopts a comprehensive, intersectional, multi-sectoral and multidimensional approach. It supports governments in formulating legal frameworks and evidence-based public policies and in building the capacities of governments, civil society organizations and the private sector to prevent, respond and end impunity, as well as ensure equal access to justice.

These actions are carried out through a consolidated portfolio of programs and projects to respond to VAWG. The United Nations and European Union Spotlight Initiative in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Secretary General's UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign, Project Infosegura and Project Caribsecure are some of our flagship initiatives in this area. 

Learn more about the Spotlight-UNDP Webinar Series in the framework of November 25 and the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence here.

[1] UNDP Regional Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean (2022-2025).