UNDP Nepal's continued efforts to promote gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) have resulted in significant progress across various areas of socio-economic transformation, governance, federalism, participation and inclusion and resilience.

Social & Economic Transformation:

• As part of the COVID response, UNDP and Nepal Tourism Board collaborated to provide short term employment opportunities.  Over 1,400 people, including 569 women, were trained in 10 tourism sectors.
• UNDP has been contributing on skills training and entrepreneurship. UNDP led 18400 employment opportunities programme benefitted 80,000 people and out of them 48 % are women.  
• Through UNDP’s Cooperative Market Development Programme, over 48,5000 cooperative members, 52% women, benefitted from improved market access, technology and transport support. Over 39,000 smallholder farmers (53% women) have improved access to technology, agriculture inputs and markets through improved collection centres, cold storage, mobile market, post-harvest management and transportation, resulting in increased production of fruits and vegetables.

Governance, Federalism, Participation and Inclusion:

• The support provided to the Election Commission has led to more gender-responsive and socially inclusive elections, with women securing 41.2%, 36.4%, and 33.8% of positions at the local, provincial, and federal levels, respectively.
• UNDP's advocacy efforts have also contributed to amendments in laws related to sexual violence, including an increase in the statute of limitation for reporting rape cases from one to two years for adults.
• UNDP supported the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) to develop a guideline to implement the Innovative Partnership Fund and the Strategy on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion. Now being used by over 400 local bodies, the Strategy is effectively promoting inclusion in the planning, monitoring and reporting at the local governments.  
• In 2022, working alongside the Government, UNDP introduced and expanded new solutions to address socio-economic vulnerability such as provision of temporary basic income, directly benefiting 1,500 vulnerable women from marginalized groups.
• Gender analysis has guided planning and programming for provincial and local plans and strategies, resulting in more GESI-responsive policies, plans, and budgets. Furthermore, the adoption of a GESI Policy in Karnali Province aims to strengthen institutional mechanisms for integrating gender into its budgets and programmes.  
• Cabinet endorsed the second National Action Plan for the Implementation of United National Security Resolution 1325 and 1820 and its subsequent Resolutions on Women, Peace, and Security (2022-2025). The document was the result of UNDP, UN Women, and other participating UN agencies in collaboration with the conflict victims’ groups and in lead of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the government of Nepal.
• UNDP also worked in collaboration with various institutions including the National Women Commission and supported to finalize the five-year strategic plan for the commission, the analysis of local election (May 2022) that guided the advocacy work of the Commission for the increased women and other marginalized groups representation in the upcoming federal and provincial election.
• Nepal’s policy and institutional mechanisms for integrating gender-responsive NDC Implementation Plan for climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and environmental management were significantly strengthened this year, notably through a number of high-level international processes supported by UNDP.

Resilience

• Aligned with the new CPD priorities of enhancing resilience of women, youth and most marginalized and poor, the Resilience Portfolio has prioritized activities that aims at enhancing resilience of local governments through gender-responsive DRR plans and climate-risk informed plans, prioritized support to targeted vulnerable communities, women and women-owned enterprises.
•  UNDP Nepal has prepared Monsoon Preparedness and Response Plan maps of at-risk populations including pregnant women, nursing mothers, women, senior citizen and persons with disability (PwD) and prioritizes cluster-specific preparedness and response actions targeting these populations. A participatory and inclusive approach was adopted to ensure inclusive and gender-responsive Provincial and Local Level Plans and Strategies. 
• 4 Local Level governments adopted gender response Local Level Integrated Watershed Management Operational Guideline.
• A Sex, Age, Disability and Diversity Data (SADDD) Monitoring Framework has been prepared that will contextualize the difference and inequalities of conditions. In collaboration with UN Women, a resource kit for Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion Mainstreaming in DRR, and Women’s safety Audit has been prepared.
• NDC Implementation Plan priorities for gender-disaggregated data collection and progress reporting of the achievements of the NDC. 
• The Mustang Declaration calls for action based on protection and promotion of human rights and dignity and collective action at local, national, national and global level for special focus on indigenous people (IP), women, youths and children. The declaration also outlines mobilization of finance for gender equity, equality and empowerment and strengthening social protection schemes targeting women to cover for climate vulnerability.

• 51,853 people including 18,719 female, 1222 dalits, 5,775 janjatis and 11 majhi population directly benefitted from ecosystems services through promotion of nature-based solutions that facilitates watershed restoration and rehabilitation, plantations and water use and reuse systems.

  
  Others

• In partnership with Advertisement Board, over 30 private sector representatives working on advertising industry were oriented on gender-responsive advertisement and a social media campaign was launched to raise awareness among the public on gender-responsive ads.  
• A dedicated TV programme in partnership with AP1 television documented and broadcast inspirational stories of struggle and success of women leaders from across sectors including journalism, entrepreneurship, politics and civil service to over half a million audience.  
• Poetry competitions at the provincial and national levels provided a platform for poets to express their ideas on gender equality and social inclusion. The multi-country poetry recitation increased awareness about the need for gender equality and social inclusion across borders.

Change Stories

• How energy is transforming communities in Bajura
• Temporary Basic Income: A novelapproach to coping with the crisis & gender disparities in Nepal
• How UNDP's initiative in sustainable waste management is promoting inclusion
• Using digital banking to empower rural women entreprenuers
• Teenage trainer Laxmi helps Returnee Migrants become Electricians
• A land of my own
• Women River Guides: Paddling to the top
• Finding hope in times of darkness
• Reconstruction with values allows Gorkha to heal in many ways
• Dev Kumari Sadas dream has come true
• Trail and a Tale
• In Nepal's High mountains greenhouses help ensure food security
• Women driving economic transformation of Nepali villages

Publications