Improving institutionalization of gender mainstreaming practices into national policies

Project background:

The Kyrgyz Republic has taken a number of international critical responsibilities concerning the human rights on its own, ratifying, as well, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Convention on the Political Rights of Women, The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, ILO and European Social Charter Conventions, Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and UN Security Council Resolutions № 1325, 1820. Provisions of the given international documents are implemented into state legislation: the Constitution of the KR states that men and women in the Kyrgyz Republic have equal rights and freedoms, equal opportunities for their realization (part 4, art. 16); Act on “State guarantees of equal rights and opportunities for men and women” has been adopted; relevant gender provisions are included in other laws. For the realization of gender equality protection responsibilities, the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic has adopted National strategy for achievement of gender equality until 2020. In order to address gender equality and mainstreaming issues effectively, the State Council of gender development under the Government of the KR has been established, that reinforced the gender policy realization in strategic documents.

UNDP gender mainstreaming project aims to assist the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic (KR) in introducing gender mainstreaming methodology in the national policies through UNDP programme activities, to promote the gender equality efforts in all sectors of the society. This important process focuses to mainstreaming gender in Sustainable Development Goals.

Expected outcomes:

By 2022, institutions at all levels are more accountable and inclusive ensuring justice, human rights, gender equality and sustainable peace for all.

By 2022, social protection, health and education systems are more effective and inclusive, and provide quality services.

Project key actions:

1) Assistance to the Government in implementation of gender tasks of the National Programme on Sustainable Development,  implementation and monitoring of National Gender Strategy for 2012-2020 and it’s National Action Plan for 2018-2020 (Gender NAP), the National Action Plan on UN SC Resolution 1325 and assisting UN Women Country Office in CEDAW reporting;

2) Capacity development of UNDP national partners from state institutions and civil society on implementation of international and national commitments on gender equality and women’s rights, partnership and networking;

3) Assistance to Ministry of Labor and Social Development in implementation of Gender NAP task “Rising awareness on women’s political leadership”;    

4) Introduction of advanced and cross-sectoral approach on gender mainstreaming methodology at all levels of UNDP programming, including area-based development;    

5) Strengthening partnerships with UN Agencies and other development agencies to support country goals on gender equality.

Current achievements:

• Provided support to the National Gender Machinery (MLSD) in development and endorsement of the National Action Plan on gender equality 2018-2020 (together with other UN agencies), the National Action Plan on 1325 2018-2020, technical support in drafting the CEDAW report (2019) and technical support in institutionalization of gender mainstreaming into MLSD (2018)
• Provided expert support to develop a draft law on establishing 30% gender quota at the local levels and, with the help of women’s movement, on March 8, 2018, an advocacy campaign with participation of 100 women from local parliaments was held. As a result, the law was endorsed by the Parliament and has passed the 1^st hearings.
• UNDP Gender program assisted significantly to include the measures to the National Action Plan on 1325 (endorsed in November, 2018) and in the National Action Plan on Gender Equality (endorsed in December, 2018). As for the high level policy intervention, UNDP has managed to introduce the commitment of the government by the decision of the National Advisory on Sustainable Development to endorse the Strategy of the electoral legislation improvement 2018-2020, signed by the President.
• On UN Resolution 1325, the Parliament was trained on international practice and methodology to oversight functions in implementation of the Women Peace and Security agenda, as a result the members of Parliament visited electorate in 7 oblasts during the regional forums to discuss the issues of women participating in peacebuilding with more than 550 participants in November – 2018- February 2019.
• ro-bono services introduced first time ever to support SGBV/GBV victims and survivors in Kyrgyzstan. More than 20 high profile GBV cases were resolved in a favor of victims, including tragic case of Burulai in 2017-2018.
• On bride-kidnapping gender program has developed 8 bylaws to support the Law on prohibiting religious marriages with underage, 1 bylaw co-supported with UNFPA. In addition, special interventions with participation of religious leaders conducted to raise awareness through Friday prayers on the consequences of early marriage. For 6 moths, from 2018 to 2019, 20 faith leaders- women and men delivered over 100 sermons and conducted more than 100 events for 32 thousand people in seven regions of the Kyrgyz Republic.
• General public awareness campaign on early marriages issues and on Law implementation conducted in 24 remote cross border areas of Batken, Jalalabad and Osh, through civil society campaigns reaching out specific communities challenged by strong stereotypes and norms. 873 (506 women, 367 men) participated in project activities, informed on regulatory legal acts protecting the rights of girls from early marriages.  In total 122,500 indirect beneficiaries were reached out by informational campaigns in 2018.
• UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic, under the common chapter has led the United Nations sub-regional conference, “Turning policies into action: eliminating gender-based violence against women and girls in Central Asia,” on 5-6 November 2018. Co-organized by UN Women, UNFPA and UNICEF. It brought together representatives of parliaments, ministries, the judiciary, national human rights bodies and civil society organizations from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Regional and international legal experts, representatives of UN and other global and regional organizations, the European Union and bilateral donors, academia and the media also took part in the discussions. As a result, the recommendations for action were developed for focused action by the regional centres of the four organizing UN agencies in addressing GBV with their national counterparts.
• Actively supported “16 Days of Activism against Gender-based violence" campaign to raise public awareness through 10 events organized at the national level and in the field with the coverage of at least 10,000 people, including women and youth in 2018.
• Gender program committed in strong cooperation with the civil society, in particular, women’s movements to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment agenda in Kyrgyzstan.
• Achieved mainstreaming gender into all projects and programmes of UNDP in allocation of at least 50% of the project budget to gender mainstreaming.
• Support for the development of publications on early marriage, bride kidnapping and prevention of gender-based violence; more than 10 informational and methodological manuals have been developed for all interested parties;  these manuals are also distributed as a package of social networks for public use.
• Supported production of the films on early marriage that gained several awards on the international festivals was transmitted via national TV, that covers around 5 million people and was used and disseminated in the fields for the informational campaigns.

Gender courses