LocationsSouth Africa
Gender and Women's Empowerment
LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND
Gender equality, centered on human rights, is both a development goal on its own and a critical factor for achieving sustainable development. It underlies one of the guiding principles of the 2030 Agenda for Development – the concept of 'leaving no one behind'.
UNDP supports partners to eliminate gender inequalities through targeted, gender-focused programmes and by working to ensure that all development efforts take into account the experiences, needs, and contributions of women. By removing structural barriers to gender equality and promoting women’s participation in the decisions that affect their lives, success in eradicating poverty and inequality, building resilience to disasters, climate change, and conflict, and driving sustainable development can be achieved.
UNDP believes that the gender inequalities and discriminatory attitudes and practices that hold women back must be confronted and eliminated, if we are to leave no one behind. In these efforts, UNDP works with governments and key UN partners, including UN Women, UNFPA, and UNICEF, as well as with civil society organizations, foundations, academia and the private sector.
To assist South Africa’s realization of the constitutional value, UNDP supports the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and development aligned with other gender equality initiatives like Beijing Declaration (1995), Convention on all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW, 1979), and National Strategic Plan for Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (2019).
Gender Mainstreaming in Programmes
We promote an integrated approach that tackles the connected issues of multidimensional poverty, inequality and exclusion, and sustainability, while enhancing knowledge, skills and production technologies with focus on youth and women empowerment as pathways to reducing poverty and inequalities. Our goal is to strengthen capacities and provide an enabling environment for access to opportunities, focusing on women, youth, people with disabilities, and other marginalised groups – in ways that are sustainable from economic, social and environmental standpoints
We support the peacebuilding, social cohesion, promote the rule of law and access to justice, citizen security and human rights. We assist governments in strengthening their public institutions, promote gender responsive policy and budgeting, help countries reduce corruption and support inclusive and equitable participation to ensure that no one is left behind.
The support to the South African on climate change and disaster resilience is shaped by three important global agreements: the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. UNDP works with countries to help them reduce greenhouse gases, advance a long-term goal of zero-carbon development, and adopt nature-based solution to increase livelihood especially for women and vulnerable groups.
Some gender highlights include;
Gender-Based Violence (GBV): UNDP organized two awareness campaigns (Orange Day and Not in My Name) across 7 GBV hotspot provinces, reaching 2,000 community members. We also supported the development of a National Strategic Plan for GBVF crisis (2021).
Social Cohesion: UNDP built capacity of 100 women leaders in Rural KwaZulu-Natal on peace-building, resulting in empowered peacebuilders contributing to safer communities (2023). The Country Office supported the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC)
in developing National Human Rights Charter on HIV, TB, and STIs (2022/2023).Governance: UNDP trained 51 election observers through a UNDP-developed gender module, ensuring gender parity in observer mission to Zimbabwe elections (2022/23). We launched the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions, with 19 departments vowing to participate (2022/23). We also supported Parliament of South Africa in developing Women’s Charter for Accelerated Development (2021).
Nature, Climate, and Energy: Mainstreamed gender into the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE)'s Nationally determined contributions. We trained staff on gender mainstreaming in protected area management (2022). Our Just Energy Transition programmes integrated gender, training women in energy sector and equipping them with skills for economic opportunities (2022/2023/2024).
Disaster Risk Reduction: Supported 699 women informal traders affected by COVID-19 (2021). Provided sex-disaggregated accommodation for flood victims in KZN contributing Wendy houses and provided recovery grants to female informal traders (2022).
Inclusive Growth: The Country Office implemented skills training programmes for women in the automotive industry and supported female-owned SMMEs in the network service provision industry. We have supported over 500 female entrepreneurs in various entrepreneurship support initiatives through seed/grant funding and business training (2020-2024).
