Barun Gurung, Lead WOCAN Trainer, facilitated the workshop for Strengthening IUCN Asia Regional Office (ARO) Capacity as an Enabling Organization for Gender-Responsive Development on 19-20 February in Bangkok, Thailand. The two-day workshop provided an opportunity for senior IUCN Asia managers to conduct an organizational assessment and identify key actions for strengthening IUCN as an organization with the essential enabling environment for supporting gender-responsive programming across the Asia Region. The 25 participants (18 men and 7 women) were Senior Management of IUCN Asia Regional Office, Country Representatives from South Asia and South East Asia and Mangroves for the Future Management Team and Gender Advisory Panel Member.
The workshop provided the rationale and basic awareness for gender integrated planning processes, but most importantly, it focused on supporting managers in assessing and developing IUCN to be a strong organization and facilitator of gender-responsive development. Participants conducted the organizational analysis, SWOT analysis and development gender action plans for their programs.