This UNwomen publication aims to build knowledge on women’s representation in national delegations to meetings of the United Nations and of other international organizations’ governing bodies and their leadership roles in these meetings. It is based in part on responses to a questionnaire sent in October 2016 to members of the United Nations Governing Bodies Secretariat and of the International Gender Champions–Geneva to assess women’s participation in different intergovernmental processes. The survey sought input on the various policies and strategies that agencies use to track and improve women’s participation in their processes. Although the results of the survey may not be representative of all United Nations organizations, they have yielded important information on the current policies and practices in the 23 entities that participated.
The publication sets the context by outlining existing intergovernmental and inter-agency frameworks and then reviews trends in women’s participation in national Governments and intergovernmental forums. It highlights best practices in promoting women’s participation at different levels – national and multilateral – and provides a set of recommendations to increase the participation of women in meetings of the United Nations and of other international organizations’ governing bodies. It is intended to be used as an education and advocacy tool to promote gender parity in delegations and international decision-making. It can empower a wide range of gender champions to advocate gender equality and gender balance across their networks.
Source: UNWomen
