System-wide strategy on gender parity

UN Secretary-General António Guterres launched the “System-wide strategy on gender parity” in mid-September 2017. This strategy includes recommended actions to reach gender parity by 2028. It covers, among others, targets and accountability, special measures, enabling environment, senior appointments, and mission settings.

Achieving gender parity is an urgent priority, not only as a basic human right, but also as it is essential to the United Nations’ efficiency, impact and credibility. The United Nations, as the principal international standard-setting institution, bears a special responsibility to lead by example and leave no one behind. It has a pivotal role in supporting the full, effective and accelerated implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action.

UN Women is committed to supporting the UN system to reach gender parity, based on its mandate to lead, promote and coordinate efforts to advance the full realization of women’s rights and opportunities. Implementation, follow-up and monitoring progress are keys for achieving gender parity.

Related publications

Make parity a reality: Field-specific enabling environment guidelines
These field-specific enabling environment guidelines provide tailored guidance for personnel in the field, especially in mission settings, to help increase the representation of women and accelerate efforts to reach gender parity in the UN system. Read more ►
 

System-wide strategy on gender parity
The “United Nations’ system-wide strategy on gender parity” provides a roadmap to reach parity at the senior levels of leadership in the organization by 2021, and across the board by 2028. In particular, it covers targets and accountability, special measures, an enabling environment, senior appointments, and mission settings. Read more ►

System-wide strategy on gender parity: UN Women implementation plan
This implementation plan will guide UN Women to move forward with the recommended actions of the “System-wide strategy on gender parity”. The strategy includes six UN Women–specific recommendations. UN Women is also committed to other and more general recommendations of the gender parity strategy. Furthermore, UN Women will assist and offer its expertise to other UN entities to the maximum extent possible. Read more ►

Enabling environment guidelines for the United Nations system and Supplemental guidance
These guidelines will support efforts to create a working environment that embraces equality, eradicates bias, and is inclusive of all staff. They include good practices and recommendations on workplace flexibility, family-friendly policies, and standards of conduct, as well as on recruitment and talent management. Read more ►

  

How can we reach gender parity at the United Nations by 2028? A collection of good practices to mark five years of the Secretary-General’s System-wide Strategy on Gender Parity
This booklet celebrates the achievements of the System-wide Strategy on Gender Parity and the progress made since 2017. It demonstrates how joint efforts in UN entities will bring about concrete results, better working environments, and gender parity and equality. Entities across the United Nations have reached significant milestones, such as updated policies and practices to attract, recruit, and promote women, and improved work environments to support greater inclusion. Read more ►

External review of the Secretary-General’s 2017 System-wide Strategy on Gender Parity
This external review, prepared by Gender at Work and CRTD.A, provides an external perspective on the progress made in enhancing gender parity within the UN system. Read more ►