Resource Guide Gender Theme Groups Web

RESOURCE GUIDE
FOR GENDER
THEME GROUPS
Table of Contents
United Nations Development Group - 2018..................................................................... i
Abbreviations and Acronyms ...................................................................................................... ii
Boxes, Figures and Tables .......................................................................................................... iii
Acknowledgements.................................................................................................................... iv
1. Introduction and Context ........................................................................................................ 1
1.1 Background to the updated Resource Guide .................................................................................... 1
2. Menu of Key Functional Areas of Work ................................................................................... 4
2.1 Research and analysis ....................................................................................................................... 4
2.2 Support to UNDAF development and implementation .................................................................... 6
2.3 Support to gender mainstreaming across the 2030 Agenda ............................................................ 9
2.4 Promoting accountability of the UNCT on gender equality ............................................................ 12
2.5 Joint programmes ........................................................................................................................... 15
2.6 Policy, technical and normative support ........................................................................................ 18
2.7 Capacity development on gender mainstreaming.......................................................................... 21
2.8 Advocacy and communication campaigns ...................................................................................... 24
3. Structure and Operations of GTGs ........................................................................................ 27
3.1 Structural scenarios and implications ............................................................................................. 27
3.2 Support available for GTGs ............................................................................................................. 29
3.3 Leadership and composition ........................................................................................................... 31
3.4 Terms of reference, budget and annual work plan ........................................................................ 32
Annex 1. Glossary...................................................................................................................... 37
Annex 2. Template for GTG Terms of Reference ....................................................................... 39
Annex 3. Template for GTG Annual Work Plan .......................................................................... 41
Annex 4. Resources ................................................................................................................... 42
i
Abbreviations and Acronyms
CCA Common Country Assessment

CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
CSO Civil Society Organization
DaO Delivering as One
DRR Disaster Risk Reduction
ECOSOC Economic and Social Council
GBV Gender-based Violence
GETT Gender Equality Task Team
GEWE Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
GFP Gender Focal Point
GIG Gender Interagency Group
GRB Gender-Responsive Budgeting
GTG Gender Theme Group
HCT Humanitarian Country Team
HoA Head of Agency
HRBA Human Rights-Based Approach
JGP Joint Gender Programme
JP Joint Programme
LAC Latin American and the Caribbean
M&E Monitoring and Evaluation
NGO Non-Governmental Organization
NWM National Women’s Machinery
PGA Participatory Gender Audit
PNG Papua New Guinea
PSG Peer Support Group
QCPR Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review
RBM Results-based Management
RC Resident Coordinator
RGG Results Group on Gender
SDGs Sustainable Development Goals
SOPs Standard Operating Procedures
SSAT SWAP-Scorecard Assessment Team
ToC Theory of Change
ToR Terms of Reference
UN United Nations
UNCT United Nations Country Team
UNDAF United Nations Development Assistance Framework
UNDG United Nations Development Group
UPR Universal Periodic Review
UN-SWAP UN System-wide Action Plan
VAWG Violence Against Women and Girls
VVN Voice, Values and Norms
WCA West and Central Africa
ZUNDAF Zimbabwe United Nations Development Assistance Framework
ii
Boxes, Figures and Tables
Box 1. The Multiple-Track Approach to Gender Mainstreaming

Box 2. Production of Gender Briefs
Box 3. Engendering the Common Country Assessment in Albania
Box 4. Mainstreaming Gender into the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Roadmap
Box 5. Mainstreaming Gender into the Zimbabwe UNDAF (ZUNDAF)
Box 6. Mainstreaming Gender into the UNDAF: Serbia, Brazil and Guatemala
Box 7. Participatory Development of the UNCT Gender Mainstreaming Strategy in Zimbabwe
Box 8. Mainstreaming Gender Equality in Preparedness and Response in Nepal
Box 9. Regional Analysis and Guidance on Gender and the SDGs: ECA and LAC
Box 10. UNCT-SWAP Scorecard in Panama
Box 11. UNCT-SWAP Scorecard in Cameroon
Box 12. Participatory Gender Audit (PGA) in Azerbaijan
Box 13. Joint Programme on National Resilience in Bangladesh
Box 14. Regional Joint Programme in Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC)
Box 15. Checklist for Mainstreaming Gender, Culture and Human Rights in Annual Work Plans
Box 16. GTG Support to Normative Human Rights Reporting
Box 17. Linking Normative Developments with Operational Work in Albania
Box 18. Knowledge Products to Support Normative Work
Box 19. Gender Equality Self-Assessment in Mexico
Box 20. UNDAF Training Integrating Gender, Human Rights and the Environment
Box 21. Training on Gender Mainstreaming in Humanitarian and Resilience Programming
Box 22. Online and In-Person Training for Gender Focal Points in Colombia
Box 23. 16 Days of Activism in Tanzania
Box 24. Advocacy for National Gender priorities in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)
Box 25. Support to GTGs through Regional Gender Group
Box 26. Shared Responsibility for Chairing the GTG
Box 27. Extended Participation in GTGs
Box 28. GTG Budgets: Where do the Resources Go?
Figure 1. Sources of Support for GTGs at Global, Regional and Country Levels
Table 1. LAC Regional Interagency Gender Group 2016-2017 Work Plan
iii
Acknowledgements
The new UNDG Resource Guide for Gender Theme Groups makes available to UN staff
operating in the field a key knowledge resource for further enhancing coordinated action on
gender equality and the empowerment of women by UNCTs.
The structure and content of the Resource Guide address the evolving environment in which
interagency gender coordination mechanisms have been functioning at the country level in
support of gender mainstreaming within UNCTs. The Guide is anchored in the 2030 Agenda
for sustainable development and the new programming guidance for UNCTs. It provides a
menu of possible functional areas of focus of Gender Theme Groups based on real
experiences in the field, complemented by an extensive set of practical examples of their work.
Within the UNDG, the development of this new Guide was led by UN Women and UNFPA,
who also provided funding for the update. Michele Ribotta, adviser at the UN System
Coordination Division of UN Women, and Eva Johansson, former adviser at the Gender,
Human Rights and Culture Branch, Technical Division of UNFPA, coordinated the project and
provided guidance to Annalise Moser, the gender and development expert who conducted the
drafting and consolidation of the Resource Guide.
Special thanks go to regional experts from UN Women and UNFPA who ensured buy-in from
regional UNDGs, providing substantive input and helping collect examples, templates and
good practices from GTGs. These include, for UN Women: Elisabeth Diaz, Janneke Kukler,
Florence Hamimi, Fumie Nakamura, Hulda Ouma. For UNFPA: Neus Bernabeu; Ingrid
Fitzgerald; Nigina Abaszade; Seynabou Tall; Enshrah Ahmed; and Idrissa Ouedraogo.
At UN Women HQ, Ingrid Arno ensured communication with the Gender Equality Task Team,
while Elwira Zych and Sooyeon Kim provided administrative support.
At UN DOCO, Brianna Harrison provided advice and support during the final stages of the
updating process.
iv
1. Introduction and Context
1.1 Background to the updated Resource Guide
Gender Theme Groups (GTGs) can be defined very simply as interagency coordination
mechanisms to strengthen the performance of United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs) on
gender equality by providing policy advice, coordination on programming issues within the
UNDAF (United Nations Development Assistance Framework), and technical support on
gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE). GTGs have been found to be “key
drivers of change related to gender equality and women’s empowerment at national level.”1
In the 12 years since the previous Resource Guide for Gender Theme Groups was produced
in 2005, the UN has changed its ways of working significantly. The Delivering as One (DaO)
experience has altered how UNCTs organize themselves, with a greater emphasis on
interagency coordination mechanisms. This, combined with a host of other reforms, new
guidance and new ways of organizing UNCTs (see sections 1.2 and 1.3) mean that an updated
guide for GTGs is urgently needed in order to reflect current mechanisms and processes.2
This new Resource Guide for Gender Theme Groups begins in section 1 by outlining the global
normative framework that guides work on GEWE within the UN System. It also presents the
various UN coordination processes, structures and guidance, and their implications for GTGs.
Section 2 provides a menu of functional areas of work for GTGs, including examples of specific
products and deliverables. Section 3 discusses the mechanisms that guide the structure and
operations of GTGs, including the various structural scenarios and their implications, sources
of support available to assist GTGs, and their leadership and composition. Finally, the
development of Terms of Reference (ToRs), budgets and annual work plans (AWPs) to help
organize GTGs’ work are discussed. The annexes include a glossary of key terms, templates
for ToRs and AWPs and a list of useful resources.
The global normative framework for gender equality has significantly evolved over the past
12 years3. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with its 17 Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), has transformed the normative landscape for GEWE through a
multi-dimensional and integrated approach. The 2030 Agenda prioritizes gender equality and
women’s rights across its economic, social and environmental dimensions, along with the
stand-alone SDG 5 on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
This is especially relevant for GTGs, as the UN System has a responsibility to address gender
issues at the country level, including applying the principle of ‘leaving no one behind’ and
‘reaching the furthest behind first’. This requires the UN System to deepen its analysis to
1
UN Women (2012) Advancing Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: an Assessment of Gender
Mainstreaming in United Nations Operational Activities for Development. New York.
2
These changes have also resulted in a number of different types of interagency coordination mechanisms on
gender (discussed in section 3.1); this Resource Guide continues to refer primarily to GTGs, with the
assumption that the majority of the material can be applied and adapted to other modalities as necessary.
3
For more details, see updated UNDG Resource Book on gender mainstreaming in country level common
programming
1
address the root causes of discrimination and inequality, as well as promoting the principles
of equality and non-discrimination to ensure equality of outcomes and results for all groups
of women and girls. The 2030 Agenda also provides an impetus for GTGs to play a key role in
ensuring gender-responsive implementation of the SDGs by UNCTs through various processes
such as the UNDAF, joint advocacy, joint programmes, and coordination with interagency SDG
groups that have been created by UNCTs in recent years.
The sixtieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW60) also reinforced the
importance of the UN’s role in gender-sensitive implementation of the 2030 Agenda,
including through strengthening normative and policy frameworks, financing for gender
equality and women’s empowerment, and promoting leadership and women in decision-
making as well as data and evidence strengthening – all of which are relevant to GTGs’ work
at the country level.
In recent years, United Nations coordination mechanisms at global, regional and country
levels have undergone significant developments, with multiple implications for GTGs as
UNCTs find innovative ways of organizing their work for greater coordination and coherence.
In his efforts to strategically reposition the UN Development System, the UN Secretary

General has stressed the need to accelerate the transition from the Millennium Development
Goals to the 2030 Agenda, including by addressing major gaps in the current skillsets and
mechanisms within which the System operates at global, regional and country levels.
The Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review 2016 QCPR (A/71/243) emphasises the
importance of promoting GEWE, and calls upon the UN System to continue to promote GEWE
by enhancing gender mainstreaming through the full implementation of the System-wide
Action Plan (SWAP) on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, as well as through
the UNCT performance indicators for gender equality and the empowerment of women (the
“scorecard”). The QCPR also calls to attention the importance of gender-responsive
performance management and strategic planning, the collection, use and dissemination of
sex-disaggregated data, reporting and resource tracking, and drawing on available gender
expertise in the system at all levels, to assist in mainstreaming gender equality in the
preparation of the UNDAF or equivalent planning framework.4
The 2017 Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Resolution on mainstreaming a gender
perspective into all policies and programmes in the United Nations System urges the System
to accelerate gender mainstreaming in policies and programmes, including in support of the
gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the global, regional and country
levels. The resolution calls upon the UN System to continue to work collaboratively to
accelerate gender mainstreaming, and to ensure that country-level coordination
mechanisms, including GTGs or their equivalents, are fully empowered through clear
mandates, capacity and sufficient resources to provide strategic support and advice to UNCTs
in enhancing their gender mainstreaming efforts.
4
This builds upon the 2012 QCPR (A/RES/67/226), which urged accountability for gender equality and the
empowerment of women, and greater effectiveness in the context of the UNDAF.
2
GTG members should consult Gender Mainstreaming in Development Programming:
Guidance Note for guiding principles, key concepts and current issues related to gender
mainstreaming in UN programming.
The 2017 UNDAF guidance developed by the United Nations Development Group (UNDG) is
based on the integration of four principles for integrated programming, each of which has key
implications for gender equality: ‘Leave no one behind’; human rights, gender equality and
women’s empowerment; sustainability and resilience; and accountability. The Resource Book
for Mainstreaming Gender in Common Programming at the Country Level sets out strategies
for implementing the multiple-track approach to gender mainstreaming (see box 1 above) in
the UNDAF process.
The UNDG has developed the ways it provides support to UNCT efforts to work towards
gender equality through its various working mechanisms.; and the regional UNDG gender
groups, which help regional UNDGs strengthen their joint action around GEWE, as well as
providing UNCTs with support in gender mainstreaming in the UNDAFs through Peer Support
Groups (PSG), training of trainers, and rosters of experts (see section 3.2).
The numbers of GTGs have declined over the last few years from over 100 to between 75 and
80. However, most UNCTs include some type of country-level interagency coordination
mechanism on gender equality (of which nearly three quarters still comprise GTGs). The roll-
out of the Standard Operating Procedures of the Delivering as One modality – with the focus
on joint results groups – has seen an increasing number of GTGs reconfigured or subsumed
into Results Groups on Gender by UNCTs, as well as an increase in multi-functional
coordination groups. Regardless of the coordination mechanism in place, it should be
adequate for the full integration of a gender perspective in the work of the UN System at
country level (see section 3.1 for further discussion).
At the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, the UN and the EU launched a global, multi-
year initiative on the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG) -
the Spotlight Initiative. The initiative, which aims to bring violence against women and girls
into the spotlight, will be implemented through interagency programming and multi-
stakeholder partnerships facilitated by UN Resident Coordinators (RCs). To support this, the
role of gender theme groups and other gender coordinating mechanisms will become even
more critical in the coming years.
3
2. Menu of Key Functional Areas of Work
This section provides a menu of potential functional areas of work and good practices from
GTGs around the world. It would clearly be unrealistic for a GTG to work on all of the areas
discussed. Every GTG and UNCT is unique, and as such, key entry-points should be prioritized
in each case based on context, existing capacity, resources and national and UNCT priorities.
Much of the material and many of the scenarios in this section refer to traditional GTG models
(see section 3.1 for discussion of the range of structures and scenarios for interagency
coordination around gender equality), but this can be adapted and applied to other gender
coordination structures, as appropriate.
2.1 Research and analysis
A key function performed by GTGs is the development and dissemination of research and
analysis around gender equality and women’s empowerment. This critical role supports the
UNCT members and leadership by providing data, intelligence analysis and in-depth
understanding of the gender-related issues and challenges that shape UNCT work. Such
intelligence lies at the centre of all UNCT actions, and can serve to help build an evidence-
based case for attention to gender equality issues.
The GTG may conduct gender analyses of available data to assess if, how and why particular
issues affect women and men differently and unequally within a particular context, including
the current policy environment, political climate, organizational structures and cultural
influences. A range of frameworks for gender analysis are available to address the root,
immediate and underlying causes of inequalities, and to identify gender-specific issues as well
as those mainstreamed across other sectors, in-line with the United Nations’ multiple-track
approach to gender mainstreaming. In some cases, the GTG may generate the data itself
through a survey or undertaking other original research, while in other cases it will draw on
existing data such as national statistics as well as quantitative and qualitative policy,
academic, and United Nations agencies’ research, in addition to CEDAW recommendations
and other data from human rights instruments such as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
This substantive analysis may be used to produce guidance materials and knowledge
products, such as gender briefs (see Box 2 below).
4
Box 2. Production of Gender Briefs
In Viet Nam, a 2016 Gender Briefing Kit building on the data and analysis gathered for the UNDAF
Common Country Analysis was developed to position the UN in Viet Nam as a knowledge provider
on gender equality. It provides a snapshot of the current status of key gender and development
issues in Viet Nam. In addition to capturing substantial progress made to promote women's human
rights, it highlights outstanding and emerging gender challenges and concerns that require due
attention to ensure sustainable and equitable development in manifold aspects of socio-economic
life. The Kit also summarizes the profile of the collective work of the UNCT in partnership with
other stakeholders contributing to gender equality in Viet Nam.
The GTG in Serbia has conceptualized and produced a “Gender Brief for Serbia”, a regular online
newsletter that gathers in one place, in a synthesized and user-friendly manner, information on
the activities and achievements on gender equality in the UN System, as well as the latest data and
national and international developments around gender equality. The Brief is published
approximately twice per year on the UN Serbia website, with the sixth issue released in May 2017.
Source: United Nations Viet Nam; GTG Serbia.
The GTG has a key role in the process of ensuring a gender-responsive contribution to the
Common Country Assessment (CCA) component of the UNDAF, in which the country context,
opportunities and challenges are articulated, as discussed in detail in the Resource Book for
Mainstreaming Gender in UN Common Programming at the Country Level . The GTG can begin
by helping to identify gender expertise to assist in addressing gender perspectives in the CCA,
as well as seeking to engage women’s rights organizations in the CCA process. The UNCT
SWAP-Scorecard requires that the CCA includes the systematic use of data disaggregated by
sex, age and other relevant diversities, and as such, GTGs can compile references to gender-
focused documentation and data, such as existing gender studies, SDG reports, gender
evaluations and assessments, gender scorecard/audits, national and regional legal
frameworks relevant to GEWE, and reports related to any relevant international normative
processes, including CEDAW and other human rights conventions.
Box 3. Engendering the Common Country Assessment in Albania
In 2015, the Albania GTG developed a Gender Position Paper to assist in engendering the CCA
document for the new UNDAF cycle. The paper consolidated what was mainstreamed within each
section of the draft CCA document in the social, economic, governance and environmental
sections. It also provided its normative and conceptual underpinnings, using a gender justice and
life course, intergenerational and human rights-based approach.
In the resulting CCA, there is a specific section analysing gender equality issues, with gender
equality and women’s empowerment considerations also mainstreamed throughout the other
sections and sectors; gender issues are included among the priority development challenges.
Source: UN Women Albania.
5
Once the sex-disaggregated data has been collated and analyzed, the GTG can advocate for
the CCA to contain a specific section or sub-section on gender, and for gender to be integrated
throughout other thematic areas (see box 3 above), such as those related to peacebuilding
and humanitarian work. This is again emphasized by the UNCT SWAP-Scorecard which
requires that the CCA includes a gender analysis across sectors, identifying underlying causes
of gender inequalities and discrimination in line with SDG priorities including SDG 5 as well as
other SDGs; to exceed minimum standards, it must also include a targeted analysis of
excluded or marginalized gender-specific groups.
Selected Key Resources
Learning and Information Pack: Gender Analysis

UNDP (2001). New York.
Gender Analysis – Principles and Elements

Sida (2015). Stockholm.
Resource Book for Mainstreaming Gender in UN Common Programming at the

Country Level – Section 3. Gender Mainstreaming in the UNDAF Common Country
Analysis
UNDG (2017). New York.
2.2 Support to UNDAF development and implementation
GTGs can have a range of important roles to play during the development and
implementation of the UNDAF (or other common programming modality), and their
involvement is emphasised in the UNCT SWAP-Scorecard which requires that “The group has
made substantive input into the UNDAF including the country analysis, strategic prioritization,
results framework and M&E” (see Section 2.4 for more on the Scorecard). The process of
mainstreaming gender equality concerns into the UNDAF is considered in detail in the
Resource Book for Mainstreaming gender in Common Programming at the Country Level
which, along with the relevant UNDAF companion pieces (see Annex 4), should be consulted
along with this section.
To be most effective, gender mainstreaming should take place from the beginning of the
roadmap phase of the UNDAF, where the GTG can screen all elements of the UNDAF
roadmap through a gender lens. It can also ensure that women’s views are represented and
gender equality and women’s empowerment issues become part of the UNDAF design from
its inception through facilitating the involvement of civil society organizations, national
women’s machineries (NWMs) and other stakeholders in the development of the UNDAF
roadmap. GTGs in some countries have also created national rosters of gender experts and
inventories of gender equality knowledge products to draw on for gender mainstreaming of
the UNDAF cycle. GTGs can also ensure that any key evaluations, lessons learned or studies
are used to inform the formulation of the UNDAF Roadmap.
6
Box 4. Mainstreaming Gender into the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Roadmap
Planning around the PNG UNDAF 2018-2022 began in 2016 with the Roadmap. The Gender Task
Team (GTG) took an active part in the process to ensure gender equality was a priority and included
as key components of the Roadmap. This included conducting the UNCT Gender Scorecard,
training, and the inclusion of gender analysis in the CCA and the UNDAF Evaluation. The GTG also
facilitated a workshop on Engendering the UNDAF with the UNCT and UN Programme Coordination
Committee. The recommendations of the Gender Scorecard supported the UNCT’s decision-
making around the key steps to take while developing the UNDAF, and these were included in
PNG’s UNDAF roadmap.
Source: UN Women PNG.
The gender analyses conducted for the CCA should be used to inform the trend analyses and
forecasting for the UN Vision 2030, as should the fulfilment of and reporting on long-range
commitments of gender-related conventions, treaties and resolutions. GTG members can also
assist in engaging those with gender expertise in the visioning process.
Box 5. Mainstreaming Gender into the Zimbabwe UNDAF (ZUNDAF)
The GTG, coordinated by UN Women, provided technical support for mainstreaming gender in the
ZUNDAF 2016-2020.
The group integrated gender issues in the CCA which led to the establishment of a standalone
Gender Equality priority area and specific gender equality indicators in the other 5 priority areas
of Food and Nutrition Security, HIV and AIDS; Poverty Reduction and Value Addition; Public
Administration and Governance; and Social Services and Protection. The GTG ensured that gender
equality indicators in the ZUNDAF are linked to those in the SDGs. Gender equality indicators are
being used to monitor progress in all sectors and results used for programming for gender equality
and women empowerment at normative and operational levels in all sectors including
prioritisation processes. SDG 5 on Gender Equality is among the 10 SDGs prioritised for
implementation in Zimbabwe.
The GTG facilitated discussions on gender issues in all ZUNDAF priority areas, which led to the
inclusion of gender equality indicators in all of those areas.
Source: UN Women Zimbabwe.
To approach minimum standards in the UNCT SWAP-Scorecard, the Theory of Change (ToC)
that underpins the UNDAF must demonstrate gender responsiveness; the GTG can ensure
that it employs a gender analysis (for example from the CCA) to make gender differences and
inequalities explicit. The sex-disaggregated data pulled together for the CCA should be made
available during the development of the ToC, and any trainings on the ToC should include a
gender equality dimension.
During the development of the UNDAF, GTGs may advocate for the creation of a gender-
specific outcome in the results matrix based on the findings from CCA and ToC. Following the
7
multiple-track strategy for gender mainstreaming (see section 2.3), the GTG should also seek
to integrate gender concerns across all other outcome areas – including those areas such as
climate change, economic policy and peace and security. Gender focal points or GTG
members should be involved in all thematic/results groups to ensure a thorough analysis of
the gendered impact of the results and indicators being developed across all thematic areas
of the UNDAF. This is reinforced by the UNCT SWAP-Scorecard, which requires that the
UNDAF must either have a gender-focused outcome that addresses an area of gender
inequality or gender must be clearly and visibly evidenced across all outcome areas.
Box 6. Mainstreaming Gender into the UNDAF: Serbia, Brazil and Guatemala
The GTG in Serbia worked to ensure that gender equality was integrated in the CCA and in the
UNDAF 2016-2020. The UNDAF is based on a Strategic Prioritization Retreat in which GTG members
took part and provided input from a gender perspective in several of the Working Groups that
discussed the focus and formulation of draft UNDAF Outcomes. The GTG provided a detailed list
of persons – government and non-governmental organization (NGO) representatives as well as
independent experts/academics – who were invited to take part in UNDAF consultations, and who
spoke about the importance of gender equality and how to strengthen gender mainstreaming in
the draft UNDAF. GTG members lobbied internally within the UNCT for the multiple-track
approach, i.e. a stand-alone gender Outcome in addition to gender mainstreaming throughout the
other outcomes, as well as providing substantive input in the definition of the gender outcome and
indicators, and on the overall UNDAF matrix. These efforts resulted in the UNDAF including a stand-
alone Outcome on gender equality as well as gender mainstreaming in the other Outcomes.
In 2016, final discussions on the United Nations Sustainable Development Partnership Framework
for Brazil 2017-2021 were held. The GTG provided technical support to mainstream gender, race
and ethnicity equality throughout the document. As a result, the signed version of the document
has clear mention to those perspectives and related international commitments, like the
International Decade on People of African Descent, contributing to the “leave no one behind”
principle of the 2030 Agenda.
In Guatemala, the GTG supported the inclusion of gender equality in the UNDAF monitoring and
evaluation guidance shared with the UNDAF results groups as a contribution to the revision of the
UNDAF.
Source: UN Women Serbia; UN Women Brazil; UN Women Guatemala.
During the process of developing the UNDAF financing strategy, the GTG may provide gender
expertise across a variety of areas, including the gender analysis and mapping of existing
financial flows related to GEWE and UN resource flows; and the application of gender-
responsive budgeting (GRB) and gender equality marker tools for tracking budget allocations
for GEWE. The GTG can also play a role in joint resource mobilization, supporting the UNCT
to leverage available resources by combining resources with others working towards gender
equality, assessing key sources of financing for gender equality and the potential for
partnerships with donors and others. GTGs can contribute to the development of proposals
under the One Fund, or may help write joint funding proposals. Furthermore, coordination
groups such as gender results groups and GTGs should be used to seek agreements on gender
equality financing with government or development partners in a coherent way.
8
GTGs have a key role to play in the coordination and management arrangements of the
UNDAF process. GTGs should have a good understanding of the coordination environment,
and should discuss the best ways in which they leverage their expertise and make it available
to other coordination mechanisms and results groups, as necessary. Analysis suggests that
“having a strong Gender Theme Group increases the likelihood of strong UNDAFs from a
gender equality point of view”, possibly linked to the correlation between increases in the
number of GTGs and increases in UNCT capacity building initiatives on gender equality.5 The
role of GTGs and their equivalents in the UNDAF process is also covered in the UNCT SWAP-
Scorecard, which includes the following as a specific requirement to meet minimum
standards: “The group has made substantive input into the UNDAF including the country
analysis, strategic prioritization, results framework and M&E”. The Chair of the GTG should
liaise with the UNCT/RC to ensure gender is integrated at every stage of UNDAF formulation,
while the GTG should also work within other Results Groups (including if there are no gender-
specific UNDAF outcomes) to support them in mainstreaming gender concerns into outputs,
activities, and budget lines.
When it comes to planning for monitoring and evaluation of the UNDAF, the GTG can assist
in ensuring that UNDAF outcome and output indicators are gender-sensitive, tracking
progress towards gender equality results. Useful reference tools here include the minimum
set of gender indicators agreed to in 2013 by the United Nations Statistical Commission, a
supplementary core set of indicators on violence against women, and a more recent set of 48
suggested indicators for monitoring gender equality and women’s empowerment in the SDG
framework. In addition, GTGs can work with the UNCT to ensure gender is a cross-cutting
theme in each of the evaluation topics (see the example of Guatemala in box 6 above).
Resource Book for Mainstreaming Gender in UN Common Programming at the

Country Level
UNDAF Guidance
UNDAF Programming Principles

2.3 Support to gender mainstreaming across the 2030 Agenda
Providing support to UNCTs in their gender mainstreaming through the SDGs and across the
2030 Agenda is one of the key functions of a GTG. One main area of focus here is GTG support
to the development and implementation of UNCT gender mainstreaming strategies that
5
Rao, Aruna (2010). Strengthening Gender Equality in United Nations Development Frameworks.
Commissioned by UNDG Task Team on Gender Equality, p. 9.
9
complement UNCT work (see box 7 below). Such strategies are critical tools in enabling the
UNCT to embed gender equality and the empowerment of women in its processes and
programmes.
Box 7. Participatory Development of the UNCT Gender Mainstreaming Strategy in Zimbabwe
In 2015, the GTG in Zimbabwe developed a UNCT Gender Mainstreaming Strategy to guide UN
programming in gender equality and women’s empowerment, in response to the
recommendations of the 2011 Gender Scorecard exercise. The GTG developed the ToRs for a
consultant to facilitate development of the strategy, while gender focal persons from the various
UN agencies shared agency-specific experiences. The GTG reviewed the draft strategy before
presentation to the Programme Management Team for their input, and to the UNCT for review
and subsequent approval.
The strategy is being used to guide implementation of the Zimbabwe United Nations Development
Framework 2016-2020. All UN agencies contributed to the development of the strategy and as a
result, all are utilizing it to guide programming for gender equality and women empowerment.
Source: UN Women Zimbabwe.
A related substantive pillar of work in this area is the development of associated guidance
materials on gender mainstreaming for the UNCT (see for example box 8 from Nepal).
Box 8. Mainstreaming Gender Equality in Preparedness and Response in Nepal
In May 2016, the Gender Equality Resource Guide for the Emergency Response Preparedness (ERP)
plan in Nepal was endorsed by the Nepal Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), the first time globally
that a gender resource guide is included in an ERP plan. The Resource Guide was prepared by the
Inter-Cluster Gender Working Group (GWG), co-chaired by UN Women and UN OCHA, and sets out
responsibilities for collective coordination under the leadership of the HCT to ensure that the
human rights of women, girls, boys and men across different backgrounds are equally promoted
and protected, and their distinct needs, interests, resources and capacities are incorporated into
preparedness, immediate response and early recovery processes as well as in reconstruction and
transition efforts.
The Gender Equality Resource Guide consists of two parts: 1) the main guidance document for
‘Mainstreaming Gender Equality in Preparedness and Response in Nepal’, and 2) 30 annexes with
templates and tools to support implementation of the guide, including checklists, advocacy tools,
ToRs, information management and communications tools, cluster-specific tools, flash appeal
documents, and capacity development tools. The Resource Guide is based on the lessons learnt
and good practices arising from the integration of gender equality into the humanitarian response
to the recent earthquakes in Nepal through the work of the Inter-Cluster GWG. As a result, the
Resource Guide complies with normative standards and guidance, i.e., the IASC Gender Handbook,
the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030; the Gender Equality and Social
Inclusion (GESI) guidance in Nepal and Nepal's commitments to CEDAW.
Source: Nepal Inter-Cluster Gender Working Group.
10
Another key aspect of the GTG’s work is to provide gender mainstreaming support to UNCT
efforts around implementation of the SDGs. The SDGs again use the multiple-track approach
to gender mainstreaming, meaning GTGs can support implementation of SDG 5 on gender
equality, as well as addressing GEWE concerns across the other goals.
Box 9. Regional Analysis and Guidance on Gender and the SDGs: ECA and LAC
The ECA Issue-Based Coalition on Gender developed a user-friendly Guidance Note for UNCTs and
GTGs on mainstreaming gender equality in the process implementing and monitoring the SDGs in
the Europe and Central Asia region. The Guidance Note consists of an Introduction and three core
sections: 1) The role of gender equality within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, 2)
Regional trends impacting gender equality: contextualizing the SDGs and targets, and 3)
Implementing SDGs in a gender-responsive way. A number of supporting addendum are included,
such as a ‘Regional advocacy brief on gender equality, women’s rights and women’s
empowerment’, tips and promising practices, exercises, resources, and flow charts of steps
towards SDG implementation.
The LAC Regional Interagency Group on Gender undertook a comprehensive gender analysis
around the five “5Ps” of the 2030 Agenda: People, Prosperity, Peace, Planet and Partnerships. The
resulting publication ‘Commitments and roadmap for a planet 50-50 by 2030’, launched during the
LAC Regional Forum on Sustainable Development in April 2017, includes data from various
agencies, policy recommendations and examples of good practices from the LAC region.
Source: UN ECA Issue-Based Coalition on Gender (2017). SDGs and Gender Equality: UN
Interagency Guidance Note for the ECA Region; UNDG (2017). ‘Commitments and roadmap for a
planet 50-50 by 2030’.
GTG roles in providing support to integrate gender in the SDG processes include the provision
of technical expertise in the implementation and monitoring and evaluation of SDG
localization process, providing capacity building around gender and the SDGs to UNCT
members, and involvement in advocacy efforts for the SDGs. A useful resource for GTGs in
these process is the set of indicators suggested to monitor GEWE throughout the SDGs.
11
Gender Mainstreaming in Development Programming: Guidance Note

UN Women (2014). New York.
Gender Mainstreaming
Sida. 2015. Stockholm: Sida.
Mainstreaming a Gender Perspective into all Policies and Programmes in the

United Nations System: Report of the Secretary-General (E/2013/71)
United Nations (2013). New York.
Monitoring gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in the 2030
Agenda for sustainable development: opportunities and challenges
2.4 Promoting accountability of the UNCT on gender equality
GTGs can play a critical role in UNCT accountability activities around gender equality; these
processes may monitor the UNCT’s commitment towards gender equality, or may strengthen
the UNCT’s capacity for work on and commitment to gender equality. These types of activities
around UNCT accountability seek to make UN structures more responsive and accountable to
gender equality within the UN System – one of the key purposes of interagency collaboration
on gender equality. GTGs are most likely to be involved in accountability processes through
the UNCT SWAP-Scorecard, and the Participatory Gender Audit (PGA).
In line with the QCPR’s call to continue using gender scorecards as tools for gender responsive
strategic planning, the UNDG has been developing a new UNCT SWAP-Scorecard that is
aligned with the corporate UN-SWAP, and with the new UNDAF programming guidance for
UNCTs. The new scorecard, which will become available in 2018, draws on the lessons learned
from the implementation of the first generation of gender scorecards, strengthens ownership
by UNCTs and introduces accountability for results in the context of the SDGs. The tool was
piloted by several UNCTs (e.g. Ukraine, Egypt, Uganda, Vietnam, Panama, Iraq, India), with
other UNCTs implementing it using available interim guidance. In many of these countries
GTGs played a key role in piloting the new tool, ranging from ensuring overall ownership and
leadership by the UNCT, to supporting the assessment across the performance areas,
consolidating findings and developing recommendations for follow up by the UNCT.
The UNCT SWAP-Scorecard is a globally standardized rapid assessment of the UNCT’s

collective effectiveness in gender mainstreaming. By focusing on the performance of the UN
System as a whole, rather than the achievements of any single agency, it highlights the
importance of interagency collaboration and coordination to achieve GEWE results at the
country level. In this sense, the GTG is well-placed to provide substantive involvement in the
SWAP-Scorecard process.
12
Box 10. UNCT SWAP-Scorecard in Panama
The UNCT in Panama was the first in the Latin American and Caribbean region to implement the
new version of the UNCT SWAP-scorecard in 2017. The gender task force, co-led by UN Women
and UNDP, with the active support of the Resident Coordinator’s Office, coordinated the
implementation of the scorecard. The final report which included a detailed plan of action was
presented to and approved by the UNCT. As a direct result of the scorecard, the gender task
force was upgraded back to a formal gender theme group of the UNCT and the UNDAF results
groups undertook a revision of their joint workplans to ensure further inclusion of gender-
responsive outputs and indicators.
Source: UN Women LAC Regional Office.
The SWAP-Scorecard measures the UNCT’s gender mainstreaming across six dimensions:
planning and programming, monitoring and evaluation, partnerships, leadership and
Source:
organizational culture, gender architecture and capacities, resources and results. The
participatory internal self-assessment methodology utilizes cross-sectoral consultation and
collective analysis to rate the UNCT for each indicator against minimum standards. As a
coordination exercise, the GTG – where it exists – plays a critical role in guiding and supporting
the UNCT SWAP-Scorecard process, and ensures the availability of relevant UN staff to join
the interagency UNCT SWAP-Scorecard Assessment Team (SSAT) that conducts the
assessment (and GTG chair and in some cases members may also comprise members of the
SSAT team).
While the UNCT drives the assessment exercise, GTGs are typically delegated the authority to
manage the process, including reporting back to UNCTs with findings and key
recommendation for addressing shortcomings, such as through a follow up action plan for
endorsement by UNCTs. The SWAP-Scorecard methodology also links to action planning to
address key findings from the exercise, and GTGs play a key role in the follow-up of the
findings, for example through the development, implementation and M&E of an action plan
to address issues identified through the Scorecard.
13
Box 11. UNCT SWAP-Scorecard in Cameroon
In May 2017, Cameroon carried out a UNCT SWAP-Scorecard to inform gender-responsive

implementation of the upcoming UNDAF 2018-2020. The GTG was represented among SWAP-
Scorecard Assessment Team (SSAT) members, and along with UN Women representatives
provided crucial knowledge on gender issues to the team.
Members of the SSAT and GTG contributed to the action plan produced during the consolidation
workshop, whereby key follow-up issues were identified and prioritized in order to provide a set
of recommendations for UNCT performance improvement. The action plan included steps to be
taken, time-frame, allocation of responsibility, and resources required. It also identified linkages
to the SWAP- Scorecard indicators for tracking purposes.
The new UNCT SWAP-Scorecard methodology has enhanced awareness, collective learning and
understanding of gender equality minimum requirements among UN members involved in the
in-country self-assessment, and has also proved to deepen ownership of results by the UNCT.
Source: Feedback Report UNCT Swap-Scorecard Cameroon (2017); Susana María Fernandez
Alonso (2017). ‘UNCT SWAP Scorecard: UNCT Cameroon’.
A second important accountability tool is that of the ILO’s Participatory Gender Audit, which
uses a participatory methodology to promote organizational learning at the individual, work
unit and organizational levels to assess gender mainstreaming efforts for GEWE. The PGA
methodology
Source: includes desk reviews, targeted interviews and participatory workshops, which
can feed into common planning processes such as the CCA and UNDAF.
14
Box 12. Participatory Gender Audit (PGA) in Azerbaijan
A PGA was conducted in Azerbaijan in 2017 to assess gender mainstreaming across the UNCT’s
policies and programmes, to inform the development of a gender mainstreaming strategy for the
UN-Azerbaijan Partnership Framework (2016-2020), as well as to provide direction for the future
work of the GTG. An international consultant provided guidance for the PGA exercise, and both
the UN GTG Chair and the GTG members provided coordination and facilitated all PGA
components. The GTG also provided a range of agency-specific documents, policies, reviews, and
publications for the review by the consultant.
The PGA focused on the following issues: leadership, staff capacity, gender mainstreaming in
programme and policy, tools and resources, budget, M&E, and agency culture including sexual
harassment. It consisted of the following key elements:
• Desk review of all relevant documents.

• Online survey among all staff members including the heads of agencies.
• Semi-structured interviews with staff at all levels.
• Semi-structured interviews with focal points from partner organizations.
• Focus group discussions with gender focal points, communication officers, drivers and
cleaners.
• Collective workshops for professional and project staff, and general service staff, for data
triangulation.
Source: UNCT Azerbaijan (2017). ‘Participatory Gender Audit’. Baku.
GTG roles in the PGA process are similar to those in the UNCT SWAP-Scorecard, including
initiating and supporting the overall process with liaison and coordination among UNCT
members, creating buy-in for the process, and monitoring follow-up actions to improve
gender mainstreaming drawn from the results of the audit.
UNCT SWAP Scorecard for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
ILO Participatory Gender Audit: Relevance and Use for the United Nations and its
Agencies.
ILO (2011). Geneva.
2.5 Joint programmes
Joint programmes (JPs) provide an important modality for promoting synergies and improving
coherence among United Nations agencies. Their importance is reinforced by the QCPR in
resolution A/RES/71/343 (OP 50 g) as well as in resolution 67/226 which also calls to further
15
strengthen work in the United Nations System on gender equality and to use joint
programming processes as a way to promote greater coherence among the individual entities
of the United Nations System at country level. Among joint programmes globally, gender
equality is the most common area of focus,6 and those JPs that have an explicit objective of
empowering women or promoting GEWE are referred to as Joint Gender Programmes (JGPs).
These have the potential to better address the complex and multi-dimensional challenges of
promoting gender equality.
Gender Theme Groups are often the main drivers behind JGPs, and should be integrated into
all levels of the management structure as well as being represented on the senior steering
committee.7 Research has shown that the role of the Resident Coordinator and any
participating GTG has the potential to form a powerful stimulus for coordination within the
JP.8  
Box 13. Joint Programme on National Resilience in Bangladesh
While Bangladesh has become a global leader in the field of disaster risk reduction, the
changing climate and emerging earthquake risks pose significant risks to economic
development and poverty reduction. This was identified as a key issue in the CCA and the
UNDAF. In response, in August 2017, UN Women, UNDP and UNOPS signed an agreement to
jointly implement a gender responsive National Resilience Programme together with the
Government of Bangladesh.
The programme will strengthen national capacity to manage risk from natural hazards and
achieving resilience against disaster and climate shocks and stresses, with an aim to sustain
the resilience of human and economic development in Bangladesh through inclusive,
gender responsive disaster management and risk informed development. It will further
support the implementation of the Seventh Five Year Plan of the Government, the
implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the achievement
of the Sustainable Development Goals.
In order to implement the programme, the three agencies are partner ing with the
Ministries of Disaster Management and Relief, Planning, Women and Children Affairs, and
Local Government.
Source: UN Women Bangladesh.
The GTG should provide guidance to the design phase of the JGP where appropriate. The
Source:
participation of gender experts through the GTG tends to result in “a more accurate
situational analysis and more coherent linkages with meaningful results frameworks and
6
As of 2016, 109 joint programmes out of a global total of 378371 focused on gender equality. (UNDG 2016
results report, figure 5 on page 22)
7
Beck, Tony et al. (2013). Making Joint Gender Programmes Work: Guide for Design, Implementation,
Monitoring and Evaluation. New York: UNDP and MDG-F.
8
UN Women. (2013). Joint Evaluation of Joint Programmes on Gender Equality in the United Nations System:
Final Synthesis Report. New York.
16
relevant national priorities”.9 The situation analysis leading to JGP design can be managed by
the lead agency and/or Chair of the Gender Theme Group.
The role of the GTG in joint programme implementation will be context-specific and on a
case-by-case basis; for example, the GTG might be heavily involved in scoping and supporting
implementation if there is a match between JP agencies and GTG members, however if there
are only a small number of agencies involved, the GTG might play less of a role. Gender Theme
Groups can contribute to JP implementation by facilitating the multisectoral approach
through advocacy within their own agencies, and through team building with national
development partners, including the media and other donors.10
Box 14. Regional Joint Programme in Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC)
The LAC GTG identified priority areas of work in its 2016-2017 workplan. One of these areas is the
elimination of child marriage and early unions in LAC. The work started with joint advocacy of
interested agencies of the LAC GTG on the importance of raising the age of marriage to 18 without
any exceptions to align with international norms and evolved into a joint programme co-led by
UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women. The regional programme (2018-2021) seeks to break the silence
on child marriage and early unions in a region that has not seen any decrease in the prevalence of
these harmful practices in the last three decades. The regional joint programme includes four key
outcomes:
• Outcome 1: Government institutions comply with international human rights standards
and law regarding child marriage and early unions.
• Outcome 2: Relevant sectoral systems deliver quality and cost-effective services to meet
the needs of girls.
• Outcome 3: Strengthen girls' empowerment and autonomy in decision making through
life skills training, awareness raising, promotion of positive masculinities, gender
equitable relationships.
• Outcome 4: Generate evidence, partnerships and political will to prevent and end CMEU
In its first phase, the programme will be implemented in Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, El Salvador
and Dominican Republic.
Source: UN Women LAC Regional Office.
In addition to supporting the development and implementation of JGPs, GTGs should seek to
support gender mainstreaming into all other joint programmes without a gender specific
Source:
focus, where possible. To this end, the GTG can advocate for at least one of its members – or
another sector-specific gender expertise – to be active in the programme design team to be
provided with clear guidelines to ensure gender mainstreaming in the JP from the start; this
includes ensuring gender mainstreaming in outputs, output indicators, activities and budget
of each joint work plan. In addition, the GTG could establish a screening process or gender
9
Nelson, Gayle and Jennifer Cooper et al (2013). ‘Two Roads, One Goal: Dual Strategy for Gender Equality
Programming in the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund.’ New York: MDG-F, UN Women and
UNDP.
10
ibid.
17
review of early drafts of non-gender related Joint Programmes to be adjusted against a
checklist (see box 15 below).
Box 15. Checklist for Mainstreaming Gender, Culture and Human Rights in Annual Work Plans
A consolidated checklist on gender, culture and human rights has been developed in Tanzania by
the interagency groups on gender, human rights and culture. The checklist has been used by
Program Working Groups to report on the relevance of their respective Annual Work Plans to the
programming principles. It has also been used by the Interagency Gender Group and others to
review and assess the focus of the work plans and their contribution to the implementation of
human rights principles. The checklist also provided a tool for discussion and reflection by the
members of various groups to better conceptualise mainstreaming issues.
Source: UN Women Tanzania.
Making Joint Gender Programmes Work: Guide for Design, Implementation,

Monitoring and Evaluation
Beck, Tony et al. (2013). New York: UNDP and MDG-F.
Two Roads, One Goal: Dual Strategy for Gender Equality Programming in the
Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund
Nelson, Gayle and Jennifer Cooper et al. (2013). New York: MDG-F, UN Women
and UNDP.
Joint Evaluation of Joint Programmes on Gender Equality in the United Nations

System: Final Synthesis Report
UN Women. (2013). New York.
Guidance Note on Joint Programmes

UNDG. (2014). New York.
2.6 Policy, technical and normative support
GTGs have traditionally played an important role in supporting gender equality concerns
within the UNCT’s policy, technical and normative work. They provide technical expertise to
the processes of reporting on, monitoring and implementing national policies and legislation
as well as international conventions and treaties on human rights and gender equality, such
as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and CEDAW.
If the state has requested UN assistance in reporting on or compliance with treaties and
conventions, the GTG may provide support with analysis and report writing, provide liaison
with civil society to ensure their inputs, and tracking of implementation, as demonstrated
18
with various examples in box 16. Similarly, support may be provided to civil society and others
in the development of a shadow report, and to the UNCT itself for its own reporting.
Box 16. GTG Support to Normative Human Rights Reporting
The UNCT reports to CEDAW for the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu were strengthened by the inputs
of multiple UN agencies due to the UN Gender Group’s coordination. The Group also collaborated
with the Human Rights Working Group to ensure that a gender perspective was reflected in
Universal Periodic Reports from Vanuatu, the Republic of Marshall Islands and Fiji.
In Myanmar, agencies from the GTG made a contribution to the normative process on GEWE in
supporting the government on the CEDAW review process, providing robust technical guidance
including on report writing and on consultation with CSOs.
In Thailand, the GTG has served as the mechanism to finalize the UNCT CEDAW Report in the
preparation and accordance with the Sixth and Seventh periodic CEDAW reports prepared by the
Thai Government.
The GTG in Guinea-Bissau supported the UN System to provide coordinated support to the
Government in preparation for the National Review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform
for Action.
In Montenegro, the Gender and Human Rights Theme Group was instrumental in supporting
UNCT’s engagement on CEDAW reporting, through the pre-sessional meeting, consolidating
inputs, and the dialogue with the Committee. As a result, the Committee Secretariat
recommended sharing the report with other Committees as a good model. The Group also engaged
in the UPR 2017.
In Azerbaijan, the GTG contributed to the development of the Concluding Observations of the
CEDAW Committee by providing a consolidated confidential submission. The GTG also initiated a
project on tracking UN support to the Government with the implementation of the CEDAW
Concluding Observations.
The GTG in Belarus coordinated the development of a confidential UNCT report to the CEDAW
Committee, as well as presented it to the Committee in Geneva; NGOs’ comments were included
in the report.
Source: UN Women. (2016) Corporate evaluation of UN Women’s contribution to UN system

coordination on gender equality and the empowerment of women (and annexes); UNFPA
Azerbaijan; UN Women Thailand; UNFPA Belarus.
GTGs can also be well-placed to support linkages between the normative and operational
aspects of the UNCT’s work. Technical and analytical advice around gender concerns raised
through human rights instruments can assist provide the UNCT with the opportunity to
identify areas of focus for follow up programmatic frameworks to support the state. This is
illustrated in the case of Albania in box 17, as well as in Brazil where the Thematic Group on
19
Gender, Race and Ethnicity has worked to support human rights defenders against increasing
threats, to support the country in upholding its international commitments to human rights.11
Box 17. Linking Normative Developments with Operational Work in Albania
The UN in Albania used the normative process of support to CEDAW – and the first CEDAW
Committee’s concluding observations – to develop a programmatic framework to support national
gender equality priorities for the period 2007-2014. Implementation strategies included:
• Technical support in developing national strategies on gender equality and domestic violence,
and in drafting the Gender Equality Law, inspired by CEDAW standards and the CEDAW
Committee’s concluding observations;
• Facilitating a CEDAW-compliant package of a review of legislation from a gender equality
perspective;
• Supporting the establishment of gender equality focal points in line ministries, and supporting
the development of their capacity in gender mainstreaming.
In these ways, normative developments around CEDAW were used to work towards gains in other
aspects of women’s human rights.
Source: UNDG (2015). Eight Case Studies on Integrating the United Nations’ Normative and
Operational Work.
Other GTG actions can include awareness raising around normative frameworks for members
of the public and policy makers, such as through media campaigns, radio announcements and
training modules. Joint advocacy initiatives can contribute to new or revised national
legislation, such as in Malawi where a bill on early marriage that had been stalled for ten years
became law in part thanks a strong lobbying effort from the GTG and a combined UN initiative
which following the bill’s trail and lobbied parliamentarians (see also box 24 in section 2.8).12
GTGs can also use the technical expertise to develop knowledge products to support
legislative change and broaden awareness (see box 18 below), such as a gender analysis of
national legislation, or as in the guidance for GTGs on reforming legislation on the age of
marriage in the LAC region.
11
UN Women Brazil.
12
UN Women. (2016) Corporate evaluation of UN Women’s contribution to UN system coordination on
gender equality and the empowerment of women (and annexes). New York.
20
Box 18. Knowledge Products to Support Normative Work
In Uruguay, the Gender Interagency Group (GIG) drafted a report entitled “Legislative production
with gender and generational equality. Legislature 2010-2015”, with 10 UN agencies involved in its
co-financing. This document analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the laws approved during
2010-2015 and of the ongoing bill drafts from a gender perspective, in view of the
recommendations from the human rights bodies of international agreements.
The regional gender thematic group for West and Central Africa contributed to deepening the
understanding of emerging issues such as violent extremism and its effects on gender equality and
the empowerment of women. The group developed a position paper on this issue and made it
available to all RCs/UNCTs in the region as a way to inform and support future work and policy
choices.
Source: UN Women Uruguay; UN Women WCA Regional Office.
Human Rights Indicators: A Guide to Measurement and Implementation

OHCHR (2012). Geneva.
Ensuring sustainable UPR implementation: A call to action for States to strengthen

the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review
UPR Info (2016). Geneva.
Women’s Rights are Human Rights

Bringing Equality Home: Implementing the Convention on the Elimination of All

Forms of Discrimination Against Women
UNIFEM (1998). New York.
2.7 Capacity development on gender mainstreaming
Capacity development for gender mainstreaming is an essential element in efforts to achieve

gender equality and women’s empowerment, and is frequently an area in which GTGs are
called upon for assistance. It encompasses capacity assessments to gauge levels of
understanding and training needs, gender training to develop knowledge and skills in how to
understand and address GEWE effectively, and the provision of other resources to support
gender mainstreaming capacity.
The first step in capacity development is often to use a form of capacity assessment to
identify capacity gaps and learning needs among staff, and to use this to develop a longer-
term capacity development plan. A key tool here is the Gender Equality Capacity Assessment
21
Tool in the form of a simple questionnaire to take stock of individual staff capacity. The
information generated – which can be complemented with qualitative data such as
interviews, focus groups, and systematic observation – is used to plan capacity development
strategies, as well as providing a baseline against which capacity development efforts can be
measured (see box 19 from Mexico).
Box 19. Gender Equality Self-Assessment in Mexico
In Mexico, the GTG conducted a self-assessment survey for all UN staff that highlighted strengths
and weaknesses in their knowledge of GEWE. The overall objective of this initiative was to generate
a clear baseline of the general knowledge and capacities of country staff, in order to guide the
capacity building efforts to be implemented by the GTG.
Source: UN Women Mexico.
GTGs may be asked to design and implement capacity development for United Nations staff,
including the UNCT, or targeting specific staff groups such as programme managers or even
providing training for gender focal points within the GTG itself. Here, they may draw on
existing external resources, such as those online training materials mentioned below, or they
may develop a unique training programme for a specific context and purpose; this was the
case in the example from Cambodia and other countries in box 20.
Box 20. UNDAF Training Integrating Gender, Human Rights and the Environment
The UNDG Asia Pacific Peer Support Group agencies UN Women, UNEP, OHCHR and UNAIDS
developed and rolled out an innovative UNDAF training course integrating the human rights-based
approach to programming (HRBA) gender equality perspectives, results-based management and
environmental sustainability issues in one training, targeted at the UNCT and senior UN program
staff. The training rolled out in Cambodia in 2014 and has since been adapted to suit different
contexts and requests from UNCTs (including in Mongolia, Pakistan, Fiji among others). The
workshop has the objective of ensuring that participants are able to:
• Ensure and take forward a common understanding of human rights, gender equality and
women’s empowerment and environmental issues in a given context.
• Apply the HRBA and Gender Equality principles to the UNDAF cycle and programming.
• Ensure human rights and Gender Equality principles are taken forward in the application
of results based management, including through integrating gender equality and human
rights in Theory of Change exercises.
Source: UN Women Regional Office for Asia Pacific.
The GTG may also coordinate training for capacity development in GEWE for non-UN partners
at the national level, such as civil society organizations, government or donors (see box 21
below for example).
22
Box 21. Training on Gender Mainstreaming in Humanitarian and Resilience Programming
The Gender Theme Group in Jordan organized a two-day training on gender mainstreaming in
humanitarian and resilience programming. The training provided eighteen implementing partners
with tools and strategies for gender equality programming and gender mainstreaming. In order to
enhance staff capacity to promote gender equality in interagency programming, a Guidebook for
Gender Focal Points was also developed.
Source: UNCT Jordan (2015) One UN Jordan – A Summary of 2015 Joint Efforts.
There are many online resources available to GTGs that can be harnessed to provide gender
training opportunities. The UN Women eLearning Campus provides a repository of online
training resources, with courses and tools on various gender equality-related topics, and in
multiple languages. Key online training packages include I Know Gender – an introduction to
gender equality for all UN staff around the world to strengthen their understanding and
awareness of basic concepts of gender equality and women’s empowerment – and UN
Coherence, Gender Equality and You on gender equality and UN System coherence. Other
key resources include training materials available at the regional level, as well as those
developed individually at country level, and specialized courses developed by other UN
entities and partners.
Box 22. Online and In-Person Training for Gender Focal Points in Colombia
The UN Women Training Centre delivered a Gender Focal Point (GFP) training to 45 participants
from the UN System and Local Coordination Teams in Colombia, through which the Interagency
Gender Group (GIG) sought to strengthen the capacity of Local Coordination Teams on women's
rights and gender equality and to enable follow-up actions in the local context. Specifically, the
course aimed to:
• Strengthen knowledge on women's rights and gender equality within the Local
Coordination Teams.
• Build a proposal for a joint and interagency work plan.
• Strengthen the interagency team and the GFP network as a common platform for
mainstreaming gender.
• Identify difficulties faced by GFPs and provide tools and strategies to address them.
The course used a combination of online and in-person knowledge sharing methodologies to build
GFPs’ capacities and serve as a refresher on gender mainstreaming. The course content reviewed
gender mainstreaming tools, and addressed communication and advocacy tools to promote
gender equality. The training was based on the Empowering UN System Gender Focal Points course
offered by the UN Women Training Centre.
Source: UN Women Colombia.
23
Gender Equality Capacity Assessment Tool

UN Women Training Centre (2014). Santo Domingo.
UN Women eLearning Campus

An online platform with links to multiple training courses and tools.
I Know Gender
Online UN training course.
2.8 Advocacy and communication campaigns
Working towards gender equality is not a technical exercise, but is highly political. Achieving
gender equality requires societal, as well as institutional, change. In this sense, advocacy is a
key strategy to change rooted mindsets and behaviours around GEWE. Work around
advocacy and communication campaigns has long been a staple feature of GTGs’ functions,
with the majority of GTGs supporting or driving joint UN advocacy events to highlight critical
issues for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
While GTG advocacy and communication efforts often piggyback on global and national
campaigns (see more below), specific actions vary according to the national context and
available budget. Common activities include organizing roundtables and meetings, promoting
radio and TV debates and messages, holding solidarity marches, conducting and publicising
interviews, holding press conferences, distributing publications, holding cultural evets such
as film festivals, art exhibitions and sports activities, and distributing campaign-specific
banners and posters.
GTGs are typically well-placed to play a major advocacy role around internationally
recognized issue-focused campaign days at the country level. GTGs may work together on
these campaigns with heads of agencies and the RC, as well as national partners from
government and civil society organizations. Key dates for gender-equality campaigns include
International Women’s Day (8th of March), International Day for the Elimination of Violence
against Women (25th of November), and 16 Days of Activism to End Violence against Women
(25th of November – 10th of December) (see box 23). Gender equality concerns may also be
mainstreamed into other UN days such as Human Rights Day (10th of December) and World
AIDS Day (1st of December).
GTG advocacy can also be focused around ongoing international campaigns, such as
promotion and implementation of the SDGs. They could also include HeForShe – an action-
oriented movement inviting men and women to stand together for gender equality – and the
UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE campaign to raise awareness and increase political will and
resources for preventing and ending all forms of violence against women and girls.
 
24
Box 23. 16 Days of Activism in Tanzania
In Tanzania, coordination on advocacy to end gender-based violence (GBV) was enhanced through
the development of joint messaging and branding for the 16 Days of Activism to end GBV
campaign, increasing the visibility and reach of advocacy messages. This was achieved through a
combination of coordinated support to national led initiatives, alongside internal UN activities.
Within the UN, each agency established an ‘orange corner’ in their office, providing a space for
information on a range of GBV issues to be shared and the work of different agencies highlighted.
Furthermore, it created discussion and increased awareness among a range of agency staff, many
of who had not previously engaged in the issues. This initiative was inspired by and contributed to
the UN Secretary General’s UNiTE Campaign, creating synergies and linkages between national and
global advocacy.
In Zanzibar, a Zero Tolerance Campaign to End Violence against Women and Children was launched
as part of the 16 Days Campaign. Significant support for the launch of the campaign was provided
by a range of UN agencies and coordinated through the interagency gender group; the campaign
was accompanied by a two-year action plan.
Source: UN Women (2016) Corporate evaluation of UN Women’s contribution to UN system

coordination on gender equality and the empowerment of women (and annexes).
International campaigns may also be adapted to fit and/or influence national priorities. For
example, in Tunisia, planning meetings for the 16 Days of Activism allowed the UN to identify
an opportunity to engage in discussions for the withdrawal of reservations to CEDAW, thus
paving the way towards influencing policy at higher levels. GTG advocacy actions may also
support national campaigns around key gender issues in country, as in the examples from
Latin America and the Caribbean in box 24.
Box 24. Advocacy for National Gender priorities in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)
A number of countries in the LAC region have undertaken joint advocacy activities around national
gender equality priorities and national campaigns. These include:
• Advocacy around the abortion law in Chile.

• Targeting adolescent pregnancy in Dominican Republic.
• Dissemination of the national gender policy in Belize.
• Dialogues on care policy in Argentina.
• Raising the age of marriage at state level in Mexico.
The last example involves the interagency “A (Aguascalientes) to Z (Zacatecas) Campaign: Mexico
with no Early Union and Marriage of Girls, by Law and in Practice”, which has seen the number of
Mexican States have harmonized their legislation and code with the international standard of 18
as minimum age for marriage without exceptions rise from 6 to 26 out of 32 states. The campaign
included joint messaging, infographics that were disseminated in social media and combined with
targeted advocacy and dialogue with local governments to abolish child marriage.
Source: UN Women (2016) Corporate evaluation of UN Women’s contribution to UN system

coordination on gender equality and the empowerment of women; UN Women Mexico.
25
Fulfilling the Promises: A Practical Guide for UN Advocacy to Promote

Implementation of the 2030 Agenda
UNiTE Campaign to End Violence Against Women

Website.
International Women’s Day

Website.
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26
3. Structure and Operations of GTGs
This section of the Resource Guide discusses the various mechanisms through which GTGs
operate. Using these mechanisms appropriately provides an important opportunity for GTGs
to identify and consolidate a successful strategy to support their specific functional areas of
work, drawn from the range of options outline in section 2, and tailored to each GTG’s specific
context.
3.1 Structural scenarios and implications
In recent years, the structures of GTGs and other interagency groups working on gender
equality have evolved, alongside the changes in the way the UN System organizes itself and
operates at country level. This increasingly sees the presence of UNDAF a Results Group on
Gender (RGG) and multi-functional or multi-thematic groups aimed at increasing efficiency
and coherence. These shifts have resulted in a current situation whereby a variety of possible
structural scenarios exist for gender equality coordination mechanisms at the country level,
each with its own implications. These include the following:
Gender Theme Group only
This is the original structure for a gender coordination mechanism, and is still the most
common form. They typically encompass a selection of the functions discussed in section 2,
including gender mainstreaming activities and accountability of gender with the UNCT,
capacity development, normative and policy work, communication and advocacy and Joint
Programmes around GEWE; GTGs may also provide technical support to Results Groups under
the UNDAF implementation structure, and should provide programming advice to the UNCT
through the GTG Chair.
Scenarios with ‘GTGs only’ may be less well equipped to undertake results-level planning
using UNDG RBM methodologies, and may have a lower average budget than those with a
Results Group on Gender.13 As such, countries with a ‘GTG only’ scenario should specify
concrete activities in their annual work plans as to how they support UNDAF Results Groups
and SDG interagency groups in application of the multiple-track approach of gender in
development, and specify how they will implement their joint work plans at the output,
activity and budget levels.
Results Group on Gender and no GTG
In some cases, the GTG may have been merged into a new Results Group on Gender to
minimize overlaps and increase time efficiency for staff who may potentially be members of
both groups. These RGGs tend to focus on programmatic work through the preparation,
implementation and monitoring of Joint Work Plans under the UNDAF.
13
See the results of an analysis of GTGs and RRGs in the ECA region: UN Women ECA RO (2016). A Regional
Analysis of Gender-Theme Groups and Results Groups on Gender in the Europe and Central Asia Region.
27
However, other functions of GTGs may be lost in this scenario, especially those surrounding
gender mainstreaming within the UNCT and working to implement gender equality in the
SDGs, as well as those relating to UNCT accountability for gender equality.14 Therefore, in
countries that have a RGG with no GTG, it is important to ensure that the group’s role and
contribution to gender mainstreaming efforts and UNCT’s accountability to gender equality
are specified in the ToRs and annual work plan.  In addition, replacing a GTG that has
extended membership (see 3.3 below) with a Results Group can affect the group’s efficiency
and capacity for effective joint work with non-UN actors.
GTG and UNDAF Results Group on Gender
Here, the RGG and GTG operate simultaneously, with some overlapping members. This
scenario may be inefficient with regards to time and financial resources. However, it also
provides an opportunity for redoubled efforts towards GEWE on multiple fronts. While the
GTG may have broader objectives, including interagency coordination on gender, the RGG is
likely to focus on implementation of joint work plans under the UNDAF framework, in this
sense, it is crucial that both the GTG and RGG have clearly defined roles and responsibilities
stated in their TORs to avoid duplication (see section 3.4).
Working Groups addressing multiple cross-cutting issues
In the interests of UN System coherence and efficiency, Working Groups are increasingly
established to address multiple cross-cutting issues. In these groups, those with gender
expertise work in collaboration with others towards common goals. Examples include
Montenegro’s Working Group on Gender and Human Rights and Brazil’s Thematic Group on
Gender, Race and Ethnicity.
Gender groups (GTGs, RGGs, etc.) working with other coordination groups
Similarly, it is increasingly common for different coordination mechanisms, Results Groups or

SDG interagency groups to work collaboratively with one another. This can range from regular
briefings to avoid duplication through to collaborating on Joint Programmes or on other
operational activities. In Myanmar for example the GTG worked with the Human Rights
Theme Group on the development of a national law to prevent violence against women.
GTGs operating in humanitarian contexts
GTGs face particular implications when working in humanitarian and disaster risk reduction
(DRR) contexts. In effect, the GTG members should have the capacity and preparedness to
engage in a humanitarian response as necessary, and to potentially act as a humanitarian
gender working group supporting Humanitarian Country Teams (HCTs) and clusters, as well
as engaging with existing humanitarian gender working groups. GTGs should also ensure
gender-responsive DRR is a key element of the UNCT agenda and the UNDAF (see box 7 on
Nepal and box 21 on Jordan for examples of GTG work in humanitarian contexts).
14
Ibid.
28
3.2 Support available for GTGs
A wide range of sources of support are available for GTGs at country, regional and global
levels. Country-level support sources should be considered first; the next point of contact
should be support structures at the regional level (see below). Types of support available to
GTGs include resources, knowledge, guidance and training, as well as technical support
through rosters of gender experts.
Global support
At the global level, the UNDG facilitates joint policy formation and decision-making,
encourages programmatic cooperation and realizes management efficiencies within the UN
development system. The UNDG’s common objective is to deliver more coherent, effective
and efficient support to countries seeking to attain sustainable development. As such, it is
involved with the development and roll-out of policy and guidance, and of knowledge tools
to support the UN at the country level (see Annex 4).
The UNDG Results Group on Voice Values and Norms supports the functioning of UNCTs
through the following strategic areas: 1) Advocacy and communication, and adherence to the
common values and norms for which the UN stands; 2) Strengthen the contribution of
common values and norms to the UNDS’ policy and programmatic coherence and enhance
strategic focus on issues of equality, participation and accountability; 3) Encourage, reward
and protect UN staff as and when they stand up for the UN’s common values and norms; 4)
Gender equality and empowerment benchmarks and measures monitored and reported; 5)
Enhanced advisory, knowledge sharing, learning and leadership support on human rights.
Also at the global level, the UNDG Gender Equality Task Team (GETT) supports consistent
and coherent action amongst the UNDG member entities in their work on gender equality
and the empowerment of women and on mainstreaming gender equality and promoting the
empowerment of women through the UN at the country level; and ensuring that gender
equality and the empowerment of women feature explicitly on the agenda of the UNDG and
are mainstreamed into the wide range of tools and processes that it devises and disseminates
to UN country teams.15 Examples of the GETT’s specific products include: the development
and updating of the UNDG Resource Book on Gender Mainstreaming in the UNDAF, the
development of the new UNCT SWAP-Scorecard, the development of this new guide for GTGs,
the development of a gender marker methodology linked to the UNDAF, and support to the
UN Info project.
Regional support
The six Regional UNDG Teams play a critical role in driving UNDG strategic priorities by
supporting UNCTs with strategic priority setting, analysis and advice based on their four core
functions: 1) policy guidance and technical support to UNCTs; 2) quality assurance and
performance review of UNDAFs, UNCT Standard Operating Procedures for Delivering as One
and joint initiatives; 3) performance management of Resident Coordinators; and 4) dispute
15
See the GETT’s TOR here.
29
resolution and troubleshooting. Regional UNDG Gender Groups provide support to regional
UNDG teams through substantive gender expertise to strengthen joint action on gender
equality; they also provide support on gender mainstreaming in UNDAF for UNCTs.
Box 25. Support to GTGs through Regional Gender Groups
The ECA Issue-Based Coalition on Gender (formerly the Regional Working Group on Gender)
provides technical support and guidance in UNDAF development and SDGs implementation at
country level. In 2015, the group organized a training of trainers (TOT) for 34 participants, who
then acted as resource persons to support the UNCT and GTG in their own duty station on gender-
related work. To ensure that these resource persons from the TOT effectively supported UNCTs,
GTGs and regional initiatives, they continued to support them by providing updated materials and
facilitating a community of practice and follow-ups on a regular basis. The group has also
conducted an analysis of GTGs and gender results groups in the region as well as a desk review of
UNDAFs through a gender lens.
The WCA (West and Central Africa) GTG provides support and capacity building targeted at
country-level GTGs, to assist them in gender mainstreaming within the UNCT. In 2016, they
organized a training of trainers on Mainstreaming Gender in UN Common Country Programming
to ensure the SDGs are met at the local level. During the training, the 38 participants from 15
countries also acquired the skills to become trainers of trainers on complex issues such as gender
equality, empowerment of women and girls, and gender mainstreaming in the UNDAF.
Source: ECA Issue-Based Coalition on Gender (2017); WCA Regional GTG (2017).
Peer Support Groups (PSGs) provide regional advisors to support and guide programme
countries throughout the UNDAF process, particularly from UN Women which as part of its
coordination mandate supports the mainstreaming of GEEW in UNDAFs, and as such ensures
that PSGs are able to address gender and human rights as programming principles.
Comprising technical staff rather than those with an agency mandate, the primary functional
responsibility of PSGs is to help UNCTs implement a quality and timely common country
programming process in accordance with the UNDAF guidance package. They are crucial in
supporting gender mainstreaming in the UNDAF process, including through ensuring
appropriate linkages with relevant coordination mechanisms at the regional and country level
(such as Regional Gender Groups, RC Offices, GTGs and Results Groups).
Country level support
GTGs, like every country-level coordination mechanism, are established by the UNCT under
the leadership of the Resident Coordinator. The RC/UNCT is therefore the first point of
contact and support for GTGs, providing the required leadership, direction and resources as
they may be needed. UN Women, in view of its UN coordination mandate on gender equality
and the empowerment of women, is particularly well-placed to support the functioning of
GTGs and other gender coordination mechanisms; it does so either through its country offices
and as a member of the UNCT, or through its regional offices.
30
3.3 Leadership and composition
Leadership of the GTG
As with other inter agency coordination mechanisms, the choice of leadership of the GTG
requires country-level judgement as to the best option in the current time-frame, and it is
important to recognise the leadership of Resident Coordinators in assigning chairs across a
range of coordination mechanisms. Frequently, in country there is ample leadership available,
with the capacity to support the running of a GTG, so UNCTs need to think strategically about
how to use that leadership efficiently and effectively.
The UNCT SWAP-Scorecard requires that the GTG is chaired by a Head of Agency. In many
cases, the most effective option is to share leadership responsibilities. The modality of co-
chairing, or having a rotating chair – or both – is an option that has worked well in many GTGs.
Some examples are provided in box 26.
Box 26. Shared Responsibility for Chairing the GTG
In Myanmar, the GTG has a membership of 16 UN agencies, co-chaired by UNFPA and UN Women
with technical guidance, co-ordination, secretariat support provided by the UN RC and UN Women.
The GTG in Armenia is co-chaired by UNFPA and an external partner, the Ministry of Labour and
Social Affairs.
The global UNDG Task Team on Gender Equality uses a rotating chair. In addition to UN Women
who co-chairs and provide secretarial support, the Task Team has several members who take co-
chairing responsibilities on a rotating basis.
GTG membership
As outlines in the UNCT SWAP-Scorecard, GTGs should ideally include participation from all
resident UN agencies, as well as at least one representative from each of the other cross-
cutting groups (e.g. outcome results groups, communication group, M&E group, etc.).
A common constraint faced within GTGs is that effectiveness can be compromised if members
do not have enough seniority in their own agencies to be able to represent it adequately in
the GTG. The UNCT SWAP-Scorecard addresses this by suggesting that GTG members should
include at least 50% senior staff (P4 or equivalent and above). This can nonetheless be
challenging in middle-income and other countries where UN agency offices have limited
numbers of staff. However, challenges can also arise at the other end of the scale; for
example, a GTG comprised of Country Representatives from each member agency may see
members lacking the time and gender expertise to actively engage in the group.
GTGs must also consider member capacity and experience on gender. It is crucial that Gender
Focal Points appointed to GTGs have sufficient gender expertise and experience to contribute
31
effectively. In addition, GTG members should have their contributions to the group reflected
in their TORs and performance reviews. Senior gender advisors and other senior staff with
gender expertise often make appropriate GTG members as they have both sufficient seniority
and expertise.
Extended participation
In some cases, GTGs choose to extend their membership beyond that of the UN System. Here,
membership may include non-UN actors such as government, donors and/or civil society
organizations, either permanently or on specific occasions (see box 27 for examples). The
UNCT SWAP-Scorecard suggests that GTGs should involve external stakeholders such as the
women’s machinery, civil society and donors as strategic partners, although this may or may
not be as members of the GTG itself.
Box 27. Extended Participation in GTGs
In Mali, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Ukraine, the extended GTG includes donors in the country but
not all of the resident entities of the UN System.
In Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development co-chairs the
GTG, along with UN Women.
In Guinea-Bissau and Armenia, the extended GTG includes CSOs.
In Belarus, GTG membership operates under two modalities: as a UN GTG, and as an extended GTG
when deemed relevant, with donors and other international organizations invited to participate.
Extended GTGs may provide the advantage of regular multi-stakeholder dialogue, and the
inclusion of civil society perspectives. In some cases, extended GTGs are established in order
to facilitate coordination in support of aid effectiveness on GEWE as part of broader donor
coordination structures in the country. There are potential drawbacks to extended GTGs,
however, and GTGs may need to discuss ways to retain importance spaces for internal UN
discussion.
3.4 Terms of reference, budget and annual work plan
GTGs always require a set of concrete operational and management tools including a Terms
of Reference (ToR) and approved annual work plan (AWP) that incorporates a budget.
Terms of reference
The ToRs must clearly outline the GTG’s purpose and strategic objectives. These should be in
line with country needs as well as following the UN System’s strategic priorities, while
maintaining the minimum standards required by the UNCT SWAP-Scorecard. While specific
functional activities (such as those presented in the menu of functions in section 2) will be
selected according to these context-specific needs and priorities to best address the particular
32
challenges and opportunities of each UNCT, the following points represent key areas of core
focus for GTGs’ objectives:
• Providing support to integrate gender in SDG   processes, including

nationalization/localization processes, implementation, and   M&E.  
• Supporting the application of a gender perspective in the UNDAF, including the
country analysis, strategic prioritization, results framework and M&E.
• Strengthening and monitoring the UNCT’s accountability to gender equality, including
their role in promoting the use of the UNCT SWAP-Scorecard and the gender audit.
• Promoting a multiple-track approach to gender mainstreaming throughout the
UNCT’s work.
• Providing, via the GTG chair, a coherent vision for the UNCT’s support to GEEW
through timely intelligence and analysis of substantive gender equality issues.
As discussed above, the GTG should be chaired or co-chaired by Heads of Agency, and their
responsibilities must be specified in the ToR. Membership should include staff from all or
most resident UN agencies, and of sufficient seniority.
The GTG should have regular meetings – at least quarterly. This may include in-person and
electronic (virtual) meetings. Regular attendance of GTG members at meetings is key to the
group’s effectiveness. Underlying factors influencing regular participation may include
members’ perception about the relevance of GTG meetings (for them personally or for their
organisation) as well as their perception on the value they can add to the GTG, the UN or to
the country needs.16
Reporting lines and reporting schedule should be outlined, including reporting to the UNCT
and/or UNDAF Steering Committee.
A flexible, non-standardized template for GTG terms of reference is provided in Annex 2.
Budget
Generating sufficient financial resources is a common challenge among GTGs. It is therefore

crucial that when developing annual work plans, GTG members assess their resource base –
which will include the valuable resource of staff time, as well as UN and external financial
resources – and identify potential sources of funding.
Larger GTG budgets have been associated with more capacity to create more ambitious
gender-focused plans, with a positive correlation between the amount of funding and the
number of gender-focused activities and output level results included in annual work plans.17
Nonetheless, many internal gender mainstreaming activities and accountability mechanisms
can be implemented with relatively modest financial output (see also box 28).
16
gender equality and the empowerment of women.
17
UN Women ECA RO (2016). A Regional Analysis of Gender-Theme Groups and Results Groups on Gender in
the Europe and Central Asia Region.
33
Box 28. GTG Budgets: Where do the Resources Go?
A regional analysis of GTGs and RGGs in the Europe and Central Asia Region (2016) found that
direct service provision was the activity with the highest amount of allocated funding at
$3,195,847, followed by capacity-building ($2,135,850) and technical support to non-UN partners
($1,456,404). These allocations indicate that the RGGs and GTGs in the ECA region devote a large
part of their resources to supporting women and girls along with external partners (primarily
government/national entities and CSOs).
The analysis also demonstrated that many activities that promote accountability in gender
mainstreaming and are central to the purpose of GTG/RGGs can be incorporated into annual work
plans with relatively small dedicated budgets. For example, implementing accountability tools
(gender scorecard, gender audit, etc.) accounted for only $23,000 of dedicated funding; UNDAF
planning had only $30,500 and capacity building of UN partners accounted for $8,300.
Source: UN Women ECA RO (2016). A Regional Analysis of Gender-Theme Groups and Results Groups on
Gender in the Europe and Central Asia Region
GTGs should typically advocate for financial allocations for joint activities on gender from
each participating UN agency, in consultation with the head of each member agency.
Some GTGs implement pooled funding modalities for joint gender programming which has
the benefit of reducing duplication and transaction costs. In countries that operate with a
One Fund basket for joint programming, this mechanism can increase coherence and overall
collaboration around joint programmes, giving a programmatic purpose to GTG meetings; it
therefore may be the case that GTGs that have a budget to which all member agencies
contribute could be more effective than the ones financially supported by a single lead
agency.18
GTG members should also keep track of the timing of resource mobilization opportunities,
such as applications to global funds. Other potential funding sources include the RC budget,
as well as specific UNCT members’ contributions (either financial or in-kind).
Annual work plans
GTGs achieve their best results when they respond strategically to national and UN priorities,
and when their purpose is translated into a clear, realistic and relevant annual work plan
(AWP) focusing on substantive results.19 Based on an analysis of the national context – both
within the UN System and externally – GTGs must engage in a prioritization of potential areas
of work, and identify and select a realistic and appropriate set of functional activities; these
could be drawn from – but are not limited to – those outlined in section 2.
18
19
See for example UN Women (2012) Advancing Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: an
Assessment of Gender Mainstreaming in United Nations Operational Activities for Development. New York;
and UN Women. (2016) Corporate evaluation of UN Women’s contribution to UN system coordination on
34
GTG plans for activities must be developed into a robust annual work plan, following the
principles of the UNDG’s Results-Based Management Handbook. This includes linking the
context analysis with clear programme objectives, concrete joint outputs to deliver, specific
indicators to track results, a realistic timeline, and designated responsibilities and resources.
Table 1 below provides an example of an AWP from the LAC Regional Interagency Gender
Group.
While the areas of work selected by GTGs will vary considerably from country to country –
and over time – there are a number of features that all GTG AWPs should include. All AWPs
should:
• Reflect the priorities of the UN System, and the needs of the country.
• Include a designation of responsibility for each output.
• Identify resource needs and sources, including financial and in-kind (e.g. staff time)
contributions.
• Specify output statements and output indicators to define annual  results of the
groups using UNDG RBM standards. 
• Include actions to make substantive input into the key steps of the UNDAF.
• Specify concrete activities to promote and strengthen UNCT’s  accountability to
gender equality.
• Identify actions to contribute to the localization/nationalization, implementation and
M&E of the SDGs.
Output Indicator Activities Responsibility Timeline Budget

Output 1.1 Number of 1. Training workshops for LAC Lead: UN Throughout USD 5,000
Gender initiatives countries which include a Women the year from UN
mainstreaming undertaken to gender equality and Women;
in UNDAF mainstream and women’s/girls’ empowerment Participating In-kind
processes and build UNCT´s (GEW/GE) perspective organized agencies: contributions
UNCTs capacity on GEWE in 2016/2017 in UNDAF roll-out UNICEF, from
supported countries upon request UNDG-LAC agencies
Baseline (2015): 3 2. Specific GEW/GE training Secretariat,
Target (2016): provided to UNCTs upon request UNDP,
additional 3 3. Technical assistance to WHO/PAHO
Target (2017): UNCTs/national GIGs on gender
additional 3 scorecard implementation
Output 2.1 No. of regional 1. Mapping and sharing of what Co-leads: By July 2016 In-kind
Implementation webinars on impl. agencies are doing regarding UNDP and UN September budget
of the SDGs is and localization of SDG implementation and Women. All 2016 covered by
supported SDGs organized indicator development for the GIG agencies UN Women
Agenda 2030
Baseline 2015: 0 2. Initial diagnostic on gender UN Women
Target 2016: 2
sensitive SDG indicators in LAC
Target 2017: +3
35
Output 3.1 No. of joint 1. Organization of a joint activity Lead: OHCHR 17 May In-kind
Joint regional advocacy activities around International Day against contribution
advocacy on organized by the homophobia and transphobia from OHCHR
GEW/GE regional GIG 2. Organization of a joint activity
strengthened around International Day of the Lead: UNICEF 11 October TBC
Baseline 2015: 1 Girl Child (TBC)
Target 2016: At WHO/PAHO,
3. Dissemination of the strategy
least 2 UNWOMEN, 2016 In-kind
& plan of action on
Target 2017: At interested
strengthening the health system
least 2 agencies
to address VAW
Table 1. LAC Regional Interagency Gender Group 2016-2017 Work Plan20
A flexible, non-standardized template for GTG annual work plans is provided in Annex 3.
20
Edited and adapted from the LAC Regional Interagency Gender Group 2016-2017 Work Plan.
36
Annex 1. Glossary
Access: The ability of women and men to use a resource and take advantage of an
opportunity. Ability to use resources does not necessarily imply the ability to define or decide
the use of that same resource and vice versa.
Capacity: The ability of people, organizations and society as a whole to manage their affairs
successfully.
Capacity development: The process whereby people, organizations and society as a whole
unleash, strengthen, create, adapt and maintain capacity over time.
Control: The ability of women and men to make decisions about and derive benefits from
resources and opportunities.
Equal opportunity: The absence of gender-based discrimination; the right to be treated

without discrimination, especially on the grounds of sex, race, or age.
Gender: The socially constructed roles and relationships, personality traits, attitudes,
behaviours, values, relative power and influence that society ascribes to the two sexes on a
differential basis. Gender is relational and refers not simply to women or men but to the
relationship between them. Although the words gender and sex are often used
interchangeably, they have slightly different connotations; sex tends to refer to biological
differences, while gender more often refers to cultural and social differences and sometimes
encompasses a broader range of identities than the binary of male and female.
Gender-based violence: Violence targeted at individuals or groups on the basis of their

gender. Examples include: sex-selective abortion, differential access to food and services,
sexual exploitation and abuse, including trafficking, child marriage, female genital
mutilation/cutting, sexual harassment, dowry/bride price abuse, honour killing, domestic or
intimate partner violence, deprivation of inheritance or property, and elder abuse.
Gender equality: Gender equality entails the concept that all human beings, both women and
men, are free to develop their personal abilities and make choices without the limitations set
by stereotypes, rigid gender roles, or prejudices. Gender equality means that the different
behaviours, aspirations and needs of women and men are considered, valued and favoured
equally.
Gender equity: Fairness and justice in the distribution of responsibilities and benefits
between women and men. To ensure fairness, temporary positive measures must often be
put in place to compensate for the historical and social disadvantages that prevent women
and men from operating on a level playing field. Equity is a justice-based means—equality is
the human rights-based result.
Gender mainstreaming: The process of assessing the implications for women and men of any
planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in any area and at all levels. It
is a strategy for making women's as well as men's concerns and experiences an integral
37
dimension in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and
programmes in all political, economic and social spheres.
Gender roles: A set of prescriptions for action and behaviour assigned to men and women by
society according to cultural norms and traditions.
Multiple-track strategy for gender mainstreaming (also known as dual mandate, or twin-
track): Incorporating both gender-targeted interventions to support gender equality and
women’s empowerment in specific social groups, organizations and/or processes as well as
gender-integrated efforts to ensure that gender equality is integrated across the substantive
work of all sectors. Also known as using vertical as well as horizontal programming.
National women’s machineries: Government offices, departments, commissions or

ministries that provide leadership and support to government efforts to achieve greater
equality between women and men; sometimes also called National Gender Machineries.
Practical and strategic gender needs and interests: Practical Gender Needs are identified by
women as a response to an immediate perceived necessity, and usually relate to inadequacies
in living conditions such as water provision, health care, or employment. Strategic Gender
Interests tend to challenge gender divisions of power and control, and traditionally defined
norms and roles.
Productive work: Work done by both men and women for pay in cash or kind. It includes both
market production with an exchange-value, and subsistence/home production with actual
use-value, and also potential exchange-value. For women in agricultural production, this
includes work as independent farmers, peasant wives and wage workers.
Reproductive work: Childbearing/rearing responsibilities, and domestic tasks done largely by

women, required to guarantee the maintenance and reproduction of the labour force. It
includes not only biological reproduction but also the care and maintenance of the work force
(partner and working children) and the future work force (infants and school-going children).
Sex: The biological characteristics that define humans as female or male.
Substantive gender equality: Combines formal gender equality in law, equal opportunities
and equal treatment, with equality in impact, outcome or result. It requires that equality is
interpreted according to the context or realities of women’s and men’s disadvantages and
the impact of these circumstances in terms of eliminating disadvantage in outcome or result.
Women’s empowerment: The process of gaining access and developing women’s capacities
with a view to participating actively in shaping one’s own life and that of one’s community in
economic, social and political terms.
38
Annex 2. Template for GTG Terms of Reference
Template for GTG Terms of Reference
1. Background and purpose
The history of the GTG, if any, should be included. Provide any background to gender equality efforts
and structures within the UNCT and gender in the UNDAF; this may include reference to national and
international normative framework and the context of the SDGs.
The overall purpose of the GTG may vary according to the national context, but the following are likely
to be included: 1) serve as a key mechanism for joint UN action and coordination on GEWE; 2)
strengthen UNCT performance on gender equality; and 3) provide a forum for systematic sharing of
information, experiences and tools on implementing GEWE.
2. Objectives and key tasks
The GTG’s strategic objectives and key tasks should be in line with country needs as well as following
the UN System’s strategic priorities. While specific functional activities will be selected according to
these context-specific needs and priorities, all GTGs’ objectives should include:
• Providing support to integrate gender in SDG  processes, including nationalization and

localization processes, implementation, and  M&E.  
• Supporting the application of a gender perspective in the UNDAF, including the country
analysis, strategic prioritization, results framework and M&E.
• Strengthening and monitoring the UNCT’s accountability to gender equality, including
promoting the use of the UNCT SWAP-Scorecard and the gender audit.
• Promoting a multiple-track approach to gender mainstreaming throughout the UNCT’s work.
• Providing, via the GTG chair, a coherent vision for the UNCT’s support to GEEW through timely
intelligence and analysis of substantive gender equality issues.
3. Chair and secretariat
The GTG should be chaired or co-chaired by a Head of Agency; these may be fixed or rotating according
to a specified schedule. The responsibilities of the chair/s must be specified, and may include the
following:
• Be responsible for the overall performance of the GTG and will be accountable for the
coordinated achievement of results stipulated in the Joint Work Plan.
• Provide leadership to the GTG on GEWE matters and its integration into the UN System
• Chair the quarterly and ad hoc GTG meetings, and prepare the meeting agendas in consultation
with team members.
• Be the spokesperson of the GTG to the UNCT and other external bodies.
The Secretariat for the GTG should be provided by the agency chairing or co-chairing the group; in some
cases, this role may be undertaken jointly by the chairs and the Resident Coordinator’s Office.
4. Membership and frequency of meetings
39
Membership should include representatives from all or most resident UN agencies. In addition, GTGs
can consider the possibility of extending membership to non-UN partners such as government, civil
society and donors. All participating agencies, government entities and other organizations should be
listed.
Members should include at least 50% senior staff (P4 and above; NOC and above), and the roles of
these members and gender focal points should be specified. Members of the GTG should have technical
expertise on gender equality, or be supported to develop this expertise through trainings. They should
also be able to devote adequate time to their GTG work, which should be reflected in their work plans;
managers should recognize this contribution in the performance assessments of staff.
The GTG should hold regular quarterly meetings, as well as on an ad-hoc basis, as deemed necessary
by the members. Regular communication is maintained through email and other virtual platforms.
5. Work planning
The GTG will develop an annual work plan based on national gender equality development priorities,
participating agencies’ priorities and UNDAF commitments on GEWE. For each action or task under the
AWP, the GTG will identify a responsible participating agency and/or individual, as well as a budget and
timeframe for implementation. The AWP actions may include, as appropriate:
• Research and analysis on GEWE

• Systematic support to UNDAF development and implementation
• Actions to support UNCT gender mainstreaming
• Processes to promote accountability of UNCT on gender equality
• The development and implementation of Joint programmes
• Policy and normative work
• Capacity development on gender mainstreaming
• Joint advocacy and communication campaigns
Schedules, plans and additional relevant materials for each GTG meeting should be prepared jointly by
members of the GTG under guidance from the chair/s of the group.
6. Reporting
Reporting lines and reporting schedule should be outlined, including reporting on the Annual Work Plan
to the UNCT, Resident Coordinator and/or UNDAF Steering Committee.
The minutes of GTG meetings should be documented by designated members.
40
Annex 3. Template for GTG Annual Work Plan
Outputs Planned Activities Indicators Timeline Responsibility Budget Comments
OBJECTIVE 1: E.g. Provide support to integrate gender in SDG  processes
Output 1.1 E.g. From the menu of functional For each output E.g. Specific E.g. Staff time,
activities agencies; GTG agency funds,
1. members; pooled GTG
2. other WGs funds
3.
Output 1.2 1.
2.
3.
OBJECTIVE 2: E.g. Support the application of a gender perspective in the UNDAF
Output 2.1 1.
2.
3.
Output 2.2 1.
2.
OBJECTIVE 3: E.g. Strengthen and monitor the UNCT’s accountability to gender equality
Output 3.1 1.
2.
Output 3.2 1.
2.
OBJECTIVE 4: E.g. Promote a multiple-track approach to gender mainstreaming throughout the UNCT’s work
Output 4.1 1.
2.
Output 4.2 1.
2.
41
Annex 4. Resources
1. Normative and policy documents

2. Gender analysis
3. Gender mainstreaming
4. Joint Programmes
5. Accountability tools for gender equality
6. Gender-sensitive indicators and M&E
7. UNDAF development and implementation
8. Gender-sensitive normative work
9. Gender equality capacity development
10. Advocacy and communication campaigns
11. Gender-responsive budgeting and costing tools
12. Analyses of GTGs
13. UNDG programming guidance
1. Normative and policy documents
Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, (A/RES/70/1)
Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
Beijing Platform for Action
United Nations System-Wide Policy on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325
Vienna Declaration - World Conference on Human Rights
Addis Ababa Action Agenda (A/RES/69/313)

42
Universal Periodic Review
International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD)
Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction
World Humanitarian Summit
QCPR Resolution (A/71/243)
QCPR Resolution (A/RES/67/226) (section III D)
2. Gender analysis
Learning and Information Pack: Gender Analysis

UNDP (2001). New York.
Gender Analysis – Principles and Elements

Sida (2015). Stockholm.
A Guide to Gender-Analysis Frameworks

Candida March, Ines A. Smyth, Maitrayee Mukhopadhyay (2005). Oxford: Oxfam.
A Conceptual Framework for Gender Analysis and Planning

ILO/SEAPAT's On-Line Gender Learning & Information Module
3. Gender mainstreaming
Gender Mainstreaming in Development Programming: Guidance Note

Gender Mainstreaming
Sida. 2015. Stockholm: Sida.
Mainstreaming a Gender Perspective into all Policies and Programmes in the United Nations
System: Report of the Secretary-General (E/2013/71)
Monitoring gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in the 2030 Agenda
for sustainable development: opportunities and challenges
43
4. Joint Programmes
Two Roads, One Goal: Dual Strategy for Gender Equality Programming in the Millennium
Development Goals Achievement Fund
Nelson, Gayle and Jennifer Cooper et al. (2013). New York: MDG-F, UN Women and UNDP.
Making Joint Gender Programmes Work: Guide for Design, Implementation, Monitoring and
Evaluation
Beck, Tony et al. (2013). New York: UNDP and MDG-F.
UN Women. (2013). Joint Evaluation of Joint Programmes on Gender Equality in the United
Nations System: Final Synthesis Report. New York.
Guidance Note on Joint Programmes

UNDG. (2014). New York.
5. Accountability tools for gender equality
UNCT SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard

ILO Participatory Gender Audit: Relevance and use for the United Nations and its agencies
ILO (2011). Geneva.
Gender Equality Marker Guidance Note

6. Gender-sensitive indicators and M&E
Monitoring gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in the 2030 Agenda
for sustainable development: opportunities and challenges
Report of the Friends of Chair of the United Nations Statistical Commission on violence against
women’, E /CN.3/2011/5
ECOSOC (2011). New York. (VAW indicators)
Gender Statistics: Report of the Secretary-General (E/CN.3/2013/10)

Gender Equality Indicators: What, Why and How?

44
OECD/DAC Network on Gender Equality (2009). Paris.

Integrating Human Rights and Gender Equality in Evaluation – Towards UNEG Guidance
United Nations Evaluation Group (2011). New York.
7. UNDAF development and implementation
Resource Book for Mainstreaming Gender in UN Common Programming at the Country Level
UNDAF Guidance
UNDAF Programming Principles

Common Country Analysis

The UN Vision 2030

Theory of Change
Capacity Development
Communication and Advocacy

Monitoring and Evaluation

Funding to Financing
Rao, Aruna (2010). Strengthening Gender Equality in United Nations Development

Frameworks. Commissioned by UNDG Task Team on Gender Equality, p. 9.
45
Desk Review of 15 UNDAFs in the Europe and Central Asia: Application of Twin-Track
Approach of Gender in UNDAFs and CCAs to Promote Gender Equality and Empowerment of
Women
UN Women ECA RO (2016).
8. Gender-sensitive normative work
Eight Case Studies on Integrating the United Nations’ Normative and Operational Work.
UNDG (2015).

Ensuring sustainable UPR implementation: A call to action for States to strengthen the third
cycle of the Universal Periodic Review
UPR Info (2016). Geneva.
Women’s Rights are Human Rights

Bringing Equality Home: Implementing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women
9. Gender equality capacity development
Gender Equality Capacity Assessment Tool

UN Women Training Centre (2014). Santo Domingo.
UN Women eLearning Campus

An online platform with links to multiple training courses and tools.
I Know Gender
Online UN training course.
UN Coherence, Gender Equality and You

Online training course
10. Advocacy and communication campaigns
46
Fulfilling the Promises: A Practical Guide for UN Advocacy to Promote Implementation of the
2030 Agenda
UNiTE Campaign to End Violence Against Women

Website.
International Women’s Day

Website.
HeForShe
Website
11. Gender-responsive budgeting and costing tools
Engendering Budgets: A Practitioners' Guide to Understanding and Implementing Gender-

responsive Budgets
Budlender, Debbie and Guy Hewitt (2006). London.
Budgeting for Women’s Rights: Monitoring Government Budgets for Compliance with
CEDAW: A Summary Guide for Policy Makers, Gender Equality and Human Rights Advocates
Costing of Interventions and Policies for Gender Equality: Concepts, Methodologies and
Practical Experiences
Coello, Raquel (2013). New York.
Handbook on Costing Gender Equality

12. Analyses of GTGs
UN Women ECA RO (2016). A Regional Analysis of Gender-Theme Groups and Results Groups
on Gender in the Europe and Central Asia Region.
UN Women. (2016) Corporate evaluation of UN Women’s contribution to UN system

coordination on gender equality and the empowerment of women.
UN Women (2012) Advancing Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: an Assessment

of Gender Mainstreaming in United Nations Operational Activities for Development. New
York.
47
13. UNDG programming guidance
Results-Based Management Handbook

Standard Operating Procedures for Countries Wishing to Adopt the “Delivering as One”
Approach
One Programme – Tools and Materials

UNDG Guidance Note on Human Rights for Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams
Policy and Operational Support for UNCTs on Human Rights in SDG Implementation
Guidelines to Support Country Reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals.

48

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RESOURCE GUIDE

CCA Common Country Assessment

Box 1. The Multiple-Track Approach to Gender Mainstreaming

Table 1. LAC Regional Interagency Gender Group 2016-2017 Work Plan

1.1 Background to the updated Resource Guide

In his efforts to strategically reposition the UN Development System, the UN Secretary

2.1 Research and analysis

Source: United Nations Viet Nam; GTG Serbia.

Box 3. Engendering the Common Country Assessment in Albania

Source: UN Women Albania.

Selected Key Resources

Learning and Information Pack: Gender Analysis

Gender Analysis – Principles and Elements

Resource Book for Mainstreaming Gender in UN Common Programming at the

2.2 Support to UNDAF development and implementation

Source: UN Women PNG.

Box 5. Mainstreaming Gender into the Zimbabwe UNDAF (ZUNDAF)

Source: UN Women Zimbabwe.

Source: UN Women Serbia; UN Women Brazil; UN Women Guatemala.

Selected Key Resources

Resource Book for Mainstreaming Gender in UN Common Programming at the

UNDAF Programming Principles

2.3 Support to gender mainstreaming across the 2030 Agenda

Box 7. Participatory Development of the UNCT Gender Mainstreaming Strategy in Zimbabwe

Source: UN Women Zimbabwe.

Box 8. Mainstreaming Gender Equality in Preparedness and Response in Nepal

Source: Nepal Inter-Cluster Gender Working Group.

Gender Mainstreaming in Development Programming: Guidance Note

Mainstreaming a Gender Perspective into all Policies and Programmes in the

2.4 Promoting accountability of the UNCT on gender equality

The UNCT SWAP-Scorecard is a globally standardized rapid assessment of the UNCT’s

Source: UN Women LAC Regional Office.

In May 2017, Cameroon carried out a UNCT SWAP-Scorecard to inform gender-responsive

• Desk review of all relevant documents.

Source: UNCT Azerbaijan (2017). ‘Participatory Gender Audit’. Baku.

Selected Key Resources

2.5 Joint programmes

Box 13. Joint Programme on National Resilience in Bangladesh

Source: UN Women Bangladesh.

Source: UN Women LAC Regional Office.

Source: UN Women Tanzania.

Selected Key Resources

Making Joint Gender Programmes Work: Guide for Design, Implementation,

Joint Evaluation of Joint Programmes on Gender Equality in the United Nations

Guidance Note on Joint Programmes

2.6 Policy, technical and normative support

Box 16. GTG Support to Normative Human Rights Reporting

Source: UN Women. (2016) Corporate evaluation of UN Women’s contribution to UN system

Box 17. Linking Normative Developments with Operational Work in Albania

Source: UN Women Uruguay; UN Women WCA Regional Office.

Selected Key Resources

Human Rights Indicators: A Guide to Measurement and Implementation

Ensuring sustainable UPR implementation: A call to action for States to strengthen

Women’s Rights are Human Rights

Bringing Equality Home: Implementing the Convention on the Elimination of All

2.7 Capacity development on gender mainstreaming

Capacity development for gender mainstreaming is an essential element in efforts to achieve

Box 19. Gender Equality Self-Assessment in Mexico

Source: UN Women Mexico.

Source: UN Women Regional Office for Asia Pacific.

• Providing support to integrate gender in SDG   processes, including

• Providing support to integrate gender in SDG  processes, including nationalization and