UNIFEM works to promote gender equality between women and men and to
advance the status of women. In particular, we focus on implementing the
Beijing Platform for Action and other UN global commitments through
political and economic empowerment of women, and through the full
realization of women's human rights. We work with governments, NGOs,
community and other organizations, as well as individuals. The East and
Southeast Asia Regional Office covers 13
countries (Cambodia, Democratic Republic of
Korea, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, People's Republic
of China, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and East Timor).
To empower women politically:
- We promote women's participation in
leadership and decision-making. We seek not just an increase in the
number of women leaders, but a qualitative change in decision-making
through women's role as transformative leaders, promoting a gender
agenda and good governance.
- We strengthen the capacity of women's
groups to incorporate women's needs and concerns in policy-making and
planning processes. We bring together women's groups and policy makers
on women's concerns, including homeworkers, women and trade, and women
in business. We also work with regional groupings such as APEC and ASEAN
to put women's issues on their agendas.
- We assist government agencies to
identify and understand gender issues, and to formulate
gender-responsive strategies to advance the status of women. Among the
tools we use are gender statistics, gender awareness and gender analysis
training, and gender budgeting.
To empower women economically:
- We support innovative and catalytic
economic activities that will increase women's autonomy and family
income.
- We support innovative and strategic
activities to develop women's businesses through skills and management
training, and more efficient methods of production. We also promote
gender-responsive programmes that address the practical and strategic
needs of women in business.
- We work with government and industry
groups, especially women's business associations, to support women's
businesses, particularly at the micro and cottage levels.
- Through the Gender, Globalization and
Markets Regional Programme, we seek support for women's enterprises that
is both gender-responsive and capable of leading to sustainable,
non-poverty-level incomes. In particular, we develop the capacity of
women's businesses to respond to market change.
To ensure the full realization of
women's human rights:
- We support the effective
implementation of CEDAW and other human rights instruments that address
women's human rights.
- We promote and support the
participation of women's groups and civil society in the CEDAW
monitoring and reporting process.
- We work with government and civil
society to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, and
- We support the equal participation of
women in conflict resolution and in peacebuilding.
UNIFEM also promotes gender mainstreaming and
sensitivity to the different needs of men and women in UN programmes by
providing technical support to other UN agencies, and through our active
participation in the activities of the UN System. This includes
participation in the Common Country Assessments and the UN Development
Frameworks that provide the context for collaboration among UN agencies at
the country level.
Extensive networks throughout the region
and the world are essential to our
work. We spend a great deal of time developing, promoting and supporting
networks of individuals and groups that support women. Without them, our
job would be impossible.
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