NEWS

40 Regional Gender experts trained on rolling out the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions in Africa

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Service Centre for Africa, with the support of the Government of Canada, held the first Regional Training of Trainers on the Gender Equality Seal for the Public Institutions (GES-PI) in Africa  from 14 -16 November 2022 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The three day training attracted , up to 40 representatives from Regional Economic Communities (RECs) of ECOWAS, IGAD, SADC and ECCAS, Member States of  Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, DRC and South Africa  as well as regional gender experts from UNDP Country Offices. The objective of the regional training is to capacitate and establish a pool of regional gender advisor   who will support the rollout and implementation of the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions in Africa.  

This Training of Trainers was organized within the framework of the UNDP regional project on Advancing Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Africa with the support from the Government of Canada, to enhance the capacity of regional partners including the Regional Economic Communities for Africa and regional CSOs to advocate and influence member states to fulfill their gender equality commitments.

The Gender Equality Seal in public institutions tool championed by UNDP is a great tool that can assist you to model gender equality outcomes in the public sector. The tool can aid us in making progress towards the achievement of SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all) and the AU Agenda 2063 in tangible and measurable ways.

Tsitsi Fungurani, the Senior International Assistance Officer at the High Commission of Canada, in her opening statement said  “ 

The Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions is voluntary awarding programme that aims to support and recognize the efforts made by public institutions to achieve substantive gender equality between men and women and therefore to accelerate the achievement of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. It provides public institutions with a practical road map to implement institutional reforms to ensure that gender equality concerns are mainstreamed in their work. The programme is now being rolled out globally in four (4) regions covering 16 countries in 63 Public Institutions and four (4) Regional Organizations in Africa of ECOWAS, ECCAS, IGAD and SADC) and four member states including DRC, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda.  

As UNDP we are committed to continue to partner with our regional and national partners on advancing GEWE through the rollout of programmes like the GES-PI. UNDP will continue to invests in capacity building initiative in the region through such trainings to equip a pool of regional experts/facilitators with skills, knowledge and tools and that will enable them to accompany the Public Sector in Africa in the implementation of gender equality.

Odette Kabaya, the Regional Gender Advisor and Team Lead at the UNDP RSCA said,

The event provided a platform for attendees to exchange experiences, build and strengthen the network of trainers to facilitate experience sharing even beyond the training session.

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