Growing the Global Seal Learning Community: Highlights from the 2025 Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions Induction Webinar Series

Over six interactive sessions in June and July 2025, UNDP staff from around the globe came together for the 2025 Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions Induction Webinar Series. The series was designed to build internal capacity, share practical tools, and spotlight CO experiences, equipping staff with the knowledge and confidence to support Seal implementation with government partners. A total of 89 participants from 55 countries enriched the sessions by asking insightful questions, sharing nuanced perspectives, and exchanging lessons learned from diverse institutional contexts. 

Key Insights from Country Offices 

Throughout the webinar series, conversations with Country Offices experienced in Seal implementation revealed three key lessons for supporting institutions effectively. First, COs found that prioritizing Seal implementation with the right institutions – those with visible mandates, prior commitment to gender equality, or strong political will – can build early momentum.  

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, for example, UNDP engaged with the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council in the Seal because of its existing gender initiatives and sector-wide influence, setting a precedent for others to follow. In Armenia, the Human Rights Defender’s Office already demonstrated relevant work on gender equality and met 45% of the Seal benchmarks at the time of the baseline, providing a strong foundation for advancing institutional transformation. In Mongolia, a country context analysis helped the UNDP Country Office identify the Equanomics initiative – a UNDP global flagship that supports advancing public institutions and fiscal and economic policies that work for gender equality – as an entry point to support the Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Taxation (GDT) in the implementation of their sectoral gender equality strategy. The Seal implementation with the General Department of Taxation (GDT) – driven by strong GDT leadership and sustained high-quality expertise – demonstrated tangible results in a relatively short time.

Now we have evidence that the Seal works in Mongolia—it transformed the General Taxation Department in a short time. We’ve received letters of interest from the Civil Service Commission, Ministry of Environment, and Ministry of Energy.

Uyanga Narantuya (UNDP Country Office Mongolia)

Second, UNDP Country Offices underscored the importance of using their own experience in the implementation of the Gender Equality Seal for UNDP Country Offices – a specific branch of the UNDP Gender Equality Seal –, identifying gender equality champions, and stimulating collaboration to drive institutional ownership of the Seal process. Engaging national gender machineries as co-lead institutions and cultivating strong partnerships were crucial for the participant institutions to achieve meaningful results and impacts on gender equality through the implementation of the Seal. 

For instance, Armenia’s UNDP Country Office first strengthened its own internal systems through the Gender Seal for UNDP Country Offices. In turn, the lessons learned and results achieved positioned the office to more effectively guide public institutions, demonstrating that the Seal is both an assessment tool and a drive for institutional transformation. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, close partnership with the Agency for Gender Equality enabled strong national buy-in and alignment with national legal and policy mandates, anchoring the Seal process of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council in the country’s broader gender agenda. In Thailand and Uzbekistan, high-level appointments – such as the Deputy Governor chairing the Gender Equality Committee of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and a deputy minister-level gender advisor in Uzbekistan’s State Customs Committee – secured political buy-in and helped institutionalize ownership. Finally, in the Philippines, the Bureau of Local Government Finance partnered with taxpayer associations to ensure its policies and services are better informed to serve the specific needs of women.

Real change happens through broad engagement. … When people feel included from the start, it becomes a collective effort, not an add-on. That builds real ownership and sustainability.

Nera Monir Devan (UNDP Country Office Bosnia and Herzegovina) 

Third, successful Seal implementation varies greatly depending on the context – that’s why UNDP colleagues stressed the importance of tailoring the Seal implementation to national realities.  

In Thailand, UNDP specialists working with the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority supported the institution in raising awareness about the importance of reviewing institutional systems, policies and services. This ensured that staff took the specific needs of women, men, and LGTBIQ+ people into account and contributed to addressing gender inequalities. In Chile, the Seal helped public institutions leverage national laws (e.g., Law against Violence and Harassment in the Workplace) and international standards (ILO Convention 190) to set up policies and mechanisms to eradicate and address harassment and gender-based violence and to integrate specific clauses for advancing gender equality into municipal ordinances. Finally, in Rwanda, the Seal supported the Rwanda Revenue Authority in addressing workplace safety and trust issues by embedding Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) discussions into staff meetings, running public awareness campaigns, and holding annual “women’s safe space” events. 

These varied experiences demonstrate the Seal’s adaptability and capacity to catalyze sustainable gender equality reforms across diverse institutional landscapes and to help institutions strengthen their contributions to inclusive, sustainable development.  

It is very important to show the link between the Gender Seal and its relevance for the country’s development goals.

Clement Kirenga (UNDP Country Office Rwanda)

A Growing Global Seal Learning Community 

The Induction Webinar Series underscored that UNDP staff are not merely facilitators of the Gender Equality Seal, but rather strategic partners in driving inclusive, accountable governance. Beyond building institutional capacity, the Seal is fostering a growing community of practice grounded in shared purpose and mutual learning.