Turning Data into Action: Advancing Gender Equality in Public Institutions

Across Armenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, evidence is helping public institutions move from identifying gender gaps to implementing practical reforms. Supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), these experiences show how the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions and related initiatives can strengthen more inclusive, representative and responsive governance. 

From representation data to institutional insight 

A common challenge in both countries is the gap between women’s participation in public administration and their access to senior decision-making roles. In Armenia, women held around 25 percent of top public management positions during 2020–2024, while accounting for 48 percent of other managerial positions and 74 percent of professional positions. Public perception data also pointed to care and long working hours as significant barriers to women’s career progression. 

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, institutions participating in the Gender Equality Seal analyzed sex-disaggregated workforce data across management levels, recruitment, promotion, training, decision-making and organizational culture. The findings showed that women’s representation often declined at higher levels and identified practices that could unintentionally reproduce inequality, including limited accountability and gaps in gender-responsive human resource policies. 

Evidence as accelerators for reform 

In Armenia, UNDP’s Leadership Lift initiative targets 100 mid-career women from the public and private sectors. It combines leadership development with efforts to address institutional barriers. Participating institutions have co-designed practical solutions, including a childcare service for the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and a multifunctional family-friendly space at the Migration and Citizenship Service. 

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, measures included gender-responsive human resource management, improved recruitment and promotion procedures, leadership development, stronger accountability, enhanced gender focal point functions and systematic workforce-data monitoring. The High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council and the Ministry of Security became the first public institutions in Europe certified under the Gender Equality Seal methodology. 

Key messages from the country experiences 

“Representation gaps in senior public management are not only a question of numbers; they also reflect workplace practices, care responsibilities and social norms.” Armenia institutional experience. 

“The evidence became the foundation for reform.” Bosnia and Herzegovina Gender Equality Seal experience. 

“Inclusive public institutions are not achieved through commitments alone.” Bosnia and Herzegovina Gender Equality Seal experience. 

Why this matters and looking ahead 

These experiences demonstrate that data becomes transformational when institutions use it to understand structural barriers, design targeted reforms and monitor progress. The Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions offers a practical framework that links assessment, action planning, leadership and accountability. Continued monitoring and investment in gender-responsive, family-friendly workplaces can help public institutions support women’s leadership and deliver more inclusive governance for the people they serve.