Despite significant global attention to gender equality and women’s empowerment, we are nowhere near achieving equality. Our work suggests that the chronic underinvestment in programmes that tackle the structural causes and consequences of gender inequality in areas including unpaid care work, violence against women, health, education, and peace and security, is one significant reason for limited progress.
Since 2001, UN Women has been leading efforts to increase financing for gender equality through building partnerships, providing tailored technical assistance and guidance and building institutional capacity and knowledge. These strategies have supported government and donor efforts to integrate gender into their public financial management systems to ensure that policies, plans and budgets are gender-responsive. We have made progress in achieving increased and improved quality of financing for women through building political support and transforming institutional practices.
For us, financing for gender equality must include women's voices and eliminate discrimination by expanding their access to services, resources, opportunities, safety and security. Further it must enhance budget transparency and increase government and donor accountability.