Overview

Cities shape daily life, but not equally. Safety, mobility, care and participation are experienced every day, yet urban planning, budgets, transport, public space and services often fail to respond to diverse needs. The Gender Equality Seal for Cities helps city governments respond through measurable institutional change. 

The Seal is a voluntary certification programme that builds on UNDP's Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions and adapts it to city government realities. It is more than a badge of recognition. Over two years, cities complete a baseline assessment, develop a tailored roadmap, receive technical support, implement reforms, undergo reassessment and can achieve Bronze, Silver or Gold certification based on measurable progress. 

What the Seal helps cities change 

• Place clear leadership and accountability for Gender Equality within city governance. 
• Use sex-disaggregated data and citizen feedback to design policies and services around how people live, work, move and access support. 
• Embed Gender Equality in municipal plans, budgets, procurement and implementation systems. 
• Create fairer municipal workplaces with equal opportunity, respectful working conditions and zero tolerance for sexual harassment. 
• Strengthen meaningful participation by women, civil society, the private sector and groups often excluded from decision making. 
• Improve public spaces, mobility and services that support safety, care, livelihoods and protection from discrimination and violence. 

Bangkok in action 

In April 2026, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration became the first city in Asia to receive Gold certification under the Seal. The journey integrated gender considerations into more than 200 municipal projects and strengthened open sex-disaggregated data for more responsive planning. 

It also expanded inclusive health services through 31 BKK Pride Clinics, reaching more than 8,400 people. The BKK Light programme installed more than 30,000 LED streetlights using citizen data. Care-sensitive workplace reforms included 120 days of maternity leave and access to childcare centers. The municipal gender wage gap fell from 3.1% to 0.9%, and women held 50% of executive-level positions. 

Publications