Summary

The third phase of the UN Joint Programme for Gender Equality (UNJP4GE) — implemented jointly by UNDP, the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) with funds from the Government of Sweden — continues to address gender inequality coherently and holistically, covering a wide range of issues such as the political and economic empowerment of women, ending violence against women and girls, combating harmful practices against women and girls, and the promotion of women and girls' sexual and reproductive health and rights. 

The programme's third phase was launched in 2022 to continue through 2026, aiming to create an enabling environment for gender equality and women's empowerment through strengthening the capacities of government at both the central and local levels and across the executive, legislative and judicial branches, engaging civil society and raising public awareness about gender equality. 

Some activities are implemented countrywide while others focus on the capital, Tbilisi and Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Guria, Racha, Kakheti regions and the Ajara Autonomous Republic of Georgia.

What We Do

UNDP focuses on enhancing women's political and economic empowerment at the following levels: 

• Normative Level – policy advice and technical support to advocate for the streamlining of national legislation and policies with relevant international norms and standards around gender equality, including the political and economic empowerment of women.
• Institutional Level – strengthening national systems to enhance coordination and implementation of innovative policies and plans related to women’s political and economic empowerment; strengthening the capacities of duty bearers to design evidence-based policies and design and utilise monitoring and evaluation (M&E) tools that are gender-responsive.
• Grassroots Level – strengthening public advocacy and increasing the awareness of rights holders on the issues of gender equality, especially women's political and economic rights. The programme further mobilises and supports participatory advocacy platforms between the decision makers (duty bearers) and civil society and communities at the grassroots level.

Results by 2025

• UNJP4GE supported the Parliament of Georgia in developing a national vision of structural transformation to enhance women’s economic empowerment. In March 2023, the first National Concept for Women’s Economic Empowerment was adopted. The envisioned interventions were subsequently integrated into the 2024–2026 National Action Plan for the Protection of Human Rights.
• UNJP4GE supported establishing and strengthening women’s and youth organisations within political parties, enhancing their capacity to engage in party activities, contribute to internal decision-making, and advocate for more representative political agendas.
• Between 2023 and 2024, UNJP4GE supported ten political parties and one civil society organisation in strengthening intra-party democracy mechanisms to foster more democratic and inclusive decision-making processes within the parties, supporting a more representative and collaborative political landscape for the 2024 Parliamentary Elections.
• 300+ women councillors from different regions and political parties benefited from capacity-building workshops and activities. Through the targeted efforts, women councillors gained valuable skills and insights to actively contribute to political processes, reinforcing their roles and impact within their respective parties.
• In 2022, the UNJP4GE supported the LEPL Labour Inspection Office (LIO) in launching a consultancy centre, which has been operational since May 2022. The centre is designed to provide free services to Georgian beneficiaries and vulnerable communities to advance their awareness of labour rights and occupational safety. Moreover, a labour dictionary was developed and integrated into the main page of the LIO’s website, encompassing informational videos to raise society’s awareness.
• Specialised municipal programmes for women's economic empowerment were launched in five municipalities of Ajara, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, and Guria, supporting socio-economic services at the local level to be more diverse and results-based. Up to 50 women entrepreneurs boosted their production levels, reached new sales channels and increased their income with the cumulative support of GEL 126,000+. On top of matching each municipality’s contribution, UNDP provided technical assistance throughout the grant administration process.
• A new initiative - Care Economy Talks was launched, focusing on specific sectors within the care economy and bringing together care workers, kindergarten teachers, nurses, home care assistants, babysitters, and other relevant stakeholders to discuss and explore workers' challenges, which will feed into the policy-level actions. So far, five sessions have taken place, engaging 70+ care workers in thought-provoking discussions.
• UNJP4GE bolstered its partnerships with the private sector by introducing its flagship programme in cooperation with the Bank of Georgia—the Women Entrepreneurs’ Development Programme (WEDP). The programme offers long-term, 360-degree support to women entrepreneurs nationwide based on four pillars: education, coaching, product realisation and scale-up, and networking. As of today, 200 women entrepreneurs in Georgia have gained vital leadership skills, received tailored solutions from thematic experts and benefited from micro-grant support to advance their businesses.
• In cooperation with UNFPA, UNDP conducted a new round of the study "Men, Women, and Gender Relations in Georgia: Public Perceptions and Attitudes". The study shows progress in gender perceptions about women's roles in the workplace and decision-making.
• 27 Women Community Groups (WCGs), including 12 newly formed ones in Kakheti, Guria, and Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, were supported in implementing their action plans and seven microgrant initiatives. These grassroots organisations successfully advocated for local issues. Among the 119 problems submitted to local governments for consideration in the 2024 budget, 34 (28%) were addressed and resolved.
• In the current phase, UNJP4GE launched initiatives to promote greater participation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) spheres through supporting girl-majority teams in hackathons, providing DataFest scholarships, and offering AI boot camps to high-school girls and women entrepreneurs, engaging 345 women and girls so far.