Locations
Our focus
Gender Equality
Overview
Gender equality is central to UNDP’s vision for human development on a healthy planet. UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2026-2029 identifies gender equality as one of three accelerators of progress, alongside digital and AI transformation and sustainable finance. The UNDP Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2029 builds on this ambition by supporting governments to place gender equality at the core of political, economic, and environmental decisions, with the goal of expanding development choices that work for all. The UNDP commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women is integral to all its efforts to expand people’s choices. In Asia and the Pacific, this work is especially urgent. Widening care gaps, rapid digital and AI transformation, online violence, climate and energy transitions, and fast-changing cities are reshaping people’s lives. UNDP’s regional gender equality work helps countries respond to these shifts in ways that expand women’s choices, safety, leadership and economic opportunities.
Our work
UNDP’s regional gender equality work in Asia and the Pacific focuses on four areas where practical support can help countries move from commitment to action. Across these areas, UNDP combines policy advice, evidence, partnerships, capacity support and regional learning to advance gender equality at scale.
We support women’s economic participation by addressing care constraints and improving access to finance, skills and markets. Our work includes:
- Supporting women-led MSMEs through better policies, access to finance, digital skills and entrepreneurship support.
- Helping women entrepreneurs grow their businesses, reach markets and expand economic opportunities.
- Supporting care economy reforms, including through Fiscal Policy and Care initiatives.
Digital and AI transformation should expand women’s choices, safety and leadership, not create new barriers. Through DIWA, UNDP supports:
- Evidence on digital gender gaps, AI risks and women’s participation in digital economies.
- Gender-responsive digital and AI policies.
- New thinking on how AI can support better economic, health, care and gender equality outcomes.
- Action on addressing, online safety and technology-facilitated gender-based violence, through mapping digital violence trends, addressing policy gaps and survivor-centered responses.
- Capacity support for law enforcement and cybercrime units, including tools and processes to detect and manage harmful content.
Women should be able to lead, shape and benefit from the green transition. UNDP supports governments and partners to:
- Integrate gender equality into climate, energy and nature policies, plans and investments.
- Expand women’s access to green jobs, skills, finance and technologies.
- Promote women’s leadership and entrepreneurship in sustainable agriculture and renewable energy.
- Document and share practical examples, case studies and lessons from the region.
- Support South-South learning and policy dialogue on gender-responsive green transitions.
- Strengthen gender equality outcomes in regional and country-level climate, biodiversity and resilience initiatives.
Cities shape daily life, from safety and mobility to care, services, livelihoods and climate resilience. UNDP supports cities to become more inclusive, safer and more responsive to women, girls and marginalized communities.
Our work includes:
- Strengthening women’s leadership and participation in city decision-making.
- Supporting city officials through training on future-ready and gender-responsive urban governance.
- Promoting safer and more inclusive public spaces through women-led and girl-led safety audits.
- Using social listening and local evidence to understand issues such as urban heat, street vendors’ livelihoods and safety risks.
- Helping cities integrate safety and care into urban design, mobility, planning, budgeting and service delivery.
- Deploying the Care Georeferencing Tool to map care supply, demand and gaps.
- Adapting and scaling the Gender Equality Seal for Cities to strengthen accountability across municipal planning, budgeting and service delivery.
