During the early stage of my professional career, I witnessed my manager making inappropriate comments to one of my female colleagues. Caught off guard, she reacted with a nervous laugh. I was shocked by this disrespectful comment and wondered why she hadn't responded differently. A few days later, she confided in me that this situation had been recurring for months, despite her previous attempts to address it with our manager. I sensed a feeling of powerlessness and resignation in her voice. At that time, our small newly established company lacked the necessary framework and tools to tackle such issues. This eye-opening experience shed light on the existing gender inequalities in the workplace and made me a stronger advocate for gender equality.

My support for gender equality is rooted in two main reasons. Firstly, it is a matter of justice. Gender equality is about ensuring that both men and women have equal rights. Unfortunately, in many countries, women still face discrimination when it comes to accessing job opportunities, land ownership, loans, and more. Secondly, gender inequality hinders the achievement of inclusive and sustainable development. Without women and girls fully realizing their rights in all aspects of life, human development cannot progress. I also believe that the involvement of more men is crucial in this cause, as they still hold disproportionate power in our societies.

A few years later, in 2014, while working at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Country Office in Rwanda, I became aware of the newly established UNDP Gender Seal initiative. This corporate certification process aimed to support UNDP Offices worldwide in advancing gender equality and women's empowerment. I eagerly volunteered to join this initiative in my country office and eventually had the opportunity to lead it. My decision was motivated by my personal experience of witnessing sexual harassment and discrimination against women in the workplace, as well as by my belief that working for the United Nations meant embodying the organization's values of equality, integrity, and respect for diversity in my daily activities.

Furthermore, I strongly felt that as the leading UN agency responsible for supporting countries in achieving their inclusive sustainable development goals, UNDP needed to lead by example and prioritize gender equality and women's empowerment. This was especially crucial in the context of Rwanda, where the country was at the forefront of driving the gender equality and women's empowerment agenda in the continent.

The Gender Seal certification has proven to be a powerful tool and a true game-changer for our country office. It provided us with a clear framework, standards, and indicators to systematically and structurally advance gender equality in all areas of our work. The Gender Seal helped us mainstream gender into our management systems and programs, build the capacity of our staff on gender-related issues, create an enabling environment, and develop and disseminate knowledge management products. Additionally, it facilitated the establishment and maintenance of strategic partnerships.

This comprehensive approach ensured that gender integration became the responsibility of every single staff member. From human resources and procurement considering gender in recruitment and procurement processes, to program staff ensuring substantive gender development results, to senior managers fostering open and participatory processes, and establishing strategic partnerships with key stakeholders, gender equality became embedded in all aspects of our work.

We successfully forged strategic and fruitful partnerships with public institutions and private sector entities. Through collaboration with UN Women, we initiated the Gender Seal certification process in over 30 private and public institutions.

The change that brings me the greatest pride is the transformation that occurred at the individual level among our staff. Gradually, we were able to shift mindsets and attitudes towards gender equality and women's empowerment, making our staff take ownership of and drive our gender equality agenda. This was achieved through awareness-raising activities, interactive training sessions, and the inclusion of gender-related indicators in individual staff performance assessments.

In 2017, our efforts paid off when our Country Office was awarded the Gold Gender Seal Certification, the highest recognition for our commitment to driving the gender equality agenda. This year, we maintained our gold certification, further demonstrating our expertise and continuous dedication to gender equality.

Changing behaviors and attitudes takes time, and the journey towards gender equality in our societies will require ongoing effort. However, initiatives like the Gender Seal certification process equip public and private institutions with powerful tools to drive this process for the benefit of all.