LocationsMeet Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions champions
Faces of change
September 19, 2025
The UNDP Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions has engaged more than 100 public institutions from 30 countries.
Photo: UNDP Peru/Jasmin Ramírez Romero
What does it take to walk safely home at night, access health care that responds to real needs, or have a voice in disaster response? For millions of women and girls, this is not possible. But public institutions around the world are working to change this reality–not with slogans, but with real people making concrete changes, transforming policies and services that transform citizens’ everyday lives.
The UNDP Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions is a pioneering flagship programme that supports and recognizes public institutions committed to advancing gender equality and women's empowerment in policies, governance, and working environments. Since its inception, the Seal has engaged over 100 public institutions from 30 countries, strengthening the capacities of more than 275,000 public officers.
At the 2025 Global Awards Ceremony, public institutions from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Chile, Guatemala, Mongolia, and Peru were recognized with Gold, Silver, or Bronze Gender Seals for their outstanding achievements. We spoke to nine gender equality champions who work within, or alongside, these institutions, which turn institutional commitments into everyday change.
Municipality of Peñalolén, Chile: Strengthening women’s safety and voices through community inclusion
In the Municipality of Peñalolén, Chile, public spaces are becoming safer through the power of community participation. Using gender-sensitive mapping, the municipality improved urban lighting in 748 high-risk areas, making streets safer for women at night. It also expanded services for survivors of gender-based violence, achievements that earned it the Gold Gender Seal.
Viviana Vicencio Baes, Executive Secretary for Gender Equality of the Municipality of Peñalolén.
Photo: UNDP Chile
“The aim is to bring about change through everyday work.”
- Viviana Vicencio Baes, Executive Secretary for Gender Equality of the Municipality of Peñalolén
That approach included gender-sensitive community outreach and creating safe spaces for dialogue, helping normalize conversations around inequality, discrimination and violence against women. A key lesson from Peñalolén is that abstract concepts, like gender and intersectionality, only become tangible when translated into concrete actions that improve people’s lives. Over decades of concrete reforms and targeted programmes, from launching the Women’s Center in 2005, to SOS Mujer, a safety programme for women victims of domestic violence in 2014, to establishing the Gender Secretariat in 2022, the municipality has shown how local governments can drive change by listening, responding, and building trust.
Superintendency of Health, Colombia: Transforming workplace culture for gender equality
In Colombia, the Superintendency of Health (Supersalud) was awarded the Silver Gender Seal for upholding women’s right to health in the context of armed conflict, and for reshaping its institutional DNA with this in mind.
“Gender equality policies are...a bet on transforming the organizational culture into one that is fairer, respectful, and inclusive,” said Jorge Ignacio Álvarez, Secretary General of Supersalud.
Jorge Ignacio Álvarez, Secretary General of Supersalud, and Lina Marcela Vásquez Arciniegas, a specialized professional in Communications and Human Talent at Supersalud.
Photos: UNDP Colombia
As part of the Seal process, the Superintendency introduced flexible working hours, extended teleworking for new parents, established a dedicated breastfeeding room, and adopted a Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion policy.
“One of the main challenges was...to incorporate inclusive and non-sexist language into all content,” said Lina Marcela Vásquez Arciniegas, a specialized professional in Communications and Human Talent at Supersalud.
It required “a deep cultural shift". More than a mere compliance tool, the Seal served as a catalyst for reimagining the workplace as a space where gender equality is actively practiced. “Today, we have a Supersalud that is more aware and committed to equity,” said Ignacio Álvarez.
National Institute of Roads, Colombia: Mainstreaming gender in a male-dominated sector
Secretary General Dr Margareth Sofía Silva Montaña, INVIAS.
Photo: UNDP Colombia
In Colombia’s road construction sector, a domain traditionally dominated by men, the National Institute of Roads (INVIAS) is paving a different path. Awarded the Silver Gender Seal, INVIAS made it mandatory for road construction projects to adopt ethical codes that address sexual harassment and gender-based violence. At the time of the award, at least 16 projects had implemented this requirement.
“This commitment begins at the top,” said Secretary General Dr Margareth Sofía Silva Montaña, crediting leadership for integrating gender equality across INVIAS's operations.
“Daring to question traditional structures and committing to real transformation toward gender equality is not easy, but it is deeply necessary.”- Secretary General Dr Margareth Sofía Silva Montaña, INVIAS
Dr Juan Sebastián Jiménez Leal, INVIAS.
Photo: UNDP Colombia
One key reform included improving institutional data systems to track inclusion metrics and increase women’s workforce participation in the transport sector.
“Change is not only reflected in documents,” said Dr Juan Sebastián Jiménez Leal from the Human Resources Department, “but also in attitudes, relationships, and decisions.”
Through the Gender Seal, equality became a shared responsibility–from strengthening women’s leadership to ensuring women are correctly addressed by their professional titles.
The Executive Secretariat of the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction, Guatemala: Elevating Indigenous women’s leadership in disaster risk reduction
In Guatemala, the Executive Secretariat of the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (SE-CONRED) earned the Silver Gender Seal for redefining who leads in times of crisis. By increasing the participation of Indigenous women in disaster risk management to 30 percent, the institution is ensuring that emergency planning and response reflect the specific needs and realities of those most likely to be affected.
The Executive Secretariat of the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction, Guatemala.
Photo: UNDP Guatemala
From prevention to recovery, integrating diverse perspectives has improved institutional processes and strengthened resilience across the country.
“We are working to build resilient communities where women and men have the same opportunities and can jointly contribute to the development of Guatemala,” said Claudinne Ogaldes, Executive Secretary, SE-CONRED
The first woman to lead the institution, Claudinne Ogaldes also highlighted the essential role of partners like UNDP Guatemala and the Presidential Secretariat for Women in helping to broaden and sustain this progress. “Achieving the Silver Seal...is a testament to our collective commitment to inclusion and equal rights.”
General Department of Taxation, Mongolia: Promoting gender-responsive fiscal policies
Mongolia’s General Department of Taxation (GDT), a Silver Gender Seal awardee, tailored taxpayer education to the different needs of women and men and supported the Ministry of Finance in reviewing personal income tax provisions to boost women’s labour force participation.
According to Uelun-Ujin Boldbaatar, Gender Specialist at the GDT, the Seal process fundamentally shifted how staff approached their mandate. Though some initially assumed tax policy was neutral, through training and real-life examples,
“They understood that women and men have different needs depending on their different situation within society. That's why tax policy should consider a gender perspective.”
This shift was strengthened through collaboration with the Civil Society Council, an independent advisory body which helped bridge the gap between the tax authority and the public. Council Head Otgontsetseg Tserendorj stressed that gender-sensitive data was “essential for identifying the distinct needs of men and women". As Boldbaatar reflected, the Seal fostered a growing understanding that “gender is not limited to women and men–it's about more justice and inclusion” for everyone.
Uelun-Ujin Boldbaatar, Gender Specialist at the General Department of Taxation, Mongolia.
Photo: UNDP Mongolia
Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, Chile: Driving gender equality through whole-of-institution reforms
Chile’s Ministry of Justice and Human Rights earned the Gold Gender Seal for developing 13 innovative initiatives that transformed its institutional management. Key reforms included formalizing gender equality criteria in public procurement processes and developing a pioneering toolbox to address violence, harassment, and sexist behaviour in the workplace.
Chile’s Minister of Justice and Human Rights Jaime Gajardo Falcón.
Photo: UNDP Chile
Minister Jaime Gajardo Falcón highlighted a transformative shift in how the ministry’s two traditionally separate branches, the Undersecretary of Justice and the Undersecretary of Human Rights, began working together, “The Seal allowed both to align themselves under a common goal, generating a collaborative way of working that ... we now consider unprecedented within the sector.” Gender mainstreaming became integral to both internal operations and public service delivery. Rather than a single breakthrough, this transformation unfolded as a steady cultural shift.
“Gender equality is no longer perceived as an additional task–but as a fairer, more effective, and more innovative way of administering, making public policy, and providing services to citizens,” he said.
Change powered by thematic flexible funding
As we celebrate these successes, let us not forget that gender equality remains an ongoing journey. Supporting public institutions to drive gender-responsive reforms requires more than technical expertise—it demands sustained, adaptable resources. Thematic flexible funding, such as through UNDP Funding Windows, enables UNDP and its partners to adapt, innovate, and sustain long-term support for initiatives like the Gender Equality Seal.
We thank UNDP Funding Windows partners Luxembourg and the Republic of Korea for their generous support in this regard. With continued and collective commitment, these stories of change can build momentum and inspire further actions around the world.
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