- UNITAR Division for Prosperity launched the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment III (GEWE III), the third phase of its programme to build leadership and gender-responsive capacities.
- 36 government officials from Jordan and Lebanon will be trained to enhance their skills and knowledge in policy-making to address gender inequalities.
- On 11 July 2023, the programme was launched online and was delivered in Arabic.
14 July 2023, Hiroshima, Japan - UNITAR Division for Prosperity launched Gender Equality and Women Empowerment III (GEWE III), the third phase of its programme to build leadership and gender-responsive capacities of government officials. GEWE III, offered in Arabic, was launched online on 11 July 2023.
The programme expands on the successful first two phases of GEWE. In the first phase, government officials from Jordon and Lebanon built their knowledge and skills to design a training project to operationalize the 1325 National Action Plan on women, peace and security which calls for women to participate in peacebuilding, be protected from human rights violations, and have access to justice.
Photo by leungchopan, Envato Elements
In the second two, the participants learned how to apply holistic gender mainstreaming in their institutions and to implement and manage policies, projects and strategies for gender equality.
This third phase of GEWE will take participants a step further, teaching advanced, essential leadership capabilities. Participants will become catalysts for gender empowerment. Additionally, the programme will strengthen their advocacy and communication skills so they may inspire and promote gender-sensitive communities, share good practices and encourage gender equality.
Let decision makers cooperate with the gender committee to facilitate our mission [and] reach our vision.” —Joumana El Halabi, UNITAR programme alumna and gender focal point at the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education
GEWE III is training 36 participants who serve as decision-makers in their countries, with a focus on women in Jordan and Lebanon.
In the 2021 Global Gender Gap Report, Jordan ranked 131st and Lebanon ranked 132nd out of 156th countries. While Jordan and Lebanon have made significant efforts to empower women, improving their rankings from 2021, there is still much to be done to make gender equality a reality. Cultural and social patterns that perpetuate gender inequality persist, and existing gender gaps have only worsened with economic crises and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Each person has the right to do what they want and to have what they need. Because we are all human; we are all equal in this world.” —Mireille El Alam, GEWE second phase alumna
GEWE III directly supports SDG 5: Gender Equality, aiming to further gender equality and empower all women and girls. The programme also works towards the 2030 Agenda, where gender is mainstreamed across all goals.
UNITAR thanks the Cypriot Government for its generous contributions to all three phases of GEWE. The programme would not have been possible without their assistance. Additionally, UNITAR recognizes the Jordanian National Commission for Women, and the National Commission for Lebanese Women, for their partnership.
About UNITAR
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is a dedicated training arm of the United Nations. In 2021, UNITAR trained 370,139 learners around the world to support their actions for a better future. In addition to our headquarters in Geneva, we have offices in Hiroshima, New York, Bonn and various networks around the world.
One of the eight divisions of UNITAR, the Division for Prosperity, based in the Hiroshima Office and Geneva Headquarters, seeks to shape an inclusive, sustainable and prosperous world. World-class learning and knowledge-sharing services on entrepreneurship, leadership, finance and trade, digital technologies, and nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation are offered. We empower individuals from developing countries – especially women and young people – to address inequalities. Our alumni are making a difference in least-developed countries, countries emerging from conflict, and small-island developing states.