Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

1. Women’s Rights and Gender Equality UN Reform and Norway’s Development Cooperation

2. Why should we do it?? • Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment = growth and sustainable development. • Women’s rights are human rights - the CEDAW Convention

3. UN gender architecture • A new and strong gender entity in the UN is vital to achieve women’s rights and gender equality.

4. UN gender architecture • A new gender entity needs sufficient, stable and predictable funding. • Also, overall allocations for gender equality throughout the UN system must be increased.

5. One UN at country level • The UN pilots must deliver for women on the ground. Women need a distinct voice at country level

6. Norway’s new Action Plan for Women’s Rights and Gender Equality • Gender Equality and Women’s Rights is one of five main priority areas for Norway’s Development Cooperation.

7. Thematic priority areas • Women’s political empowerment • Women’s economic empowerment • Sexual and reproductive health and rights • Violence against women

8. Norway follows a two-track strategy - Gender Mainstreaming and – Targeted Interventions

9. Financing for Women and Development • Additional new money has been allocated to targeted measures for women and gender equality.

10. Norway is ready to put resources into a new UN gender entity. • We increased our contribution to UNIFEM by a 150% in 2007.

11. We expect the UN to deliver for women on the ground. • Non-delivery will have consequences for our choice of partners.