Arab framework for gender equality in public institutions

In partnership with UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) held a regional workshop on the ‘institutionalization of gender within public institutions’ project. The 3-day event (from November 14-16) held at ESCWA HQ in Beirut, saw the participation of representatives of governments, council and committees involved with women in member states. A statement issued at the end of the workshop said the latter aimed at building the capacities of member states in the field of mainstreaming gender in state-run institutions, through a review of the pertinent action plan and its adaptation to the needs of Arab countries. Participants came out with a unified Arab framework for the accountability and assessment of the efforts to institute gender equality in public facilities, to be funneled at later stages on the level of national mechanisms and public establishments. During the workshop, the director of ESCWA Center for Women, Mehrinaz Awadi, pressed the need to create an integrated Arab tool to evaluate and measure gender equality. Similarly, the director of coordination at UN Women, Aberna Mehrotra, pointed out that the most remarkable accomplishment would not have been realized without the commitment to the principle of gender equality at all levels of the UN. (Al Mustaqbal, November 17, 2016)