Partnership for Gender Equity - Phase III

Purpose of Project

The purpose of the Partnership for Gender Equity Phase III (2011-2015) project is to build on the achievements made in the previous phases to ensure that the gender-sensitive policies and plans for Millennium Development Goal acceleration are actually implemented and make an impact on the status, rights and choices of Cambodian women.

Main Activities

• Engender key national reform programmes such as: government’s guidelines on budget, strategic and action plan; legislation on the civil service at the sub-national level, and the Decentralization and De-concentration systems, procedures, guidelines and its operational tools.
• Deliver gender equality training to trainees of the Royal School of Administration (350 per year).
• Provide leadership training programmes for female senior and middle managers in public administration at national and sub-national levels.
• Support the Ministry of Women's Affairs (MoWA) and Secretariat of the Technical Working Group on gender (TWG-G) to lead and coordinate the TWG-G.
• Set up monitoring and evaluation tools for reporting progress made on gender equality.
• Support the development of a capacity development strategy for the MoWA.
• Train members of Gender Mainstreaming Action Groups and Working Groups on Public Financial Management of line Ministries so that they can analyze and mainstream gender into planning and budgeting in their own sector.
• Support the Women Development Center(s) to increase access to gender-sensitive business development services for female small business entrepreneurs.
• Explore the possibility to conduct a study on the situation of women in the informal sector.
• Explore the possibility to conduct a study on the situation of female adult illiteracy, its root causes and existing facilities, and partner with relevant stakeholders to develop and implement a joint national campaign for female adult literacy, based on the study.
• Scale up preventive and remedial responses to genderbased violence by providing support to the feasibility study on the one stop service center, and community conversation enhancements in communities.

Key Results (from January and as of July 2011)

• Mainstreamed gender into the National Strategic Development Plan Update (2009-2013) and its Mid Term review.
• Ensured the National Program for Sub-National Democratic Development (2010-2019) is gender-responsive.
• Developed and disseminated the gender Mainstreaming Action Plan of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation. The plan aims to improve the living conditions for the most disadvantaged, especially women and children from the poorest families.
• Built upon the first and the second phase of the Gender Mainstreaming Action Plan (GMAP) in the civil service sector. The GMAP is a springboard for better representation of women in this sector. 
• Conducted a case study on gender and public administration in Cambodia to be used for future policy development and planning.
• Provided gender training to 200 government senior administrators through a series of gender training sessions conducted at the royal School of Administration. Most trainees were key government officials from line ministries at national and sub-national levels who hold decisionmaking positions.
• Supported the MoWA Capacity Assessment exercise. It is a springboard to the development of the MoWA Capacity Development Strategy, as part of the Programme Based Approach development and implementation.

Background

Cambodian women generally have lower status than men in the family, the economy and at all levels of society. They have poorer access to education and healthcare, and limited employment and business opportunities. They are also disproportionately affected by gender-based violence and human trafficking. Mechanisms to support the integration of gender concerns into national development are improving, but many challenges remain. UNDP provides advocacy, research, training, coaching, mentoring, and policy and technical advice to MoWA and line ministries. --- File Download ----