Gender Team: What are some of the changes and progress you have seen in terms of promoting gender equality since the adoption of the first UNOV/UNODC Gender Mainstreaming Strategy? Are there any moments and achievements that stand out?
Jane Marie Ongolo: Looking back at the past four years, I am proud to say that within the UNODC Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSAF) there has been significant progress made towards the advancement of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Just look at the numbers and you will see! There is a higher proportion of women employed in senior positions. However, our commitment is not limited to internal change: ROSAF has togerher with other UN entities promoted public policies that focus on gender mainstreaming.
Gender Team: What do you think are the next big steps towards closing the gender gap in the work that your Regional Office does and where would you like to be in 2026 in terms of gender equality?
Jane Marie Ongolo: I believe that adopting gender as one of the core annual performance goals is a good practice in terms of mainstreaming at all levels with enhanced accountability. Beyond that, Gender Strategy Focal Points need financial support and relevant training; in addition to being a key function instead of an additional task to a regual job.
It is also important to continue to promote gender alongside geographical inclusion in our recruitment processes. Particularly at the senior management level, more attention needs to be given to women to develop their careers within the UN system.
Furthermore, it is important to highlight a point that is raised by many within the organisation: UNODC should enable the quality and inclusiveness of international and local staff in all opporunities and conditions - this will not only allow equal access to all staff, based on merit, but will also enhance opportunities for professional growth and upskilling. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that when we promote gender equality we also bridge the geogrpahical divides and the consequent divide between national and international staff. Only then can we have an organisation that is gender-responsive and fully representative of the people that we serve.
Gender Team: How do you view the role of leadership in successfully promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in UNOV/UNODC’s work and its working environment?
Jane Marie Ongolo: I believe that it is fundamental that representatives and managers publicly champion gender equality and the empowerment of women. This does not only involve the promotion of gender equality within the entities, but it should also be done at programming levels. Leaders need to be at the forefront in promoting and strengthening gender-mainstreaming capacities, to develop people's mindsets and to empower individuals at all levels. This can only be achieved if there is an integrated and strategic approach to addressing these issues - we need to have productive and active dialogues to create a space where we can effectively implement gender equality priorities within the organization.
Every leader should strive to provide equal opportunities for all and to ensure the full and equal participation of women regardless of their job or division. This does not only involve ensuring that women are able to access promotions within appropriate timeframes and are able to access mentoring programmes, but we also need to address uncomfortable topics such as gender bias and the reporting and handling of sexual harassment cases. These factors contribute to inequality in the workplace and leadership okays a key role in overcoming them.
