Gender equality and women's empowerment are essential components of sustainable development and drive progress across the 2030 Agenda. Gender equality plays an important role in the UNODC mandate areas. For instance, seven out of 10 victims of trafficking are women and girls, and one in three people who use drugs is a woman, but only 1 in 5 of drug users in treatment is a woman.
To ensure that gender aspects are not forgotten, UNOV/UNODC has placed gender equality and women’s empowerment as a cross-cutting priority and adopted its first framework to implement global commitments on gender equality and women’s empowerment in 2018. While UNODC’s mandate in promoting access to justice, fighting organized crime, combatting corruption and preventing terrorism are traditionally male-dominated fields, UNODC has made significant strides in promoting gender equality, empowering women, and transforming societies worldwide.
For example, UNODC research has deepened the understanding of the prevalence and impact of corruption on men and women, which highlighted that women and men encounter corruption in different places in society and are affected by it differently. These findings are starting to shape national policies combatting corruption, making them more efficient and responsive to the needs of society as a whole.
The impressive progress that UNOV/UNODC has made in pushing for organizational change since adopting its first Strategy was recognized by UN Women during its last UN – systemwide networking meeting of Gender Focal Points on 11 October with six recognition awards. These included the dedicated gender-inclusive leadership program for its senior management in the field and headquarters, its efforts to eradicate prohibited conduct, and its outreach to have more male staff engaging in gender issues, recognizing that both men are women are crucial in the promotion of Sustainable Development Goal 5. UNODC’s dedicated efforts in field settings was also recognized with the empowerment of gender-diverse staff in its offices in Kenya and Mexico, ensuring access to flexible working conditions to the parents of toddlers. UN Women also highlighted UNODC’s efforts to promote women in the assistance it provides to Member States, through an initiative geared towards empowering women leaders in international anti-money laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism.
The achievements of UNODC in gender mainstreaming are essential for creating a more just and equal world. By focusing on empowering women, combating gender-based violence, and addressing gender disparities in its mandate, UNODC has made significant contributions to promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. As we move forward, it is crucial to continue supporting and expanding these initiatives to create a world where every woman and girl can live a life free from violence, discrimination, and inequality.
