FinalRBASRegionalGenderEquality&WomenEmpowermentCombinedReport&ProgrammeDocument16February2008byC.F.El-Solh&E.BazalgetteREGIONALGENDEREQUALITY&WOMENEMPOWERMENTPROGRAMMEFORARABSTATESCommissionedbyUNDPRegionalBureauforArabStates/RBAS,NewYork&UNDPBureauforDevelopmentPolicy/GenderTeamFINALCOMBINEDREPORT&PROGRAMMEDOCUMENT16February2008IndependentConsultants’Team:CamilliaFawziEl-Solh,TeamLeaderEvelynBazalgette,TeamMemberAcknowledgementTheTeamwouldliketoexpresstheirthanksandappreciationtoallthepeoplemetinUNDPHeadquartersinNewYork,duringthefieldmissionsand‘virtually’inthecaseofUNDPPAPP.WeparticularlyappreciatethetimethatUNDPRBASCountryOfficestaff,counterpartsandstakeholdersinthefieldmissioncountriesaccordedustoshareinformationandcontributetheirknowledgetothedevelopmentoftheRBASRegionalGenderEqualityandWomenEmpowermentProgramme.SeethelistofpeoplemetinAnnex5.‘Itisimpossibletorealizeourgoalswhilediscriminatingagainsthalfthehumanrace.’(KofiAnnan,2006)QuotedfromUNDPGenderEqualityStrategy2008-2011(2nddraft,November2007)TABLEOFCONTENTSACRONYMSEXECUTIVESUMMARY(p.8)PARTA:INTRODUCTION(p.12)A-IBackgroundA-IITermsofReferenceA-IIIMethodologyPARTB:VALIDATIONOFKEYGENDER-RELATEDFINDINGSONTHEARABREGIONB-IConsultationofKeyDocuments(p.16)1.UNDPCorporateLevel2.UNDPRegionalBureauforArabStates(RBAS)3.UNDPRBASRegionalProgrammes4.SelectedUNCountry-LevelDocuments5.OtherPertinentGender-RelatedDocumentsB-IIPerceptionsofUNDPCountryOffices:ResponsetoQuestionnaires(p.27)1.InsightsfromResponsestoQuestionnaires2.ImplicationsfortheRBASRegionalGenderProgrammeB-IIIPerceptionsfromRBASCountryFieldMissions(p.35)B-IVValidationandKeyConclusions(p.38)PARTC:PROGRAMMEFRAMEWORKC-IStrategicFrameworkOutline(p.42)C-IIKeyStrategicGenderEntryPoints(p.43)C-IIIRegionalGenderProgrammeComponents(p.44)1.HolisticApproachtoRegionalProgrammePlanning2.RegionalPilotGenderInitiatives2.1Gend