ObjectivesFund scope and results framework
Fund scope
Georgia has made significant progress in strengthening its legislative and policy framework for enhancing gender equality and combating violence against women and girls. And a number of policy documents and legislative acts have been adopted in recent years. Despite this progress however, gender inequality remains high and is considered one of the major constraints to more sustainable and inclusive development.
Persistent gender inequality is manifested by the underrepresentation of women in decision-making positions, women’s limited participation in political and social life, a large gender wage gap, occupational segregation, skewed sex ration at birth with son preference, prevalence of sexual harassment, early marriages, violence against women and girls, and cultural stereotypes and norms, which diminish women’s role in society. Moreover, both duty bearers and rights holder lack the relevant capacities to fulfill their obligations and claim their rights.
In response, the Joint Programme for Gender Equality was established in 2015 to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in Georgia by strengthening the capacities of the Government, civil society and communities. Programme activities focus on:
- Enhancing women’s political and economic empowerment (led by UNDP);
- Creating an enabling environment to eliminate violence against women, especially sexual and domestic violence (led by UN Women); and
- Advancing gender equality and reproductive rights, including for the most vulnerable women, adolescents and youth (led by UNFPA)
Results framework
The Joint Programme directly responds to the women’s rights and gender equality commitments undertaken by Georgia at the international and national level. Aligned with the stated goals and priority areas of the 2016-2020 UN Partnership for Sustainable Development and the UN Development Assistance Framework for Georgia (2010-2015), the Joint Programme also contributes to Georgia’s commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal 1 (target 1.4), Goal 3 (targets 3.1 and 3.7), Goal 4 (targets 4.3.a and 4.7), Goal 5 (targets 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.6 and 5.c) and Goal 16 (targets 16.1, 16.3, 16.7 and 16.b).
The Joint Programme adopts a holistic approach by simultaneously targeting three interrelated levels (national, local and grassroots) and applying multi-tiered programming approaches to:
- Policy advice – to advocate for streamlining national legislation and policies related to gender equality including, political and economic empowerment, violence against women and girls, reproductive rights; recommend improvements; adjust policies, develop and update the action plans; support evidence-based policy dialogue between policy and decision makers, the legislature and women’s rights and gender equality advocates as well as communities at the grassroots level;
- Strengthening national systems – to enhance coordination and implementation of innovative policies and plans related to gender equality, including political and economic empowerment, Sexual Reproductive Health and Reproductive Rights (SRH&RR), prevention and response to violence against women and girls, as well as supporting development and institutionalization of monitoring mechanisms of implementation; and
- Strengthening public advocacy – to enhance the capacities of rights-holders on the issue of gender equality and women’s political and economic empowerment, domestic and other forms of violence against women and girls, harmful practices and reproductive rights by mobilizing and supporting participatory advocacy platforms with civil society and communities at the grassroots level.
> $55M 
$55M - $25M
$25M - $5M
< $5M
