Training Session for Gender Focal Points

The Orientation, Information and Training Session for Gender Focal Points took place from 29 November till 2 December 2011 in Paris (France). The training was mandatory for all designated Gender Focal Points from Sectors/Divisions/Bureaux/Offices at Headquarters and from the Field Offices, Liaison Offices and Category I Institutes and Centres. More than 80 participants (Gender Focal Points from UNESCO HQ & Offices, Category I Institutes & Centres) took part in the GFP Network training. All participants had an outstanding possibility to share experiences and to receive a high level of motivation to the promotion of gender equality. This training was the starting point for much greater collaboration in the field of one of the main UNESCO priorities - gender equality. All participants were recommended to involve gender equality line in monitoring, planning and reporting, mainstreaming it in all our daily work – briefings, communiqués, TORs/JDs/recruitment, organizing meetings/conferences/seminars; publications, etc. The necessity to acquaint with “New Partnership Strategy” prepared by BSP and to take part in the preparation of a document “UNESCO Platform for Gender Equality” in 37 C/5 was stressed. There was discussed and prepared draft document described terms of references for GE Focal Points including reporting via two special boxes in SISTER every 6 months a year. GE Division will distribute a reporting calendar at the beginning of 2012.

The organizers – Division of Gender Equality ODG – proposed a very dense programme with many different discussions and exercises which was successfully carried out. Mme S. Gulser Corat, Director of the Division for Gender Equality (ODG) opened the meeting and welcomed all participants. She acquainted the participants with training objectives, working methods and key GE Concepts, UNESCO’s GE Policy and approach, related UN frameworks, advocating for GE, UNESCO Strategy on GE 2008-2013, etc. A great deal of presentations was made by the participants from HQ Programme Sectors and Central Services – HRM, from different regions such as Middle East and North Africa, GRULAC (Latin America), ASPAC (Asia and Pacific region). A special attention was spared to sharing of experiences on good practices in GE tools developed by sectors, Field Offices, Institutes, etc. and special and/or global initiatives: Global Partnership for Girls’ and Women’s Education; Women’s Research and Documentation Centres; UNESCO Chairs and Networks; Climate Change; Rio+20; UN Adolescent Girls Taskforce; HIV/AIDS; UNESCO-L’Oreal. The participants brainstormed for resource mobilization for GE programmes, community of practice for the GFP Network, modalities and possible areas of collaboration, UNESCO’s Gender Equality website and Newsletter.

During the training sessions all participants from sectors and region/countries took part in the group exercises with work plans organized within the framework of the Session 6 “Mainstreaming Gender in project planning”. They discussed issues on gender analysis in programming, monitoring and reporting and prepared draft correct version of work plan for a project activity “Providing support for adult literacy programme”.