Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Office of Counter-Terrorism (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT) continues to advance gender equality and women's empowerment as demonstrated in its exceptional performance in the 2023 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ System-wide Action Plan (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ-SWAP) on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
According to the 2023 annual reporting exercise, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT met or exceeded requirements in 15 out of 17 performance indicators measuring gender mainstreaming across its policies and programmes in counter-terrorism and preventing and countering violent extremism (CT/PCVE).
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT recognizes that terrorism and counter-terrorism measures impact women, men, girls, and boys differently reflecting their distinct roles and experiences. In line with the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and its 8th (2023) review, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT strives to integrate gender-responsive and human rights-based approaches into all aspects of its programmes and initiatives, from initial planning to execution and assessment.
Key Achievements
- High-Level Gender Results: Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT aligned its programming with the Gender Mainstreaming Policy and Action Plan, delivering impactful gender-related results in CT/PCVE. The inclusion of the Head of the Human Rights and Gender Section as an ex officio member of the Programme Review Board further underscores its dedication to gender integration across all programmatic areas.
- Enhanced Gender Marker System: In collaboration with Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Women and the Controller¡¯s Office, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT customized the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ system-wide gender marker to its institutional context. The revised gender marker now evaluates the level of gender responsiveness in projects and programmes and establishes benchmarks for financial allocations towards gender equality, ensuring alignment with the United Nations Development Group (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDG) standards.
- Strengthened Gender Architecture: Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT expanded the capacity of its Gender Unit, hosting five "Gender and Counter-Terrorism Brown Bag" sessions and enhancing internal mechanisms for gender-responsive programmatic review and oversight.
Moving Forward
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT is committed to building on its achievements and addressing areas for improvement. In her letter to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Women Executive Director Sima Bahous expressed appreciation for Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT's contributions, stating: ¡°Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT exceeded the requirements for four indicators and met them for another eleven indicators, maintaining strong performance. I commend Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT for its steadfast commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. Together, we can build on this momentum to drive further progress.¡±
Looking ahead, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT, through the Gender Unit of the Human Rights and Gender Section, will revisit, update, and strengthen its Gender Mainstreaming Policy and Action Plan. These updates aim to further enhance performance in all areas of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ-SWAP while ensuring continued alignment with the evolving priorities of the United Nations.
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT will continue to promote gender-responsive and intersectional approaches to counter-terrorism, leveraging its growing capacity to deliver impactful results for women, men, girls, and boys around the world.
