Gender Parity Strategy

Gender Parity and the Reform Process

Gender parity in the system, at all levels, is essential to the UN reforms. It will contribute to the modernization of the institution, and is imperative to the credibility, effectiveness and impact of the organization in the lives of the people it serves.

Photo: Secretary-General António Guterres poses with women who comprise part of the leadership team
Secretary-General António Guterres poses with women who comprise part of the leadership team, including Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed (centre left) and Chef de Cabinet Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti.

The Gender Parity Strategy aims to create a more diverse, inclusive, gender balanced United Nations that works for all its staff. It includes recommendations related to hiring and retention, special measures, addressing unconscious bias in recruitment, and creating a conducive working environment.

Main Priorities

The United Nations-wide Gender Parity Strategy sets targets for equal representation of women and men, with specific commitments in the following areas: leadership and accountability; senior management; recruitment and retention; creating an enabling environment; and field operations. It is not simply about achieving quantitative goals, but about fostering an inclusive workplace, and transforming the institutional culture so that the Organization can fully deliver on its mandate.

Progress to Date

To date, gender parity has been reached in the senior management group of the Secretary General, and among Resident Coordinators. All Secretariat units have developed their own implementation plans for the strategy, setting targets for themselves to achieve parity at all levels. Today, the organization has the highest number of women as of heads of missions and deputy heads in peace operations in its history.

Staff Voices

Elena Nitoi, Human Resources Officer, United Nations, Geneva

“I think the biggest obstacle to achieving gender equality in the workplace are the gender stereotypes shaping the way women and men are perceived.”

Elena Nitoi
Human Resources Officer
United Nations, Geneva

More Staff Voices

Gender Parity Dashboard