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UNICEF’s new Gender Policy (2021-2030) and Gender Action Plan (GAP 2022-2025) emphasize UNICEF’s commitment to promoting gender equality around the world and recognize the integral role that positive gender socialization plays in transforming harmful gender norms and practices.  With the International Step by Step Association (ISSA), UNICEF…

The media industry has an unprecedented influence on how entire societies perpetuate gender inequality, from discriminatory norms and stereotypes to the normalization of violence against girls. On the other hand, media reporting also has the immense potential to combat the root causes of violence against women and girls, promote positive social…

The commitment of UNICEF to an equal future for all girls and boys recognizes that promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  The Gender Action Plan, 2018–2021 (GAP) is UNICEF’s road map for promoting gender equality throughout its work, guiding its…, This is the final year in the implementation of the Gender Action Plan 2018-2021, UNICEF’s roadmap for promoting gender equality throughout its work. Over the last four years, UNICEF has substantially increased investment in resources, leadership, capacity and accountability to achieve meaningful results for women and girls. And while progress has…, girl-with-tablet UNICEF approach to integrated gender results, GARR2021-Gender-infographic-1 UNICEF focuses on levelling the playing field for girls and boys by addressing gender inequality in key life outcomes; promoting gender equality in how children are supported and cared for, including in households and childcare-related fields; and promoting adolescent girls’ well-being and empowerment.  In 2021,…, mother-and-daughter Equality in health systems and workforce, 80 per cent of live births were attended by skilled personnel in 2021, surpassing the overall target of 79 per cent 40.4 million adolescent girls benefited from services and support for the prevention of anaemia and other forms of malnutrition 57.5 million  caregivers of children under the age of 2 years received infant and young child feeding…, girl-in-classroom Equality in education, 21 million out-of-school girls accessed early learning, primary or secondary education through UNICEF-supported programmes versus 8.4 million in 2019 48 countries had gender-responsive education systems, increasing from 15 countries in 2017 31 countries had systems that institutionalized gender-equitable skills for learning, personal empowerment,…, girl-technician Addressing gender-based violence, 4.4 million children experiencing violence were reached with health, justice and social welfare services in 129 countries, versus 2.5 million children in 2017 3.6 million families across 97 countries benefited from support on positive, nurturing care, almost four times more than in 2017 10 million people participated in community activities to…, school-girl-holding-textbooks Gender-responsive water, sanitation and hygiene systems, 20 million more people had access to basic sanitation services (10.2 million women and girls) 16.7 million girls and women benefited from UNICEF-supported water programmes in humanitarian settings 6.5 million girls were reached with WASH-in-schools services (including gender-segregated, child-friendly and accessible WASH facilities) To address…, woman-walk-past-mural Promoting positive gender norms and socialization, including through social protection, 94 UNICEF country programmes carried out interventions to challenge harmful norms and promote positive gender socialization In 56 countries UNICEF assisted governments to support families to better care for their children, including through family-friendly policies like parental leave; quality childcare; and child benefits. 100 countries were…, girls-carrying-dignity-kits Gender in emergencies, When disasters and emergencies happen, including public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, people not only are impacted differently, but they are unlikely to have equal opportunities to overcome the crisis. Women and girls are disproportionately affected. Pre-existing discriminatory norms tend to restrict them from life-saving…, girl-in-classroom Adolescent girls’ well-being and empowerment, 81 countries had an inclusive, gender-responsive national plan for adolescent health and well-being, increasing from 50 countries in 2018 7.6 million adolescent girls across 47 countries benefited from child marriage-related interventions, nearly four times more than in 2017 16.8 million girls participated in skills development programmes,…, female-drivers-unicef.jpg Making UNICEF a more gender-responsive organization, UNICEF met 88 per cent of all benchmarks in the UN-SWAP – the United Nations gender equality scorecard – compared to 76 per cent in 2018 98 UNICEF offices met institutional gender results benchmarks compared with 63 in 2018 UNICEF  reached virtual gender parity in staffing in line with UN-system wide standards Over the last four years, UNICEF has…, portrait-girl Looking forward, In 2022, UNICEF is embarking on a new GAP cycle with renewed commitment to promote gender equality and scale up transformative results for girls and women. To do this, UNICEF, with its partners, will apply bolder, gender-transformative approaches that seek to change the discriminatory social norms, stereotypes and structures that hold girls and…, Read more and support our work, June 2022, Global Annual Results Report 2021 Gender Equality Cover image: UNICEF/UN0570461 14-year-old Camila Doutang, who fled the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela with her parents, lives in the Villa del Rosario municipality in North Santander, Colombia. Here, she attends a UNICEF-supported Alternative Care and Shelter Space for Children and Adolescents (…

With the surge in interest amongst feminist, children’s rights, and parenting organisations to integrate concern for violence against women (VAW) and children (VAC) into parenting and family strengthening programmes, Promundo, UNICEF, and the Prevention Collaborative—some of the leading groups working at the intersection of VAW/VAC present the…

Media and advertising are key agents of socialization for children and adolescents. Promoting positive gender socialization through advertising means helping ensure that children consume media that support positive, inclusive and diverse social norms, rather than perpetuating discriminatory stereotypes that lead to negative outcomes for children…

The commitment of UNICEF to an equal future for all girls and boys recognizes that promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  The Gender Action Plan, 2018-2021 (GAP) is UNICEF’s roadmap for promoting gender equality throughout its work, guiding its…, Girls and women are bearing the brunt of the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has intensified pre-existing gender inequalities based on discriminatory gender stereotypes. Widespread economic insecurity, as well as service disruptions related to maternal health, sexual and reproductive health, nutrition and education, are jeopardizing the lives of…, UNICEF responds to the COVID-19 impact on women and girls, Icon representing 15 year old girl 84 country offices implemented gender-based violence in emergencies programmes compared with 46 in 2019 Icon representing gender - male and female symbols combined 90 countries were supported with national gender-responsive social protection interventions, triple the number in 2019 Icon representing COVID-19…, Equality in health systems and workforce, Icon representing a motherholding a baby 38 countries had implementation plans to strengthen quality maternal and newborn health care, surpassing the 2021 target of 30 Icon representing a baby lying on their back 78 per cent of live births were attended by skilled health personnel, almost meeting the 2021 target of 79 per cent Icon representing a…, Equality in education, Icon representing computer connected to the internet 301 million children were reached with distance learning (49 per cent of them girls)  Icon representing Education - open book 18.6 million out-of-school girls participated in early learning and primary or secondary education through UNICEF-supported programmes, compared with 8.4 million in 2019…, Addressing gender-based violence, Icon representing children - boy and girl holding hands 4.2 million children (over 1.25 million girls) who experienced violence were reached with health, social work and justice services, 53 per cent more than in 2019 Icon representing emergency - hospital cross 17.7 million people across 83 emergency-context countries received gender-based…, Gender-responsive water, sanitation and hygiene systems, Icon representing drinking water - water in a glass 17 million additional people gained access to safe drinking water since 2019 (7.3 million women and girls)  Icon representing sanitation - a toilet 13 million additional people had access to basic sanitation services since 2019 (6.9 million women and girls) Icon representing sanitation - hand…, Promoting positive gender norms and socialization, including through social protection, Icon representing social norms - a man and a woman with a rainbow over their heads 49 UNICEF country programmes had interventions to transform gender-discriminatory roles and norms and promote positive gender socialization Icon representing government building - building with flag flying  In 46 countries UNICEF assisted governments to support…, Gender-responsive social protection, Inclusive and well-managed social protection systems hold enormous potential for transformative outcomes for women and girls, and gender equality more broadly. UNICEF expanded support for gender-responsive social protection programmes, particularly addressing the gender norms that create barriers, preventing women and girls from benefiting from…, Innovation for gender equality, Icon representing skills development - pencil and wrench Icon representing innovation - a light bulb beaming Icon representing generating demand for services - students with trainer pointing to board UNICEF’s Innovation for Gender Equality Portfolio promotes digital skills and creative social enterprise models, while amplifying adolescent girls…, Adolescent girls’ well-being and empowerment, Icon representing skills development - pencil and wrench 3.2 million girls were reached through UNICEF-supported skills-development, empowerment and employability training, an increase of 900,000 from 2019 Icon representing child marriage Nearly 6 million adolescent girls were reached with prevention and care interventions related to ending child…, Dignified menstrual health and hygiene (MHH), Globally, 1.18 million girls and women benefited from emergency MHH services in 2020, increasing from one million in 2019. UNICEF delivered hygiene kits – with menstrual products included as mandatory items – focusing on the most vulnerable communities, such as girls and women from ethnic and indigenous communities in Peru and Ukraine, and those…, Girls' health and nutrition, UNICEF continued to focus on improving gender-responsive adolescent health policies and services, including addressing the persistently high HIV infection rates among adolescent girls, through tackling barriers to comprehensive testing, counselling and treatment. Human papillomavirus vaccination results were encouraging in 2020—there was a…, Girls' secondary education and skills, During widespread health crises, girls and young women are often the first to be removed from school and the last to return. This compounds the fact that pre-pandemic, there were already concerning gaps in secondary school completion among adolescent girls.  UNICEF and partners supported gender-transformative strategies that address barriers to…, Child marriage and early unions, Despite a decline in the practice over the last decade, no region is on track to eliminate child marriage by 2030. Indeed, gains are under serious threat due to COVID-19, which has put an estimated 10 million additional girls at risk. UNICEF country programmes addressing child marriage have steadily increased from 38 in 2016 to 50 in 2020.  In…, Making UNICEF a more gender-responsive organization, Icon of a clipboard UNICEF met 88 per cent of all benchmarks in the UN-SWAP – the United Nations gender equality scorecard – compared to 82 per cent in 2019 Icon representing country office - shape of undefined country 75 per cent of country offices completed GenderPro, UNICEF’s globally-accredited course on gender equality  Icon representing…, Looking forward, A young woman standing in a classroom in front of a blackboard A boy standing in front of solar panels and waving A girl standing in front of a white wall with colourful butterflies and flowers painted on it Amid the challenges of the pandemic, opportunities emerged to leverage the crisis as an accelerator and catalyst; to build back better beyond…, With thanks, This report highlights the achievements made possible by the generous contributions of softly earmarked thematic funding received from various partners. UNICEF would like to express it's sincere appreciation for these contributions. UNICEF would especially like to thank the governments of Canada and Luxembourg, and private sector partners Chloé…, Global Annual Results Report 2020 Gender Equality Cover image: UNICEF/UN0348821/Ayene Kalkidan Hailemariam, aged 15 years, is the President of the Addis Ababa Childrens parliament. UNICEFs work is funded entirely through the voluntary support of millions of people around the world and our partners in government, civil society and the private…

Despite significant global investment and efforts to create a more equitable and safer world for children, some challenges such as female genital mutilation (FGM) are so deeply rooted in the long-standing beliefs and social norms of communities that they continue to persist. This toolkit is a practical ‘how to’ document for researchers, programme…

Communication for Development (C4D) is one of the core change strategies that contribute directly to the achievement of results within each of the goal areas of the UNICEF Strategic Plan, 2018–2021. By identifying and addressing social norms, behaviours and practices, C4D strengthens programming and improves outcomes for children and adolescents.…, Communication for Development (C4D) is an evidence-based and participatory process that facilitates the engagement of children, families, communities, the public and decision makers in both development and humanitarian contexts through a mix of available communication platforms and tools. UNICEF promotes and applies C4D to drive positive…, Results, The most typical and also the most powerful way to work towards fulfilling children’s rights is in partnership – with governments, other United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), communities and families. Just as UNICEF does not stand alone, neither does Communication for Development.   Results stem from the collaboration of…, Two of the many important tools in the C4D toolbox, Screenshot of UNICEF's U-Report website UNICEF/2020 U-Report U-Report is a platform accessible by phone and computer which engages users via alerts, surveys and one-on-one chats. It is designed to address multiple issues affecting children, young people and communities by directly providing life-saving or changing information to them in a timely…, Generating demand for, and use of, services, Demand generation is the process of creating a need, or belief in the need, for a product or service among a particular target audience. C4D strategies stimulate or accelerate demand for services in a number of ways, including reducing stigma, developing gender-sensitive communication, and mass mobilization. Three girls in a refugee camp holding…, Adoption of key parenting and family practices, While children and their caregivers must demand, have access to and use services for their well-being, essential healthy and protective caregiving and family practices are equally important. These practices are not dependent on services, but have an almost exclusive behavioural component. Evidence has shown that these are critical to child…, Promoting positive parenting, Fostering fathers’ participation, particularly from the antenatal phase through early childhood, is an important area of work for UNICEF. More than half of children aged between 3 and 4 years old in 74 countries have fathers who do not play or engage in early learning activities with them (55 per cent, approximately 40 million). Social norms,…, Abandonment of harmful social norms or adoption of positive ones, By reinforcing positive norms that protect children, or encouraging the abandonment of social norms that condone or facilitate negative behaviours, C4D activities encourage parents, families and societies to change both behaviours and perceptions of what is socially acceptable, as well as encouraging agency in identifying and demanding related…, Promoting Positive Gender Socialization, In Egypt, girls face gender disparities and a high prevalence of harmful practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). In 2019, UNICEF supported the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood to design and implement the first national girls’ empowerment initiative, “Dawwie” (meaning “loud voice with an impact”).  A group of girls standing…, Engaging and empowering communities, adolescents and children, C4D strategies seek to engage and empower communities and young people, particularly the most marginalized, to enable them as agents of change in both development and humanitarian contexts. This includes efforts to systematize mechanisms for engagement to improve their health and well-being, to hold service providers and policymakers to account…, Strategic partnerships with faith leaders to facilitate community engagement, UNICEF has led a scaling up of the Faith and Positive Change for Children (FPCC) Global Initiative on Social and Behaviour Change. In the Niger, one of the five early adopters of FPCC, the commitment of communities, religious and traditional leaders have been essential to reducing and eliminating traditional practices that constitute violence…, System strengthening and regional efforts to effect change at scale, Under the guidance of regional offices, initiatives are carried out to generate multi-country behavioural evidence and to provide technical support for the development of conceptual frameworks, strategies and guidance. The following provide examples of results from three regions; examples from the other regions and at the global level can be found…, Looking forward, The outbreak of COVID-19 was first reported at the end of 2019, and had become a pandemic by early March 2020. At the time of writing, it has become clear that the global crisis will have a significant and severe impact on children. Basic services from health to education have been disrupted, and the wider socioeconomic impacts are yet to be…, Communication for Development (C4D)Advancing positive social and behaviour change Global Annual Results Reports 2019 SUPPLEMENT TO THE Cover image: UNICEF/UN0212225/Noorani A mother and father hold their newborn in a recovery room at UNICEF supported Al Quseya Central Hospital, Assuit governorate, Egypt. C4D initiatives in Egypt encourage…

This note for practitioners provides practical guidance on planning, implementing and monitoring interventions for promoting change in gender norms.