Sweden and UN Women sign $7.1M agreement to advance gender equality in Bangladesh

Today, Sweden and UN Women have signed a partnership agreement at the UN Women's office in Dhaka to support the implementation of the UN Women's Strategic Note for Bangladesh until 2026.

UN Women's Strategic Note (2022-26) is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2022-26 and national development priorities established in the country's 8th Five Year Plan. It supports the Government of Bangladesh to implement commitments on international normative standards on gender equality and women's human rights, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD), the Beijing Platform for Action and the UN Security Council Resolution 1325.

The USD 7.1 million grant will prioritize gender-responsive programming in three critical areas – Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction, Gender Responsive Governance and Humanitarian Action, including the Rohingya Response. It will also support engagement with various partners - government, civil society organizations, women's rights organizations (WROs), academic institutions, and media- to advance Agenda 2030 for  Sustainable Development with a commitment to the Leave No One Behind principle.  

In addition, the partnership will bolster advocacy efforts on gender equality at the intergovernmental level, such as the upcoming 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), the 25th anniversary of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security, and the Commission on the Status of Women.

"Sweden firmly believes gender equality is essential for building a sustainable, democratic and inclusive society. We are excited to partner with  UN Women to advance gender equality and empower women and girls in Bangladesh. By working together, we can ensure that women and girls have the opportunity to lead, thrive, and contribute to a more inclusive and just society," said H.E. Nicolas Weeks, Ambassador of Sweden to Bangladesh.

UN Women has a long-standing partnership with the Government of Sweden in Bangladesh. Sweden has supported UN Women's work on disaster risk reduction through the National Resilience Programme and increased resilience, leadership, protection, and livelihood opportunities of women and girls in Rohingya Refugee camps and host communities. Sweden also funds the ongoing Regional EmPower programme, which promotes gender-responsive climate action, strengthens the capacities of government ministries, focusing on the implementation of the updated Climate Change Gender Action Plan (CCGAP), and facilitates a network of 100 women-led organizations across the country to drive local climate solutions and promote climate-resilient livelihoods.

Thanking Sweden for its continued support and strategic partnership, UN Women Representative Ms. Gitanjali Singh said, "It is a pivotal moment for women's rights as we mark the thirtieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. This collaboration and shared accountability to gender equality with Sweden enables UN Women to continue its life-saving work in disaster risk reduction and the Rohingya Response. It also enables UN Women to expand its efforts so that women and girls have voice and resources to influence action to make gender equality a lived reality."

The partnership will support UN Women in ensuring its work remains responsive to emerging opportunities in Bangladesh's evolving landscape.