The Women’s Increased Leadership for Resilient and Peaceful Societies ("Women Leading Peace and Resilience") programme is a partnership supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (MFA) in collaboration with UN Women at both regional (ECA) and national levels in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. This partnership contributes to the implementation of UN Women’s Strategic Notes in these countries.
The overarching objective is to advance gender equality, empower all women and girls, and uphold their human rights in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. Through the partnership with the Danish MFA, UN Women will focus on three key thematic areas:
- Women’s Economic Empowerment
- Combating Violence Against Women
- Supporting the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda
Our work will be guided by a strong EU accession component, which will include reforms in legislation, policies, and public service programmes. Additionally, we will emphasize the development of public-private partnerships, increased women’s participation in decision-making, and leadership, as well as promoting gender mainstreaming.
The programme operates across three levels:
- Reforming legislation, policies, and public service programmes to ensure alignment with international human rights standards, gender equality, and women’s empowerment (GEWE) principles. These reforms will reflect gender-inclusive priorities and be informed by data and evidence.
- Strengthening the capacity of public and private institutions to implement GEWE-related legislation, policies, and programmes, and promoting gender-responsive and inclusive governance.
- Engaging women human rights defenders, organizations, and grassroots movements to enhance participation in leadership and decision-making processes. This engagement will also strengthen collective efforts in raising awareness, coordination, and mobilization for greater influence and the capacity to hold state and private sector actors accountable.
More information on the achievements during the programme's inception phase can be found here.
A critical component of the programme is gender mainstreaming in EU accession countries, ensuring that efforts and policies are sustainable and aligned with the European future of Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia. Further details on UN Women's unique approach and expertise in supporting accession countries—through capacity building, policy work, and the empowerment of women in the context of EU integration—are available in the Gender Equality Facility (GEF) policy brief.