Project profile — United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women - Institutional Support 2012

The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include the adoption and implementation of legislation, policies and strategies to strengthen women's economic empowerment and access to resources, especially in the informal sector.

Results achieved as of 2012 include: improved capacities of women candidates and political leaders at the national and local level in 24 countries; women won seats in seven countries, including Mexico, where women’s seats in the House of Deputies increased from 27 to 37 per cent. UN Women’s promotion of more gender-equitable electoral processes resulted in the doubling of the number of registered women voters to 86 per cent of the female population in Pakistan. Support to women’s economic empowerment contributed to enhanced labour, land, property and inheritance policies in 26 countries. In the Plurinational State of Bolivia, more than 5,000 indigenous women entrepreneurs obtained over $4 million in seed capital, resulting in a 50 per cent increase in their revenues. UN Women provided support to 85 countries in their efforts to end violence against women; as a result, new or amended legislation was passed in 15 countries on domestic violence, femicide, acid violence and sexual offences, and sexual harassment in the workplace. UN Women also trained 22 justice experts in investigating gender-based crimes under international law, and documented conflict-related crimes against women in Libya and the Syrian Arab Republic.