UN-HABITAT adopts new gender strategy

Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director UN-HABITAT, with Lucia Kiwala, Chief of gender mainstreaming at UN-HABITAT

4 April 2009 – Member States of the Governing Council that oversees UN-HABITAT's work programme and budget last week gave their blessing to a landmark new gender strategy that will enable the agency to better promote equal opportunities and benefits for women in developing towns and cities, especially in light of the global economic crisis and climate change.

The Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP) is UN-HABITAT’s most comprehensive and ambitious strategy to date on incoporating gender issues into housing and urban development and into the work needed to create better conditions for the world’s one billion slum dwellers.

“Gender equality and women’s rights and empowerment are pivotal components of sustainable urbanisation in the face of the current economic, financial, and food crises, not to forget the increasingly frightening ravages of climate change,” said Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT.

The twenty-second Session of the Governing Council of UN-HABITAT passed a resolution in Nairobi on Friday, accepting the work programme and budget for 2010-2011, which includes the Gender Equality Action Plan.

“Even when times are good, exercising their rights is one of the biggest problems faced by women, and especially those living in poverty. Whether it comes to securing a loan to build or renovate the home, or obtaining title to inherited property, women always have more trouble,” said Mrs. Tibaijuka.