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Bangladesh: Sweden, UN Women sign $7.1m deal to advance gender equality

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Sweden and UN Women on Monday signed a partnership agreement at the UN Women office in Dhaka to support the implementation of UN Women’s Strategic Note for Bangladesh until 2026.

“Sweden firmly believes that gender equality is essential for building a sustainable, democratic and inclusive society,” said Swedish Ambassador to Bangladesh Nicolas Weeks.

“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,” the Ambassador added.

The $7.1 million grant will prioritise 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 a range of partners – government, civil society organisations, women’s rights organizations (WROs), academic institutions, media amongst others, to advance Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development with a commitment to the ‘Leave No One Behind’ principle.

Besides, the partnership will bolster advocacy efforts on gender equality at the inter-governmental level, such as the upcoming the 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.

UN Women’s Strategic Note (2022-26) is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2022-26, as well as national development priorities as established in the country’s 8th Five Year Plan.

Appreciating Sweden for its continued support and strategic partnership, UN Women Representative Gitanjali Singh said it is a pivotal moment for women’s rights as they 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 in the Rohingya Response. It also enables UN Women to expand its efforts so that women and girls have a voice and resources to influence action to make gender equality a lived reality,” she said.

The partnership will support UN Women to ensure that its work remains responsive to emerging opportunities, in the evolving landscape of Bangladesh.