United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women
Encyclopedia
Since 1979, the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW) has been the leading UN Institute devoted to research, capacity-development and knowledge management with the goal of achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Institute’s participatory and innovative approaches to research have produced gender disaggregated data and research results that have served to better inform the design of training and capacity-building programmes and to strengthen stakeholder capacity to address and effectively integrate gender perspectives in all policies, programmes and projects. UN-INSTRAW works in partnership with governments, the United Nations System, civil society and academia.
General Assembly
.
It was established upon recommendation of the World Conference on the International Women's Year 1975 in Mexico
through the ECOSOC
. INSTRAW started operations in 1979 - since 1983 its main offices are located in Santo Domingo
, Dominican Republic
, with a focus on the advancement of women through research and training. The institute is financed through contributions, which are mostly given by governmental organizations or private donors.
Since its inception, UN-INSTRAW has emphasized the importance of articulating research, capacity-building and knowledge management in a continuous cycle of analysis, learning and action, so that participatory research results feed into knowledge management
and the design of training and capacity-building programmes, as well as the formulation of policy. Through its applied research programmes, the Institute aims to make policies and programmes gender-responsive on the basis of concrete research results, the application of lessons learned, and the replication of best practices. This approach allows for flexibility in responding to both existing challenges and new and emerging issues.
Among its research activities over the years, UN-INSTRAW has developed conceptual frameworks and research methodologies for measuring and valuing women’s household production and including these contributions into the system of national accounts; for tracking women’s migration
, the gender
dimensions of remittances
, and the impact of these on local and rural development
; for looking at women’s access to credit and water in Africa, Asia and Latin America; and for evaluating women’s political participation in governance
and political processes at the local, national, regional and international levels. Many of the studies conducted by UN-INSTRAW have highlighted the gendered effects of globalization
in processes such as migration; the impact of structural adjustment policies on women’s access to work, health and education; and violence against women
as an obstacle to development and the achievement of international commitments such as CEDAW
or the MDGs
.
In the past, UN-INSTRAW’s training and capacity-building programmes have highlighted gender dimensions and women’s participation in the collection and analysis of data and statistics, the use of new information and communications technologies (ICTs), environmental management including water supply and sanitation and new and renewable sources of energy; and the portrayal of women in the media. UN-INSTRAW’s current work in training and capacity-building focuses on women’s political participation and governance at the local level; women’s participation in peace and security processes, including the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325; and gender, migration and development issues.
In December 2003, INSTRAW initiated an institutional revitalization process designed to: a) re-build trust in the Institute and its capacity to deliver; b) generate recognition of the value of INSTRAW’s research and training work both within the UN System and externally through programmes and products that are reliable, innovative, and opportune; c) improve the financial situation of the Institute by securing core and extra-budgetary financial and other resources; and d) establish cooperative partnerships with other UN entities in order to strengthen the Institute’s position within the UN System and support system-wide coherence.
As a result of the implementation of this revitalization process and the UN-INSTRAW Strategic Framework 2004-2007, the Institute has achieved:
- A significant and steady increase in both core and extra-budgetary funding, both of which are now at the highest levels they have reached since UN-INSTRAW was established;
- The development of pioneering research, knowledge management and capacity-building tools in the Institute’s three thematic areas (Gender, migration, and development; Gender, peace and security; and Governance and women’s political participation);
- A significant change in UN-INSTRAW’s worldwide visibility and recognition through the formation of strategic alliances and an increased presence in the media worldwide; and
- Recognition and congratulation from UN Member States in ECOSOC, the General Assembly and other fora for the progress achieved since December 2003, including an ECOSOC Resolution (2007/37 of 27 July 2007) adopted by consensus, endorsing the UN-INSTRAW Strategic Framework 2008-2011, which carries forward the priorities established in 2004, consolidating the Institute’s research and training programmes and enhancing its knowledge management capacity to ensure that research results have a concrete impact on policy and programme formulation and implementation.
In all of its work, UN-INSTRAW promotes an interactive dialogue between civil society, governments and international organizations through the creation of networks and the continual dissemination of gender-related information. The Institute has created networks, working groups and other communities of practitioners and stakeholders on various issues, including gender and security sector reform, ending violence against women, women’s political participation, gender and remittances and other issues.
Through alliance building with UN Member States, international organizations, academia, civil society, the private sector and other actors, UN-INSTRAW:
- Undertakes action-oriented research from a gender perspective that has a concrete impact on policies, programmes and projects;
- Creates synergies for knowledge management and information exchange;
- Strengthens the capacities of key stakeholders to integrate gender perspectives in policies, programmes and projects; and
- Builds a sustainable, transparent and efficient institution.
In 2007 the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating gender inequalities by requesting the Institute to strengthen its research and training activities in accordance with its mandates and its Strategic Framework 2008-2011, which strengthens the Institute’s commitment to act as a catalyst for action on gender - promoting applied research, facilitating information-sharing, and supporting capacity-building. The Institute’s Executive Board in 2007 also charged the Director of UN-INSTRAW with the active pursuit of funding from UN Member States and other partners to enable the Institute to continue its work within the framework of the United Nations reform process and in order to make it a sustainable, sound and innovative organization that applies good governance.
Read more about UN-INSTRAW's approach to research
Read more about UN-INSTRAW's approach to Knowledge Management
The Executive Board meets at least once a year at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York in order to:
- Formulate principles, policies and guidelines for the work of the Institute;
- Consider and approve the work programme and budget of the Institute based on recommendations submitted to it by the Director;
- Make recommendations as appropriate on the operations of the Institute;
- Consider methods for enhancing the financial resources of the Institute with a view to ensuring the effectiveness of its future operations; and
- Report periodically to ECOSOC and, when appropriate, to the General Assembly
The aim of UN-INSTRAW’s Gender, Peace and Security (GPS) Programme is to promote gender equality and women’s full and equal participation in the realms of peacekeeping, peace processes, postconflict reconstruction and the reform of security institutions. The GPS Programme conducts applied research, facilitates information sharing and supports capacity-building in an effort to advance gender equality and the creation and implementation of more gender-responsive policies. The GPS Programme envisions an inclusive peace and human security for all women, men, girls and boys.
Go to the Peace and Security web page
Go to the Migration web page
Visit the Gender and Migration Virtual Community
Go to the Political Participation web page
UN-INSTRAW’s capacity building programme aims to strengthen stakeholder capacity to address and effectively integrate gender issues in all policies, programmes and projects.
Go to the Capacity Building webpage
Go to the Gender Training Wiki
Go to the Gender Training Community of Practice
Organization
The International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW) is a subsidiary of the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
.
It was established upon recommendation of the World Conference on the International Women's Year 1975 in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
through the ECOSOC
United Nations Economic and Social Council
The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations constitutes one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and it is responsible for the coordination of the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, its functional commissions and five regional commissions...
. INSTRAW started operations in 1979 - since 1983 its main offices are located in Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, with a focus on the advancement of women through research and training. The institute is financed through contributions, which are mostly given by governmental organizations or private donors.
Since its inception, UN-INSTRAW has emphasized the importance of articulating research, capacity-building and knowledge management in a continuous cycle of analysis, learning and action, so that participatory research results feed into knowledge management
Knowledge management
Knowledge management comprises a range of strategies and practices used in an organization to identify, create, represent, distribute, and enable adoption of insights and experiences...
and the design of training and capacity-building programmes, as well as the formulation of policy. Through its applied research programmes, the Institute aims to make policies and programmes gender-responsive on the basis of concrete research results, the application of lessons learned, and the replication of best practices. This approach allows for flexibility in responding to both existing challenges and new and emerging issues.
Among its research activities over the years, UN-INSTRAW has developed conceptual frameworks and research methodologies for measuring and valuing women’s household production and including these contributions into the system of national accounts; for tracking women’s migration
Human migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
, the gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
dimensions of remittances
Remittances
A remittance is a transfer of money by a foreign worker to his or her home country. Note that in 19th century usage a remittance man was someone exiled overseas and sent an allowance on condition that he not return home....
, and the impact of these on local and rural development
Rural development
Rural development in general denotes economic development and community development actions and initiatives taken to improve the standard of living in non-urban neighbourhoods, remote villages and the countryside...
; for looking at women’s access to credit and water in Africa, Asia and Latin America; and for evaluating women’s political participation in governance
Governance
Governance is the act of governing. It relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists of either a separate process or part of management or leadership processes...
and political processes at the local, national, regional and international levels. Many of the studies conducted by UN-INSTRAW have highlighted the gendered effects of globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
in processes such as migration; the impact of structural adjustment policies on women’s access to work, health and education; and violence against women
Violence against women
Violence against women is a technical term used to collectively refer to violent acts that are primarily or exclusively committed against women...
as an obstacle to development and the achievement of international commitments such as CEDAW
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women is an international convention adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly....
or the MDGs
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...
.
In the past, UN-INSTRAW’s training and capacity-building programmes have highlighted gender dimensions and women’s participation in the collection and analysis of data and statistics, the use of new information and communications technologies (ICTs), environmental management including water supply and sanitation and new and renewable sources of energy; and the portrayal of women in the media. UN-INSTRAW’s current work in training and capacity-building focuses on women’s political participation and governance at the local level; women’s participation in peace and security processes, including the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325; and gender, migration and development issues.
In December 2003, INSTRAW initiated an institutional revitalization process designed to: a) re-build trust in the Institute and its capacity to deliver; b) generate recognition of the value of INSTRAW’s research and training work both within the UN System and externally through programmes and products that are reliable, innovative, and opportune; c) improve the financial situation of the Institute by securing core and extra-budgetary financial and other resources; and d) establish cooperative partnerships with other UN entities in order to strengthen the Institute’s position within the UN System and support system-wide coherence.
As a result of the implementation of this revitalization process and the UN-INSTRAW Strategic Framework 2004-2007, the Institute has achieved:
- A significant and steady increase in both core and extra-budgetary funding, both of which are now at the highest levels they have reached since UN-INSTRAW was established;
- The development of pioneering research, knowledge management and capacity-building tools in the Institute’s three thematic areas (Gender, migration, and development; Gender, peace and security; and Governance and women’s political participation);
- A significant change in UN-INSTRAW’s worldwide visibility and recognition through the formation of strategic alliances and an increased presence in the media worldwide; and
- Recognition and congratulation from UN Member States in ECOSOC, the General Assembly and other fora for the progress achieved since December 2003, including an ECOSOC Resolution (2007/37 of 27 July 2007) adopted by consensus, endorsing the UN-INSTRAW Strategic Framework 2008-2011, which carries forward the priorities established in 2004, consolidating the Institute’s research and training programmes and enhancing its knowledge management capacity to ensure that research results have a concrete impact on policy and programme formulation and implementation.
In all of its work, UN-INSTRAW promotes an interactive dialogue between civil society, governments and international organizations through the creation of networks and the continual dissemination of gender-related information. The Institute has created networks, working groups and other communities of practitioners and stakeholders on various issues, including gender and security sector reform, ending violence against women, women’s political participation, gender and remittances and other issues.
UN-INSTRAW's Mission
UN-INSTRAW is the leading United Nations Institute devoted to research, training and knowledge management in partnership with governments, the United Nations System, civil society and academia to achieve gender equality and women’s empowermentUN-INSTRAW's Vision
UN-INSTRAW is a leader in strategic and innovative actions that make a difference in women’s livesActivities
UN-INSTRAW is a United Nations entity mandated to develop research and training programmes that contribute to the empowerment of women and the achievement of gender equality worldwide.Through alliance building with UN Member States, international organizations, academia, civil society, the private sector and other actors, UN-INSTRAW:
- Undertakes action-oriented research from a gender perspective that has a concrete impact on policies, programmes and projects;
- Creates synergies for knowledge management and information exchange;
- Strengthens the capacities of key stakeholders to integrate gender perspectives in policies, programmes and projects; and
- Builds a sustainable, transparent and efficient institution.
In 2007 the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating gender inequalities by requesting the Institute to strengthen its research and training activities in accordance with its mandates and its Strategic Framework 2008-2011, which strengthens the Institute’s commitment to act as a catalyst for action on gender - promoting applied research, facilitating information-sharing, and supporting capacity-building. The Institute’s Executive Board in 2007 also charged the Director of UN-INSTRAW with the active pursuit of funding from UN Member States and other partners to enable the Institute to continue its work within the framework of the United Nations reform process and in order to make it a sustainable, sound and innovative organization that applies good governance.
Read more about UN-INSTRAW's approach to research
Read more about UN-INSTRAW's approach to Knowledge Management
Executive board
UN-INSTRAW is governed by an Executive Board composed of ten Member States. These Member States are elected by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations for a three-year term. They can be reelected for one further term. The Director of the Institute, the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, a representative of the Host Country, Dominican Republic, and a representative of each of the regional commissions of the ECOSOC serve as ex-officio members of the Board.The Executive Board meets at least once a year at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York in order to:
- Formulate principles, policies and guidelines for the work of the Institute;
- Consider and approve the work programme and budget of the Institute based on recommendations submitted to it by the Director;
- Make recommendations as appropriate on the operations of the Institute;
- Consider methods for enhancing the financial resources of the Institute with a view to ensuring the effectiveness of its future operations; and
- Report periodically to ECOSOC and, when appropriate, to the General Assembly
UN-INSTRAW's Gender Peace and Security Programme
Violence against women continues to be a global threat to human security. In today’s armed conflicts, more than 70 percent of the casualties are civilians-most of whom are women and children. However, rather than portraying all women as helpless victims of war and violence, it is essential to recognize the diverse roles they play in the events that lead to conflict and peace. Nevertheless, women remain underrepresented in decision-making positions in the area of conflict prevention and resolution, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Sustainable peace is only viable when the rights of women are taken into account and women can equally participate at all levels of conflict resolution and peace processes.The aim of UN-INSTRAW’s Gender, Peace and Security (GPS) Programme is to promote gender equality and women’s full and equal participation in the realms of peacekeeping, peace processes, postconflict reconstruction and the reform of security institutions. The GPS Programme conducts applied research, facilitates information sharing and supports capacity-building in an effort to advance gender equality and the creation and implementation of more gender-responsive policies. The GPS Programme envisions an inclusive peace and human security for all women, men, girls and boys.
Go to the Peace and Security web page
UN-INSTRAW's Gender, Migration and Development Programme
Female migration has become a survival strategy for many poor and middle-income households in the global south. While the proportion of women migrants has not significantly increased in the last few decades (47% in 1960 compared to the current 49%), the “feminization of migration” more accurately describes the change in circumstances of women’s migration, from dependent wives and daughters, to primary breadwinners and heads of transnational households. Gender, as a social construction that organizes relations between men and women, is central to the migratory process. Gendered social structures create varying migration opportunities for male and female migrants, differentiating their experiences in the destination countries and the relationships that they maintain with their countries of origin. The lack of gender disaggregated data and analysis on women’s roles in migration and the resulting deficit of gender-sensitive migration and development policies translates into limitations that affect women’s access to information and financial resources that would allow them to maximize the benefits of their labour as actors of migration.Go to the Migration web page
Visit the Gender and Migration Virtual Community
UN-INSTRAW's Gender, Governance and Women's Political Participation Programme
While the global percentage of parliamentary seats held by women reached a historic high of eighteen percent in 2008, the political representation of women in both the upper and lower levels of government is still significantly lower than that of men in most nations and regions of the world. Eighteen percent representation is also far from reaching the thirty percent considered to be the minimum percentage necessary to ensure a critical mass of women who can influence decision making processes and political agendas. Despite global, national and local initiatives and strategies, resistance still persists against the advancement of women in positions of power and decision making and in fields traditionally dominated by men.Go to the Political Participation web page
UN-INSTRAW's Capacity Building Programme
As a leading United Nations Institute devoted to research, training and knowledge management to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment, UN-INSTRAW works in partnership with governments, the United Nations System, civil society and academia to strengthen stakeholder capacity to address and effectively integrate gender issues in all policies, programmes and projects. For UN-INSTRAW, as well as for other UN agencies, capacity building involves an integral process of creating and building on existing capacities so that individuals, organizations and societies can put those capacities into subsequent action to achieve their development objectives.UN-INSTRAW’s capacity building programme aims to strengthen stakeholder capacity to address and effectively integrate gender issues in all policies, programmes and projects.
Go to the Capacity Building webpage
Go to the Gender Training Wiki
Go to the Gender Training Community of Practice