Management Response

: Georgia
: 2021 - 2025 , Georgia (CO)
: Final External Evaluation of Women's Economic Empowerment in South Caucasus (WEESC II) project, phase II
:
: Georgia
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The final evaluation of the UN Women project “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the South Caucasus – Phase II (August 2021 to July 2024)” was conducted from March to July 2024. The project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and implemented by UN Women Georgia in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Armenia and Azerbaijan. The overarching goal of the project “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the South Caucasus” (WEESC) is to ensure that women, particularly those who are poor and socially excluded, in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are economically empowered and participate in relevant decision-making processes. The final evaluation of the WEESC-II project offers an analysis of the relevance of the project’s implementation strategy and approaches, reviews organizational efficiency in progressing toward the project’s objectives, and validates the results in terms of achievements and/or weaknesses regarding the outcomes and outputs. Additionally, it provides an assessment of the potential for sustainability of the results, documenting lessons learned, best practices, and challenges. The evaluation offers actionable recommendations for the project’s final exit phase, focusing on sustainability and informing the future work of UN Women in the area of women’s economic empowerment. UN Women welcomes the evaluation report, its findings, and its recommendations. All recommendations are accepted by UN Women Georgia, and specific management response activities are outlined for each.

: Approved
Recommendation: UN Women should ensure that the final exit phase of WEESC be considered the sustainability phase and is used to consolidate the gains made in the first two phases, reinforce the achievements of results and institutionalize the results. Actions to consider: • Develop sustainability and hand over plans as part of the development of WEESC-III
Management Response: UN Women has implemented the first and second phases of the WEESC project in line with international and national commitments at the levels of policies, legislation, institutions, and grassroots. The project has been working towards transformative results for increased gender equality and greater protection of the rights of women and girls. During the third phase, as recommended by the WEESC II phase evaluation, the project will prioritize sustainability by continuing to support and reinforce the achievements of the first two phases, aiming to increase economic security and improve access to livelihood and development opportunities for women, particularly the poorest and most excluded in the South Caucasus. The third phase will be used to consolidate the gains made in the first two phases, reinforce the achievements of results, and institutionalize these results to secure long-term impact.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, National ownership, Knowledge management
Organizational Priorities: Organizational efficiency
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Design WEESC-III with a focus on sustainability UN Women GEO CO 2024/07 Completed As recommended by the WEESC-II evaluation, the design for the third phase was developed with a focus on sustainability, ensuring the continued support and reinforcement of the achievements from the first two phases. This focus is reflected in the WEESC-III Prodoc, where the majority of outputs are designed to sustain and enhance efforts made during the initial phases. This includes preserving and strengthening grassroots initiatives, reinforcing partnerships established during the first and second phases, and institutionalizing these results to secure a long-term impact. Respective indicators are developed and included in the WEESC III Logframe to enable sound monitoring and evaluation of the sustainability of project results.
2. Preserve and strengthen the network of active rural women established in Phases I and II UN Women GEO CO 2026/08 Initiated As part of the project's commitment to women's empowerment, Phase III will focus on preserving and strengthening the network of active rural women established during Phases I and II across Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, with an emphasis on sustainability. Building on the success of Phase II, where the establishment of Women's Resource Centres (WRCs) in Azerbaijan provided a centralized platform for women to access resources, training, and networking opportunities, the project will continue to support, preserve, and strengthen the existing WRCs in Sabirabad, Gusar, Baku-Khazar, and Fuzuli districts of Azerbaijan. In Phase III, WRCs will focus on developing sustainability strategies. In Armenia and Georgia, to enhance women's voice, agency, and participation, the project will focus on preserving and further developing the skills and capacities of socially mobilized rural women from Phases I and II in the same target regions. This effort aims to engage them in local planning and budgeting processes with a strong emphasis on sustainability. The activities will continue in the same communities in Armenia and municipalities in Georgia to ensure a more sustainable approach. Moreover, the project will continue to strengthen the capacities of local government representatives in target communities and municipalities to enhance their receptiveness to Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB). Dialogue platforms will be established between relevant representatives of local and central governments and mobilized women's groups to address issues pertinent to women's economic empowerment at both the local (community) and national levels. Furthermore, the project will explore sustainable options to ensure these platforms continue beyond the project's duration, such as the village assembly model among other alternatives in Georgia.
3. Support the expansion and sustainability of women-owned small businesses UN Women GEO CO 2024/09 Overdue-Initiated WEESC-III will largely focus on the women farmers and entrepreneurs who were supported during the WEESC I and II phases. The project will continue to assist these women by providing additional support, tailored consultancy, and mentorship in the final phase, aiming to help them sustain and upscale their businesses. As recommended by the evaluation, the project will adopt a value chain approach to grant provision, offering small-scale incentives/grants with more comprehensive technical support for each initiative than was available in Phases I and II. Few of the other components of the project will be also synergized with this work to enhance women’s access to finances; namely, UN Women cooperation with Rural Development Agency, other government bodies in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and private sector (especially banking sector through WEPs) will be leveraged to diversify financing sources that are accessible to women farmers / entrepreneurs.
4. Strengthen strategic partnerships for sustainable women's economic empowerment UN Women GEO CO 2024/09 Overdue-Initiated The phase III of the project will focus on consolidating interventions with existing strategic government partners, ensuring more consistent cooperation as recommended by the WEESC phase II evaluation. A key priority will be mainstreaming gender within their policies and programs while enhancing the capacity of their staff. The project will continue to build the institutional capacity of these organizations, supporting them in developing targeted programs and implementing institutional amendments to further women’s economic empowerment in a sustainable manner. During the third phase, the project will finalize the technical assistance initiatives launched in Phases I and II, leveraging Gender Impact Assessments (GIAs), Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs), and other forms of assistance in collaboration with governmental stakeholders in Armenia and Georgia. For instance, the project will continue its support to the RDA, focusing on enhancing and expanding specialized programs for women and ensuring gender mainstreaming within RDA’s existing programs. During Phase II, UN Women and the RDA collaborated to implement a stand-alone program that provided financing for women to establish greenhouses. Additionally, by the end of the second phase, UN Women, in collaboration with the RDA, designed a new stand-alone program aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs in the following directions – agrotourism, crafts, sewing, flowers production. UN Women plans to continue this partnership in the third phase to further support institutionalization of the achieved results. Furthermore, in Armenia and Georgia, during the third phase, the project will work to promote the institutionalization of educational courses on gender equality and Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) among both governmental and non-governmental partners.
5. Develop a sustainability and exit strategy UN Women GEO CO 2024/09 Overdue-Not Initiated A specific sustainability and exit strategy will be developed in close collaboration with partners, using a participatory approach that involves current project beneficiaries in its creation. This strategy will aim to ensure that the project's benefits remain effective and enduring in the long term, even without continued external funding.
Recommendation: UN Women should reconsider their strategy of grants and training to the micro-subsistence group and the micro-semi-commercial women, directing it differently towards the two groups, and assisting the latter group of women to acquire alternative sources of finance. Actions to consider: • Identify differing needs of “micro-subsistence women” and “micro-semi-commercial women” with partners • For WEESC-III design different training for each group, and vary grant sizes based on business needs with subsistence women given smaller grants and semi-commercial women given larger grants • Develop linkages between women and organizations (government or non-government) offering micro financing to women
Management Response: As recommended by the WEESC-II evaluation, WEESC-III will reevaluate the grant and training strategy for micro-subsistence and micro-semi-commercial women. Initially, the project will collaborate with partners to clearly define and differentiate these two groups to provide more targeted and effective support. For the micro-subsistence group, the project will focus on expanding women-owned small businesses, where relevant, by enhancing the sustainability of both existing and new ventures, with the aim of helping them transition to the micro-semi-commercial category. For the micro-semi-commercial women, the project will offer more comprehensive support per initiative than was provided in Phases I and II. The grant provision will follow a value chain approach, focusing on supporting women in target municipalities to enhance the value-added of their business operations. In addition to sub-partnership support/financial incentives, the project will continue to develop sustainable alternative sources of finance to assist both micro-subsistence and micro-semi-commercial women in acquiring necessary resources. Furthermore, during WEESC-III, the project will address various training needs tailored to specific business requirements.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Advocacy, National ownership
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Further define sub-categories of supported women and needs assessment UN Women GEO CO 2024/09 Overdue-Not Initiated The studies and knowledge accumulated during Phases I and II of WEESC, combined with planned discussions with partners and grassroots beneficiary women, will be used to differentiate between the micro-subsistence and micro-semi-commercial women and develop working definition for future activities. Following this, the needs of these two groups will be further assessed through consultations with partners and grassroots women. This differentiation and needs assessment will enable the provision of more targeted and effective support.
2. Provide tailored assistance for promoting the success and stability of women-owned small businesses UN Women GEO CO 2025/08 Not Initiated As recommended by the WEESC-II evaluation, WEESC-III will reassess the grant and training strategy for micro-subsistence and micro-semi-commercial women to provide more tailored assistance. For the micro-subsistence group, the project will focus on expanding women-owned small businesses by enhancing the sustainability of both existing and new enterprises, aiming to help them transition to the micro-semi-commercial category. For micro-semi-commercial women, the project will offer more comprehensive support; in particular, the grant provision will follow a value chain approach, focusing on supporting women in target municipalities to enhance the value-added of their business operations. The WEESC II final evaluation highlighted that the size of grants is crucial for women's economic empowerment. Without adequate funding, women are unable to invest in their economic activities or fully leverage their newly acquired technical skills. Hence grant sizes will be reconsidered based on the category of business lead by supported women. Furthermore, during Phase III of the project, to assist both micro-subsistence and micro-semi-commercial women in acquiring necessary resources, efforts will continue to support the development of sustainable alternative financing sources for women. Linkages between women and organizations (government or non-government) offering micro financing to women will be strengthened (for details, please refer to Country Specific Recommendation 1 below.) Additionally, during WEESC-III, the project will address various training needs for women based on their specific business requirements (based on the needs assessment mentioned above). Women beneficiaries—rural women, smallholder farmers, and entrepreneurs—will receive tailored courses, mentorship, consultancy, and additional support to further develop their businesses. The courses will cover essential topics such as financial literacy, marketing, record-keeping, and financial planning. The project will also enhance vocational education and job placement opportunities for women by providing career mentorship, improving job-related soft skills (including CV enhancement, interview techniques, and presentation skills), and guiding them towards entrepreneurship and self-employment initiatives.
Recommendation: UN Women should take a systemic approach to providing support to companies implementing WEP activities, aligned with the financial and non-financial benefits to companies, and increase coordination between the public and private sector. Actions to consider: • UN Women to survey WEPs signatory firms to document financial and non-financial benefits and create business case for WEPs • UN Women to convene a meeting of, or event with, WEPs signatory firms and relevant government and NGO stakeholders to present the survey findings and allow firms to share action plans and best practices • UN Women to disseminate findings and business case to firms to promote WEPs and encourage linkages between private sector and women’s groups
Management Response: The project will address the recommendations from the WEESC II final evaluation by expanding and reinforcing awareness of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) in businesses across Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Phase III will adopt a more systemic approach, focusing on specific support categories for companies as recommended by the WEESC-II evaluation, including working conditions, recruitment and retention, and supply chain management. In Georgia, private sector collaboration has been accelerated through UN Women Norway funded projects and will continue with funding from the same donor. In Armenia and Azerbaijan, while the WEPs component is still developing, Phases I and II established important partnerships and linkages. The next phase will further explore and preserve opportunities to pilot initiatives that demonstrate the benefits of WEPs. Efforts will also be intensified to build connections with local companies and employers, enhancing employment options and integrating self-employed women and smallholder farmers into value chains.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: National ownership, Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Implement study/survey on benefits of WEPs in Armenia and in Azerbaijan and organize experience exchange event with WEPS signatories in Georgia UN Women GEO CO 2026/03 Not Initiated As recommended by the WEESC-II evaluation, a study/survey on the financial and non-financial impacts of WEPs will be conducted in Armenia and in Azerbaijan during the third phase. The findings from this study will provide crucial insights for working with WEPs. UN Women will organize a meeting or event with WEPs signatory firms and relevant government and NGO stakeholders to present the study findings and facilitate the sharing of action plans and best practices. Additionally, UN Women will disseminate the findings to promote WEPs and encourage linkages between the private sector and women’s groups.
2. Conduct exchanges of good practices, knowledge and tools among the private sector companies and the WEPs signees across the region UN Women GEO CO 2026/08 Initiated Regular exchanges of best practices, knowledge, and tools will be organized across the region to build regional interlinkages, facilitate learning, raise awareness on key issues, and strengthen collaboration with the private sector. These efforts aim to enhance the effective implementation of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) within registered companies.
Recommendation: UN Women should ensure that there are adequate monitoring resources available, at all levels of implementation, to ensure complete and timely reporting. Actions to consider: • UN Women to convene a meeting with NGO partners to understand their concerns • Based on the meeting UN Women to send out answers and clarifications on any questions • For WEESC-III UN Women to consider whether additional resources are needed in NGO contracts to cover dedicated monitoring officers
Management Response: The complexity of project operations across three countries underscores the need for a user-friendly M&E framework that aligns with the capacities of local partners and is harmonized across all regions, as highlighted by the project evaluation. In WEESC Phase III, UN Women will convene a meeting with NGO partners to understand and address their concerns related to M&E practices. Following this meeting, UN Women will provide responses and clarifications to any questions and work to resolve existing issues by adjusting existing cross-country M&E system to the capacities and needs of project partners. This update will be performed using a participatory approach, involving M&E specialists from each partner in all three countries, who will be the primary users of the system.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Review the existing M&E system UN Women GEO CO 2026/08 Initiated In WEESC Phase III, UN Women will convene a meeting with NGO partners to address their concerns and gather inputs regarding M&E system. Based on these consultations, UN Women will refine the M&E system to enhance its user-friendliness and ensure it is harmonized across all three countries. The system will also build on lessons learned from Phases I and II
2. Strengthen partners’ M&E capacity for effective monitoring and reporting UN Women GEO CO 2026/08 Initiated Sound monitoring and reporting requires continuous capacity building of partners’ M&E skills. Hence, the project will dedicate resources on M&E capacity building, specifically tailored to project requirements. Importantly, for WEESC-III, UN Women will consider additional resources in NGO contracts to include dedicated monitoring officers.
Recommendation: When funding UN Women’s projects, donors should ensure that UN Women’s reporting procedures are rationalized with the requirements of the donor; this may require negotiation with UN Women Headquarters (HQ). Actions to consider: • SDC to clarify exactly what additional information they need reported, and when they need it • SDC to discuss with UN Women how the required information could be incorporated in reports • In negotiations with UN Women for WEESC-III, SDC should include these reporting requirements in their funding agreement
Management Response: To address the recommendation, UN Women will work closely with donors to align reporting procedures with their specific requirements. Donors will be encouraged to clarify the additional information they need and engage their HQs in negotiations with UN Women HQ regarding financial reporting as the latter is centralized at HQ level in UN Women.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality, Coherence
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Align reporting procedures with donor expectations through targeted engagement and negotiation UN Women GEO CO 2026/08 Not Initiated UN Women will engage with donors to specify the additional information required for reporting. Based on this input, UN Women will discuss with Headquarters (HQ) to negotiate and adjust reporting procedures with HQ level partners of donor agencies as needed.
Recommendation: Gender-sensitive value chain analysis in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan might help to identify economic opportunities for women in more disadvantaged communities and could be considered for WEESC-III.
Management Response: For grassroots work with women in these countries, the WEESC project will continue to focus on the same regions targeted in the first and second phases. The needs assessments and evaluations, conducted during these earlier phases, along with the statistical analysis of the grant component of the project in Georgia and grassroots work in all three countries, have provided valuable insights into economic opportunities for women in these communities. This information, combined with assessments and consultations with partners and grassroots beneficiaries during WEESC-III, will be used to identify relevant sectors and options for entrepreneurship and employment, applying a demand-driven approach and developing gender-sensitive value chains.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM, Agriculture
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Adopt a value chain approach to grant provision and supporting the development of gender-sensitive value chains UN Women GEO CO 2025/08 Initiated As recommended by the evaluation, the project will adopt a value chain approach to grant provision, focusing on supporting women in target municipalities to enhance the value-added of their business operations. To this end, as mentioned above the project will provide small-scale incentives, but with more comprehensive technical support per initiative compared to previous project phases to support establishment of the women-owned small businesses in agriculture and the small service industry and to expand existing businesses. Furthermore, during Phase II of the project, an analysis of statistical data, including applications from the small grants program under WEESC in Georgia, identified priority sectors and value chains for women entrepreneurs. In Armenia, needs mapping for different sectors was conducted, revealing barriers and opportunities for women's economic empowerment in the Gegharkunik and Shirak regions. Based on these analyses and the needs assessments conducted in WEESC III (for detailed information, see Recommendation 2 on page 8), women beneficiaries of the project—rural women, smallholder farmers, and entrepreneurs—will receive tailored courses, mentorship, consultancy, and additional support to further develop their businesses and enhance their value addition. A similar analysis will be conducted in Azerbaijan, with tailored courses provided to women to support value chain development.
Recommendation: Assist women in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to acquire alternative sources of financing for example by linking them to existing government bodies or institutions with programs and products to support women or micro and small enterprises, and helping those who do not have bank accounts to open them.
Management Response: As recommended by the WEESC-III project evaluation, the project will continue to develop sustainable alternative sources of finance to assist women in accessing these resources. To achieve this, the project will focus on leveraging cooperation between UN Women, various governmental and non-governmental organizations, and the private sector—particularly the banking sector through the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs)—to diversify financing options available to women farmers and entrepreneurs.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Support the development of sustainable alternative financing for women UN Women GEO CO 2026/08 Initiated During Phase III of the project, efforts will continue to support the development of sustainable alternative financing sources for women. Cooperation between UN Women and various governmental and non-governmental organizations, including the private sector—particularly the banking sector through the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs)—will be leveraged to diversify financing options available to women farmers and entrepreneurs. In Georgia, during Phase II of the project, UN Women will continue ongoing consultations with the Rural Development Agency (RDA) to advocate for potential improvements in the gender sensitivity of existing RDA programmes and to increase women’s participation rates (during Phase II, UN Women developed recommendations for gender mainstreaming in the RDA’s programmes and discussed these recommendations with the Agency). Additionally, UN Women will advocate for the development of a new stand-alone programme by the RDA, based on a programme idea developed by UN Women during Phase II of the project.
2. Strengthen connections between women beneficiaries and private sector to integrate women into value chains and expand financial opportunities UN Women GEO CO 2026/08 Not Initiated Strengthening the connections between grassroots work and private sector engagement will be the important component of Outcome 1 in all three project countries. Key strategies will include introducing women beneficiaries as suppliers and integrating them into value chains as product or service providers. This approach opens up new financial opportunities, providing women with direct income and helping them build business relationships. It also facilitates access to larger markets, which can lead to sustainable financial growth.
3. Enhance women's access to finance through financial literacy training, consultancy, and mentorship UN Women GEO CO 2026/08 Initiated To support women’s access to finance, WEESC-III will provide training, consultancy, and mentorship in financial literacy. This support will assist women in opening bank accounts and accessing banking products.
Recommendation: Expand and reinforce awareness of WEPs in businesses in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Management Response: The recommendation is rejected to avoid duplicative reporting, as it is already fully addressed under key actions of Recommendation 3.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Rejected
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality
Key Actions
Key Action not added.
Recommendation: The WRC are vital resources for disadvantaged women in Azerbaijan. WEESC-II should liaise with the State Committee for Family, Women and Children’s Affairs to develop a sustainability plan and need to ensure inclusivity by helping with transportation for those living in remote villages.
Management Response: Women’s Resource Centres (WRCs) are regarded as crucial sources of information, economic activities, and social capital for women in Azerbaijan. Ensuring their sustainability remains a key focus of the project implementation. The transformation of WRCs into independent NGOs was an important initial step toward achieving financial sustainability and qualifying for funding opportunities. However, the evaluation report highlights that WRCs still heavily rely on WEESC project/UNDP funding, with some support from the State Committee for Family, Women, and Children’s Affairs. In Phase III, WRCs will work on a sustainability strategy. In Phase II, they piloted a membership fee model, but this approach led to concerns and mistrust among members, prompting WRCs to abandon it. As an alternative, the WRC in Khazar has established itself as a limited liability company to engage in business activities and generate profit, which can be reinvested to support the WRC’s operations. These efforts will continue and intensify in Phase III.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Enhancing sustainability of WRCs in Azerbaijan through the development of sustainability strategies UN Women GEO CO 2026/08 Initiated As suggested by the WEESC-II evaluation, the design of the WEESC-III project includes a focus on strengthening the sustainability of WRCs in Azerbaijan. Specifically, in Phase III, WRCs will concentrate on developing a sustainability strategy.
Recommendation: Continue work with government on the enabling environment in Armenia and Georgia.
Management Response: Phase III of the project will strengthen collaboration with strategic government partners to ensure consistent cooperation, focusing on mainstreaming gender in policies and enhancing staff capacity. It will continue to build institutional capacity by supporting targeted program development and implementing amendments to promote women’s economic empowerment sustainably. The project will also continue to provide technical support for legislative and policy amendments in Armenia and Georgia, aligning with international standards, and support data generation to improve policymaking. Additionally, it will continue to facilitate policy dialogues on ratifying or aligning with key ILO Conventions and EU directives, all aimed at supporting the enabling environment for women’s economic empowerment in Armenia and Georgia.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: National ownership
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability, Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Strengthen strategic partnerships for sustainable women's economic empowerment and support the enabling environment in Armenia and Georgia through gender mainstreaming and alignment with international standards UN Women GEO CO 2026/08 Not Initiated Phase III of the project will focus on consolidating interventions with existing strategic government partners to ensure more consistent cooperation, as recommended by the WEESC Phase II evaluation. A key priority will be mainstreaming gender within their policies and programs and enhancing staff capacity. The project will continue to build the institutional capacity of these organizations by supporting the development of targeted programs and implementing institutional amendments to promote women’s economic empowerment sustainably. Additionally, technical support will be continued to be provided to national gender equality mechanisms in Armenia and Georgia for preparing legislative and policy amendments in alignment with international standards. The project will continue to support generate data and evidence on strategic priority issues to improve policymaking and legislation for women’s economic empowerment. The project will maintain collaboration with national institutions in Armenia and Georgia, organizing policy dialogues concerning the ratification and/or alignment of ILO Conventions No. 100 (Equal Remuneration), No. 156 (Workers with Family Responsibilities), No. 183 (Maternity Protection), No. 189 (Domestic Workers), and No. 190 (Violence and Harassment), as well as corresponding EU directives.