The UN Women Training Centre is pleased to present its report “Training for Gender Equality: Twenty Years On”. The paper analyses how training for gender equality has evolved from the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action (PFA) to the present day. By reflecting on what has worked well to date, and what challenges remain, the report represents a first step in mapping training for gender equality and identifying remaining gaps in knowledge. It contributes to the Training Centre’s work on improving training for gender equality through evidence-based practice, in line with our commitment to training as an essential component of a transformative approach to gender equality.

The report’s findings demonstrate the importance of training to the broader gender equality agenda. It is highlighted as an essential tool for achieving each of the PFA’s twelve Critical Areas of Concern, and has been conducted in some form in almost every critical area during each review period (Beijing+5, +10, +15 and +20). Over the past two decades, training has proved an important tool for increasing gender equality, in many cases flourishing beyond the original expectations set out in the PFA. However, progress has at times been uneven, and gaps remain in terms of evaluating the impact of training and addressing the structural issues and power relations which perpetuate inequality.

In light of these findings, the paper offers a number of recommendations for the future development of training for gender equality, with a view to improving standards and effectiveness. It also highlights key issues that merit further investigation. These range from a substantive mapping of training for gender equality across all world regions, to a detailed examination of UN agency responses and the provision of training by actors not included in the Beijing review process. The paper was prepared by COP Consultant Dr Lucy Ferguson. Read the Executive Summary here and the full paper here.