Figure 13. Gender project results using the GRES scale

Analysis of project implementation on the GRES scale confirmed that almost half (46 percent) of UNDP projects were gender-targeted or -responsive, and 8 percent were categorized as potentially gender-transformative. No project was classified as gender-negative, but the fact that 46 percent of projects were classified as gender-blind is of concern, although some are procurement-related, for the risk of unintentionally contributing negatively to existing gender inequalities.

FIGURE 13. Gender project results using the GRES scale

Source: IEO Public management and inclusive services 46% Blind Targeted Responsive Potentially transformative

30% 16% 8%

In the current programme cycle, UNDP achieved gender parity in its own staff (51 percent female: 49 percent male), including at senior level and among service contract holders.48 However, the 2020 Global Staff Survey highlighted problems of workload balance and distribution among female staff.49 The country office has recently applied for the Gender Equality Seal, which is expected to transform the workplace and reinforce gender mainstreaming.

Finding 15. Human rights and Leaving No One Behind. UNDP has taken a variety of initiatives to reduce inequality in line with Agenda 2030, particularly in its extensive work with indigenous peoples, but has yet to consolidate its own LNOB approach. while most projects identify their contribution to strengthening human rights in their design, often working directly with vulnerable groups, progress in key intervention areas such as access to justice, or the work with youth, was limited.

when it comes to human rights and LNOB, the UNDP programme presents an agenda of great importance for Bolivia, clearly identifying the major challenges to achieving equality. Several UNDP projects have explicit objectives or activities aimed at strengthening human rights for all, but to date no major result has been achieved in key areas of intervention, such as access to justice, because of the challenging political context. The ‘Supporting dialogue and human rights for peacebuilding in Bolivia’ project, led by the Office of the Resident Coordinator and implemented in collaboration with UN women and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), experienced difficulties, and required a refocus and six-month extension to fully implement its activities.

Several UNDP interventions across the portfolios focused on LNOB. These included local-level support to indigenous communities through a bottom-up approach that several stakeholders highlighted as very positive, and the introduction of a community-based entrepreneurship methodology for people with disabilities in Sacaba and Tiquipaya. However, these initiatives and experiences have not yet been consolidated into a strategic approach tailored to Bolivia’s contexts and needs, especially for youth, whose economic empowerment and access to employment was identified by the Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support (MAPS) mission as an accelerator of Agenda 2030 in the country, for Afro-descendent peoples, as highlighted in the CPD, and for other groups likely to be left behind.

48 Data from UNDP Bolivia Gender Executive Snapshot. 49 The majority of women (53 percent) responded unfavourably to questions on workload manageability (vs. 10 percent of men). 39 percent of women considered that the workload was not fairly distributed in the office (vs. 30 percent of men).