Impact: 2022 UNDP Funding Windows Annual Report

Poverty and Inequality Window

Targeted investments to alleviate multidimensional poverty and build equitable futures

To achieve the ambition of helping people escape multidimensional poverty, Funding Windows resources were invested in revising social protection systems, promoting growth for micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), increasing economic resilience through employment formalization and leveraging data on multidimensional poverty to improve the design and roll-out of policies and programmes tailored to the needs of the most vulnerable.

Uncovering hidden, local variables to poverty in Africa

The introduction of an integrated Local Multidimensional Poverty Index (LMPI) methodology piloted in Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone represented a paradigm shift in poverty measurement towards deepening understanding of poverty and developing targeted interventions that reach those left behind. Blending qualitative and participatory methods with traditional MPI methodology, the LMPI facilitated local multidimensional assessments to shed light on context-specific nuances of poverty. One of the most remarkable breakthroughs was adopting a mixed-method and bottom-up approach to poverty data, analyses, and solutions that engage marginalized local communities. Funding Windows resources facilitated collaboration with National Statistics Institutes (NSIs) for the deployment of the index methodology in government validation workshops, policy planning sessions, and data used in national development plans and poverty eradication initiatives. Partners collated data from 11,000 household surveys (60% women respondents) in Liberia and over 7,000 household members in Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone, to establish a more comprehensive data-rich profile of people who experience multidimensional poverty, including youth or resource industry employees. Through this sub-regional intervention, policy makers now have access to broader perspectives on the scale of multidimensional poverty to serve those most affected and take steps towards relevant gender-informed pro-poor policies.

IN FOCUS

With the LMPI, everyone is considered an active agent of change with a role to play in shaping policy, empowering communities, and redesigning poverty strategies to reach those in need.

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A New Lens on Poverty:
‍Why Community Stories Matter

Burkina Faso, Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and Uzbekistan tackle multidimensional poverty.

Formalizing the informal

In Cambodia, 88.3 percent of employment is informal. UNDP, ILO and the Ministry of Economy and Finance developed a gender-sensitive National Strategy on Informal Economic Development for 2023 to 2028 to strengthen the capacities and resilience of informal sector employees and MSMEs throughout the transition into a formal economy. This led to the roll-out of a new social security scheme for self-employed individuals to access national health insurance. In 2023, 79,479 people, of which almost 50,000 were women, enrolled in the programme. The government now has in place strategic and practical policy options to facilitate the transition of the country’s informal economy to formality and provide employees and businesses with social security assets.

79,000+
people, 62% women, enrolled in a new social security scheme

Governance, Peacebuilding, Crisis and Resilience Window

Promoting people-centred approaches that transform governance systems and speed up recovery in crises

In 2023, Funding Windows resources supported comprehensive interventions to foster transparent, democratic and accountable systems of governance, sustainable livelihood practices, peacebuilding and recovery efforts in crises and fragile contexts, to build forward better for more resilient societies.

Addressing polarization and misinformation through information integrity

Amidst concerns over threats to democratic practices and rampant levels of disinformation, the Funding Windows backed initiatives to enhance traditional and digital governance systems, addressing polarization and disinformation through the promotion of information integrity in the Western Balkans and Central Asia.

IN FOCUS

Kristina Jankovic

Participant in UNDP-organized local youth dialogues on the causes of hate speech, misogyny and sexism.

"It is necessary to speak in a language understandable to people who are not aware of the issues … and speak the language of young people. When talking about sexism, we can't only engage girls and women or only those who want to participate. Sexism concerns us all and we should all deal with this topic."

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‍Lessons on information integrity

UNDP tackles disinformation in the Western Balkans and Central Asia.

Promoting the rule of law and access to justice for all

The Funding Windows contributed to improving access to justice for hard-to-reach and marginalized populations in Burkina Faso through the Cohésion Sociale Sécurité et Etat de Droit (COSED) programme. Civil and correctional mobile courts were activated for mobile hearings, adjudicating 113 cases involving hundreds of people. These mobile courts helped rural populations access proceedings usually offered in cities where courts are situated, and contributed to breaking down the psychological barriers people feel towards the judiciary by improving knowledge of how the justice system functions. In total, more than 30,000 people, of which 9,000 were women, accessed information on court operations, women’s rights and legal services, while 15,350 people, including 5,770 women and 3,961 youth, registered for clinic-run awareness sessions on human rights violations, legal assistance and reparation services. UNDP also supported digitalization in tribunals and courts in three cities by launching a delivery system that allowed 6,000 citizens to receive electronic criminal records between October and December 2023.

6,000
citizens accessed criminal records electronically

Building resilience by supporting livelihoods and reconstruction in fragile contexts

To strengthen social contracts, promote risk-informed, resilient recovery and establish sustainable pathways away from fragility and conflict, Funding Windows supported multidimensional area-based development interventions to restore government functionality and improve individual access to essential and public services.

In Ethiopia, the conflict in the north part of the country resulted in multiple humanitarian and security crises, displacements, loss of life and the destruction of the socio-economic gains of millions of people. UNDP worked with micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises and local peace committees in the conflict regions of Amhara, Afar and Tigray providing 6,405 civil servants of which 35 percent were women, 1,685 government officials and 1,662 community members with knowledge and skills on restoring peace, the rule of law, peacebuilding and methods of preventing conflicts. This took place in tandem with restoring the functionality of 119 local government offices to provide necessary public services. By the end of 2023, 63,561 individuals had received basic social services in all regions, 24,834 students of which 48 percent were girls returned to school, 45,000 patients accessed health care services, and 6,520 people accessed clean water, decreasing their exposure to water-borne diseases.

63,500+
individuals received basic social services

In Myanmar, the Funding Windows contributed to enhancing the resilience of some of the most marginalized communities to better cope with multidimensional shocks. Following Cyclone Mocha, a community-based rehabilitation intervention provided cash-for-work to 4,940 individuals of which 52 percent were women and improved food security and dietary diversity for 40,000 people of which 52 percent were women, including Rakhine and Rohingya minorities. The Funding Windows also supported 6,396 individuals of which 57 percent were women from 44 communities through cash-for-work interventions, distribution of vegetable seeds and fertilizers, and targeted livelihoods assistance support for women. These initiatives enabled communities to generate essential income, boost local food production and reduce reliance on food aid.

Localized interventions for improved stabilization and recovery in the Liptako-Gourma region

The UNDP Regional Stabilization Facility is a Funding Windows-supported mechanism in the Liptako-Gourma region—Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger—to implement context-relevant, localized interventions to reduce the risks of conflict and lay the foundations for longer-term peacebuilding, recovery and development efforts. The Facility rehabilitated social service infrastructure and created new avenues of economic growth for target populations in one of the most unpredictable, volatile and complex crisis settings in Africa. Across the three countries, 3,300 people of which 78 percent were women participated in cash-for-work activities and received business grants and livelihood training in 2023. Reconstruction of public infrastructure across the three countries has significantly improved the livelihoods and access to essential services for 162,500 people, including 82,700 women, fostering the return of internally displaced populations. Incorporating renewable technologies has enhanced public service quality, with over 50 percent of households in Burkina Faso and Mali expressing satisfaction with access to services like health care and education. At the subregional level, the adoption of the Regional Strategy for Stabilization, Resilience and Recovery of Liptako-Gourma in 2023 constitutes an important step that will guide future stabilization and humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) interventions in the three countries, facilitating synergy and cross-border coordination.

162,500
benefited from livelihood opportunities & access to essential services

Chamsou Soumana

Construction worker in Niger.

"What I earn now is higher than what I earned when I went to Cotonou to work. Besides, now I'm at home. I have no intention of going back on an exodus.”

IN FOCUS

Propelling recovery and resilience amidst crises

Guided by the principles of the UNDP Crisis Offer, UNDP works to anticipate, prevent, respond and recover in crises contexts when development progress is hindered or reversed. The Funding Windows flexible mechanism facilitated the rapid deployment of critical funds and human resources to get ahead of the crisis curve, break fragility cycles and invest in hope in times of crises in Armenia, Moldova, Syria, Türkiye and Ukraine.

Multi-tiered approaches for post-earthquake recovery in Türkiye and Syria

Following devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, FWs supported rapid deployment of crisis advisors by the UNDP Crisis Bureau to aid in post-disaster recovery efforts.

IN FOCUS

WATCH

Supporting earthquake recovery efforts in Türkiye through rapid SURGE deployment.

Nature, Climate and Energy Window

Financing inclusive, localized and sustainable solutions for nature, climate and energy-based challenges

UNDP has been at the forefront of addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution through a multidisciplinary approach that tackles all three dimensions. The Funding Windows accelerated the transition to inclusive green economies, supported the adoption of renewable energy sources, developed climate-resilient infrastructure, and mitigated biodiversity loss through global programmes, while empowering vulnerable and marginalized populations to become leaders in environmental conservation efforts and sustainable energy practices.

Greening economies and mitigating vulnerabilities through women-centred financing

In Mexico, Funding Windows investments boosted the productivity of women beekeepers, farmers and chicken producers from indigenous communities while integrating environmental sustainability and financial mechanisms through sorority networks. A share of 9 out of 10 women's groups established savings mechanisms, reflecting a significant increase in their economic capabilities and financial literacy, which led to 90 percent higher savings levels among group members.

Of those women, 47 percent formalized their savings for the first time—granting them greater control over resources and offering a safety net in case of difficulties. Saving group members often took on active roles as ‘biodiversity guardians’, contributing to proposing a public policy that encourages women’s growth, and working together on local initiatives to raise the environmental resilience of their communities.

Micaela Díaz

member of the savings group Chiapas San José Majoval.

"Having a savings fund has greatly helped us as a group and our families, as what we earn is also brought for the welfare of our family. I am very happy. This is the first time we have had this experience and we are very motivated. Without this support, it would not be easy.”

90%
higher savings level among women's group members

Fostering global networks for catalysing action, policies and awareness on pollution

In Rwanda, to foster behavioural and policy changes on plastic pollution, Funding Windows resources supported UNDP to work with public and private institutions and civil society to deliver courses on Behaviour Change and Plastics Management in Africa through South–South and triangular cooperation. A partnership was established with Rwanda Polytechnic and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme to collate data on plastics management and develop a web-based peer learning platform, that will become operational by the end of 2024 for other countries across the world. The learning platform is designed for users to network and gain valuable insights into the Rwandan practice of managing plastics while minimizing their adverse impact on the environment using home-grown solutions.

Promoting a renewable and sustainable energy transition

In Kazakhstan, UNDP addressed reliance on coal for heating by evaluating the market potential of unused biomass (sawdust, straw and other agricultural wastes) for producing fuel briquettes as a replacement. A pilot project in northern Kazakhstan demonstrated the viability of biomass as an alternative to coal, receiving positive feedback from users. This initiative paves the way for a sustainable, carbon-neutral heating system in the country.

Restoring critical energy infrastructure in crises

In 2023, Funding Windows support to Ukraine led to the procurement of gas engines and autotransformers for regions heavily affected by the conflict, aiming at restoring power supplies and ensuring access to safe water, sanitation and heating for an estimated 2 million people.

Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Window

Expanding opportunities, meaningful participation, and empowered choices for women and girls in all aspects of their lives

UNDP puts gender equality at the core of its development work and focuses on accelerators for structural change through its Gender Equality Strategy 2022–2025. Investments through the Funding Windows have supported integrated and scalable initiatives to help countries shift power structures and transform the economic, social and political systems that perpetuate discrimination and inequality.

EQUANOMICS

The flagship initiative ‘Equanomics’ contributes to UNDP’s ambition to help unlock US$100 billion of public and private finance for gender equality, promoting reforms and the alignment of fiscal policies with gender equality objectives of countries, working on both public revenue and expenditure. Launched with support from the Funding Windows in 2023, Equanomics has worked with the ministries of finance and tax authorities in Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nigeria, the Philippines and Rwanda.

UNDP is supporting Mongolia to assess and reform their fiscal policy and tax system through a gender assessment of personal income tax and the care economy, and a tax incidence analysis to understand the impact of fiscal policies on women and men. Mongolia has presented a proposal to the Parliament for tax reforms that encourage women’s participation in the economy.

The initiative integrates the Gender Equality Seal for public institutions in its offer to governments. The Seal global programme works in more than 30 countries and 4 regions, with 91 public institutions. As a result, over 224,000 public servants, of which 105,000 were women, benefited from improved gender skills and safer and more enabling working environments in 2023.

224,000+
public servants, 46% women, improved gender skills

Powering Gender Equality in Africa

Collaborative and learning-oriented, the Powering Gender Equality programme leverages UNDP large-scale energy programmes across Africa to strengthen gender equality impacts. Ethiopia, Eswatini, Madagascar and Malawi are working together as a peer learning group to address gender biases that commonly restrict women’s participation and influence in the energy sector, curb entrepreneurial growth and hinder women’s access to technical skills and opportunities. In Eswatini, women politicians were brought together to increase awareness on clean energy issues, and rural women cooperative members, including those who live with disabilities, acquired skills on clean energy technologies and entrepreneurship through the country’s first-of-its-kind network for women in the energy sector.

Gender equality and women’s empowerment are cross-cutting themes across all four Funding Windows.

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Breaking the cycle of poverty for women and their communities

in Mexico, Eswatini, Costa Rica, and Guinea-Bissau

The Funding Windows maximized UNDP's efforts to generate development impact across four key thematic areas

Poverty and Inequality Window

Governance, Peacebuilding, Crisis and Resilience Window

Nature, Climate and Energy Window

Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Window

Poverty and Inequality Window

Governance, Peacebuilding, Crisis and Resilience Window

Nature, Climate and Energy Window

Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Window