Gender Distribution According to Employment Level in the
Organizations of the United Nations System
December 31, 2003
Source: Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women
The 2004 report of Secretary General on the Improvement of the Status of Women in the United Nations System raises concerns about the unequal gender division and the slow growth towards an equal gender balance in the organization.Overall, in the agencies, programmes and funds of the United Nations system, patterns of unequal gender division in the professional and higher categories show the organization's slow development towards the 50/50 gender division goal. The first graph shows that women are strongly under-represented in the highest categories of post ranging from the top Ungraded (UG) down to the middle Professional level (P-3) and continue to be over-represented in the lowest categories of P-2 and P-1.
The graphs below, presented in alphabetical order, illustrate at a closer look the gender distribution pattern in 10 UN organizations with the largest number of employees in the category Professional and higher staff.**
Another pattern worth noting, is the scarce representation of women in science and technology focused organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and, on the other hand, the more balanced gender distribution in health and care related agencies such as United Nations Children's Fund and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
