Monitoring Policy Making at the United Nations |
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UN Gender Inequality
Gender Distribution According to Employment Level in the
Organizations of the United Nations SystemDecember 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).
FAO | IAEA | ITU | PAHO | UN Secretariat | UNDP | UNESCO | UNHCR | UNICEF |WFP To review the data in a table, please click here.
Gender Distribution in the Food and Agriculture Organization According to Empolyment Level
as of December 31, 2003.
Gender Distribution in the International Atomic Energy Agency According to Empolyment Level
as of December 31, 2003.
Gender Distribution in the International Telecommunication Union According to Empolyment Level
as of December 31, 2003.
Gender Distribution in the Pan American Health Organizationy According to Empolyment Level
as of December 31, 2003.
Gender Distribution in the UN Secretariat According to Empolyment Level
as of December 31, 2003.
Gender Distribution in the United Nations Development Programme According to Empolyment Level
as of December 31, 2003.
Gender Distribution in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
According to Empolyment Level as of December 31, 2003.
Gender Distribution in the Office of the United Nations High Comissioner for Refugees
According to Empolyment Level as of December 31, 2003.
Gender Distribution in the United Nations Children's Fund According to Empolyment Level
as of December 31, 2003.
Gender Distribution in the World Food Programme According to Empolyment Level
as of December 31, 2003.
(Created by Joanna Olsson, December 2004)
**Staff LevelUG stands for "ungraded," e.g. Secretary General, Under Secretary General, Assistant Secretary General, Deputy Director General, Director General and Assistant Director General. The Secretary General names all persons occupying top positions at the level of Under Secretary General (USG) and Assistant Secretary General (ASG).
The tenured International Civil Service ranges from D-2 (the upper-level "Director") and D-1 (the lower-level "Director") through the “Professional” levels of P-5 to P-1. D-2 ranks as the highest level within the International Civil Service, while P-1 is the lowest.
The tables above do not include UN non-professional (“General”) staff.
*UN Agencies, Programmes and Funds
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization
IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency
ICAO - International Civil Aviation Organization
ICAT - International Training Center of the International Labor Organization
ICJ - International Court of Justice
ICSC - International Civil Service Comission
IFAD - International Fund for Agricultural Development
ILO - International Labour Organization
IMO - International Maritime Organization
ITC - International Trade Center
ITU - International Telecommunication Union
JSPF - United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund
PAHO - Pan American Health Organization
UN - United Nations Secretariat
UNAIDS - Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
UNDP - United Nations Develpment Programme
UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund
UNHCR - Office of the United Nations High Comissioner for Refugees
UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund
UNIDO - United Nations Industrial Development Organization
UNITAR - United Nations Institute for Training and Research
UNOPS - United Nations Office for Project Services
UNRWA - United Nations Relief and Works Agency for palestine Refugees in the Near East
UNU - United Nations University
UPU - Universal Postal Union
WFP - World Food Programme
WHO - World Health Organization
WIPO - World Intellectual Property Organization
WMO - World Meteorological Organization
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