At the center of reducing poverty and meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is improving women’s empowerment. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) released its strategic plan for 2008-2011. UNFPA affirms human rights, encourages culturally-sensitive programs, and advocates for partnerships and coalitions. In the outlined plan, the UNFPA highlighted six areas. These areas are influencing policy for the International Conference on Population and Development (ICDP) and the MDGs; promoting reproductive health through ensuring women’s informed decision-making without coercion, discrimination, or violence (identified as central to the full enjoyment of women’s human rights); eliminating gender-based violence; investing in early programming for adolescents and youth; ensuring reproductive and human rights are met in emergency and post-emergency situations; and engaging men and boys throughout programming.
Compiled from: “Delivering on the Promise of Equality: UNFPA’s Strategic Framework on Gender Mainstreaming and Women’s Empowerment, 2008-2011,” UNFPA, 2007.