UNIDO recognizes that gender equality and the empowerment of women have significant positive impacts on sustained economic growth and sustainable industrial development, which are drivers of poverty reduction and social integration.

UNIDO considers gender mainstreaming as a key strategy for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women. As a result, the Organization has created a policy which oversees that:

• A gender perspective is reflected in its programmes, policies and organizational practices;
• The overall goal of gender equality and the empowerment of women, particularly the economic empowerment of women, is advanced;
• The Organization joins forces with partners within the United Nations system and with other public and private sector partners to deploy a diversity of experiences and expertise to advance the internationally agreed development goals related to gender equality; and
• The Organization’s efforts to achieve the goal of gender balance within its own structures, in particular at decision-making levels, are accelerated.