Implementation of the Action Plan
We commit the entire Foreign Service to these efforts
The implementation of the Action Plan will be carried out by relevant sections in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the missions of the Foreign Service, in Norad and at other public administrative entities responsible for Norwegian foreign and development policy funds, including through the Knowledge Bank. The Action Plan’s priorities will be realised through political leadership, diplomacy and engagement in normative processes. In addition, we will fund tangible measures that lead to gender equality.
We coordinate our work internally
Working for gender equality globally also requires the Ministry to work for this internally. Public authorities have a duty to work actively, purposefully and systematically to promote gender equality and prevent discrimination. This also involves preventing harassment, sexual harassment, gender-based violence and counteracting stereotyping.40
Departments, sections, project units and foreign service missions within the Ministry and Norad must organise their work so that they have the necessary expertise and capacity to integrate and follow up on gender equality and non-discrimination considerations. All staff in the Ministry should possess a solid understanding of efforts to combat sexual harassment, aligning with our international obligations to combat sexual abuse, exploitation, and harassment. As part of strengthening our work, we will also continue to build competence and offer training on women’s rights, gender equality and SRHR, as well as queer rights across the board.
While the Section for Human Rights, Democracy and Gender Equality, within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is the technical specialist in this area, all sections have an independent responsibility to advance the integration of gender equality in their areas of responsibilities. To ensure that women’s rights and gender equality are integrated throughout the Foreign Service, gender equality contacts will be designated in each relevant section in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Norad will maintain its use of gender equality contacts. The gender equality contacts will hold biannual meetings to coordinate the implementation of the plan throughout the Foreign Service, with meetings chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ policy director for women’s rights and gender equality.
All strategies and action plans developed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must align with this Action Plan. Women’s rights and gender equality should be consistently considered in meetings, speeches and other written materials.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, foreign service missions and Norad are required to outline in their annual work plans how they intend to ensure women’s rights and gender equality in their respective areas. The internal resource page containing tips and guidelines for promoting women’s rights and gender equality in foreign and development policy will be further developed.
In the annual budget proposal, the Ministry is obligated to report on efforts to integrate gender equality and non-discrimination considerations into its work. This includes detailing how the Ministry translates principles, procedures, and standards for gender equality and non-discrimination into action, evaluating the achieved results, and communicating the Ministry’s expectations for future work in this regard41
We adjust our efforts
The Action Plan will be in effect from 2023 to 2030. During this period, local, national and global circumstances will shape how priorities are defined and realised. We maintain a flexible approach to our initiatives, continuously assessing our own efforts to ensure tangible results. Two-year work plans will be formulated to allow for adjustments and optimisation of our strategies.
We join forces
An annual celebration of women’s rights in foreign and development policy coinciding with International Women’s Day on 8 March. This event will assess the status of women’s rights and gender equality globally, emphasising Norwegian priority areas and results.
Every two years, youth consultations will be conducted at selected embassies to ensure the voices of children and young people are heard, enabling their participation in gender equality matters that impact them directly. The initial round of youth consultations in 2023 contributed insights for the development of this Action Plan.
We report
The outcomes of Norwegian efforts will be reported annually, through a combination of planned knowledge gathering and knowledge production. These diverse methods collectively contribute to the annual reporting as follow:
What | Who | Type ofinformation |
|---|---|---|
General reporting | Ministry of Foreign Affairs Norad | Reporting on defined indicators per goal and target. Thematically relevant global trends, statistics and research results. |
Aid statistics and analyses | Norad | Production and analysis of Norwegian aid statistics. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of goal achievement, monitoring the gender equality marker for relevant sectors. |
Partner resultsincludingmultilaterals | Ministry of Foreign Affairs Foreign Service missions Norad | Collection of annual reporting and analyses from selected partners, including reporting provided to multilateral boards under particular thematic areas. |
Thematic/geographicalknowledgeproducts | Norad | Production of in-depth thematic and/or geographic knowledge products in collaboration with external and independent research institutions. |
Annual reporting will be collaboratively prepared through consultation between the Section for Human Rights, Democracy and Gender Equality at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Norad.
In addition to the annual reporting, a mid-term review is scheduled for 2026, serving as a management tool for potential adjustments to the Action Plan. Furthermore, a final evaluation is planned for 2029, allowing results to inform the formulation of a new action plan in 2030.