Liberia’s UN Gender Theme Group Steps Up Action to Advance Gender Equality

Members of Liberia’s United Nations Gender Theme Group (GTG) came together for a strategic retreat focused on accelerating progress toward gender equality and women’s empowerment across the country. The gathering underscored a renewed commitment by the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) to move from dialogue to tangible results for women and girls in Liberia.

Convened by UN Women and UNDP, the one-day retreat brought together representatives from UN agencies and partners to collectively shape priorities for 2026. Central to the discussions was aligning the group’s work programme with Liberia’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2026–2030).

The retreat provided a platform for reflection and forward planning, including a review of findings from the 2025 UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard, which assesses how effectively gender equality is integrated across UN programmes and operations. Participants examined key gaps and opportunities, focusing on strengthening gender-responsive programming, partnerships, financing, and accountability.

Through collaborative dialogue, the group identified priority actions and began translating recommendations into a costed and time-bound 2026 Gender Theme Group Annual Work Plan—a roadmap aimed at delivering measurable impact.

Addressing the participants, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Liberia, Christine N. Umutoni, emphasized the urgency of action. She noted that “women and girls across Liberia are counting on this UN system to deliver, not just deliberate,” reaffirming that gender equality remains a top priority for the UNCT.

The Gender Theme Group continues to serve as the UN system’s central coordination platform for advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in Liberia. By strengthening collaboration and aligning efforts, the group is positioning itself to drive more coherent, impactful, and results-oriented interventions that respond to the needs of women and girls nationwide.