Advancing Gender Parity in the UN System in Nairobi: Representation, Organisational Culture and Career Progression

These briefs present consolidated findings from the 2024 Gender Parity Study of the United Nations System in Nairobi, examining progress and persistent gaps in staffing, organisational culture, and career progression.

In 2024, women accounted for 51 per cent of staff, marking significant progress since 2018 and the achievement of overall gender parity. Parity has been reached across national and international staff categories; however, imbalances persist at senior professional and leadership levels, in selected technical and security roles, and among consultants, where men remain overrepresented. These trends highlight the need to strengthen leadership pipelines and address structural barriers in specific occupational streams.

The analysis underscores the positive role of gender-responsive recruitment and selection practices, including gender-balanced panels, targeted outreach, and temporary special measures. Leadership development, mentoring, and coaching initiatives have supported women’s advancement, though their implementation and impact monitoring remain uneven. Staff separation patterns point to contract insecurity, limited career progression, and work–life balance challenges as key retention concerns.

An enabling organisational culture supported by flexible work arrangements, family-friendly policies, and anti-harassment frameworks has contributed to staff wellbeing. However, Gender Focal Points often lack sufficient seniority, time, and resources to influence decision-making effectively. Overall, the findings call for strengthened leadership commitment, resourced Gender Focal Point functions, standardised career development, and robust accountability mechanisms to consolidate gains and advance gender parity by 2028.