Review of Gender Mainstreaming in the New Generation of Common Country Analyses (CCAs) and United Nations Sustainable Cooperation Frameworks (UNSDCFs) in Africa, 2025

Author(s)/editor(s)

UN Women ESARO

This report presents a comprehensive review of gender mainstreaming in the new generation of Common Country Analyses (CCAs) and United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks (UNSDCFs) across Africa. It assesses the extent to which gender equality and women’s empowerment are integrated into country-level planning, implementation and monitoring processes.

The review highlights notable progress, including increased recognition of gender issues in situational analyses and stronger alignment with global commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also identifies good practices, such as the use of sex-disaggregated data, gender-responsive indicators, and inclusive stakeholder engagement.

However, the report underscores persistent gaps that limit the effectiveness of gender mainstreaming. These include inconsistent application of gender analysis, limited technical capacity, insufficient funding for gender priorities and weak accountability mechanisms. In some cases, gender considerations are treated as cross-cutting without clear strategies, targets, or measurable outcomes.

The report further examines challenges within both the CCA and UNSDCF processes, including data limitations, coordination gaps among stakeholders and varying levels of commitment across country teams. It emphasizes the need for stronger institutional frameworks and leadership to drive gender-responsive programming.

To address these issues, the report provides actionable recommendations aimed at strengthening gender integration throughout the programming cycle. These include enhancing capacity development, improving data systems, ensuring dedicated financing, and reinforcing monitoring and evaluation frameworks.

The review calls for a more systematic, consistent and results-oriented approach to gender mainstreaming to accelerate progress toward gender equality in Africa.