As of January 2011, UN-INSTRAW is part of UN Women. Please see UN Women for programs of work post December 2010.

The United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW) was created in 1976 by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to carryout out research, trainings, and general knowledge management activities aimed at achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment in partnership with governments, the United Nations System, civil society and academia [1]. UN-INSTRAW’s work is guided by all relevant international conventions addressing gender equality and women’s empowerment, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action, and resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, ECOSOC, and the Security Council, specifically Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) [2].

Over recent years, in concert with the United Nations reform process, UN-INSTRAW has undergone a revitalization process which has focused its operations on four strategic areas (i) Action-oriented Research; (ii) Knowledge Management; (iii) Capacity-building; and (iv) Institutional Development. Currently, the work of the Institute is focused on several key thematic areas, notably includingwomen’s political participation at the local level and gender, peace and security, in addition to development and migration. UN-INSTRAW’s specifically address women in conflict affected areas through its Gender, Peace and Security Programme. The initiative’s primary goal is to support the implementation process of SCR 1325. In addition to provides strategies for Security Sector Reform (SSR) and methods of gender sensitive training [3].

Source: United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women