Women's Economic Empowerment, Accountability, and National Ownership: Summary Report of the Joint Biennial Workshop IANWGE and the OECD-DAC Network on Gender Equality (GENDE)

Introduction

The 2010 joint workshop between the United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE) and the Development Assistance Committee's Network on Gender Equality (DAC-GENDERNET) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was hosted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), in Vienna, Austria on 1-2 February 2010. The workshop focused on women's economic empowerment whilst exploring both country ownership for development and the many facets of accountability - international accountability mechanisms, domestic/local/democratic accountability, and mutual accountability.

The discussions in the workshop highlighted the role and challenges faced by multilateral and bilateral agencies in delivering on international commitments to gender equality and women's empowerment. Presentations, including case studies, illustrated the gender equality and women's empowerment dimensions of accountability and strengthening country ownership over development. Examples of practical contributions of donors and multilaterals to accelerate women's economic empowerment and improve aid effectiveness were provided. The summary of the workshop is provided in this report.