IORA Workshop on Gender-Responsive Government Procurement

The training aimed at introducing representatives of IORA Member States to new thinking on how to empower women by including gender considerations in procurement processes across business and governments.

Gender-responsive procurement refers to the sustainable selection of services, goods or civil works that takes into consideration the impact on gender equality and women’s empowerment. A number of governments in the Indian Ocean Rim region have adopted gender-responsive and affirmative procurement policies and practices as a strategy to support women’s entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.

In light of the asymmetrical impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women across business and economic sectors, as well as women-led entrepreneurship, gender responsive procurement targeting women-run SMEs is a positive strategy to support women’s entrepreneurship and empowerment during the COVID-19 crisis and enable economies to build back better.

The training was run in two groups. The first group took place on 9-11 February 2021 and the second group took place on 23-25 February 2021.

This training was provided under IORA’s collaboration with UN Women to strengthen research on women’s economic empowerment, and promote the Women’s Empowerment Principles in the region, supported through a three-year project funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). 

The full list of activities under the IORA-UN Women partnership, supported by the Government of Australia, is available here.