UNFPA is committed to a work environment that is equal to all.

Addressing racism and racial discrimination is one of the many aspects of DEI, and UNFPA does not shy away from the tension of eliminating racism in our workplace. We firmly stand as an anti-racist organization, continuously working to raise awareness of employee experiences and to develop capacities of managers and staff through training on inclusive leadership, unconscious bias and the ability to “call in” and “call out” discriminatory behaviour, among other initiatives. UNFPA is clear in its commitment to developing an equitable and inclusive workplace. Among our colleagues, 5 per cent self-identify as being in a minority ethnic group, 6 per cent in a minority religious group and 8 per cent as indigenous or native peoples.

In 2019, UNFPA initiated a range of programmes specifically aimed at combating racism and racial discrimination, which sought to dismantle systemic biases, promote equality and empower marginalized communities. Among them, the People of African Descent Initiative seeks to advance rights, justice and development for people of African descent using a human rights–based approach. It is aligned with the objectives of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the Montevideo Consensus and the International Decade for People of African Descent. 

In 2021, UNFPA launched the Young Professionals from Africa and of African Descent programme, aiming to attract motivated young people with diverse academic and professional backgrounds to join UNFPA at its headquarters in New York.

Nearly 1.3 billion people worldwide, or 16 per cent of the global population, are persons with disabilities. It is the world's largest minority, and we intend to represent this population as much as possible. Our mandate revolves around the principle of Leaving No One Behind. Per our policy on the Employment of Persons with Disabilities, UNFPA provides reasonable accommodation through a designated budget, encourages more efforts in recruiting and retaining staff with disabilities and strives to ensure a welcoming and supportive work environment for everyone. 

UNFPA is actively implementing various strategies to enhance the recruitment of individuals with disabilities. One key initiative involves close collaboration with the UN Volunteers office to attract UN volunteers with disabilities to the workforce. Notably, between 2021 and 2022, there was a 63 per cent increase in the employment of UN Volunteers personnel with disabilities. 

According to the latest UN Disability Inclusion Strategy report in 2023, UNFPA is exceeding or meeting 14 of 16 indicators. Since the first report in 2019, UNFPA has become a more disability-inclusive UN organization in terms of strategic planning and management, internal policies, programming and organizational culture. In 2023, UNFPA launched the Disability Diversity Space, an employee-led group for persons with disabilities, parents of persons with disabilities and spouses of persons with disabilities, as well as allies. 

UNFPA promotes disability inclusion through our strategy We Matter, We Belong, We Decide and our Leaving No One Behind operational plan. Our publication Think Accessibility! is helping colleagues become more aware of disability and inclusion issues. Other initiatives include contributing to development and humanitarian work pertaining to disability and sexual and reproductive health and rights. For instance, UNFPA launched the training curriculum Our Bodies, Our Rights! to provide organizations of persons with disabilities with concrete information on disability-inclusive sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Protection, support and allyship for our LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and more) colleagues and their families are critical to UNFPA as an organization, based on the premise that everyone is entitled to equal rights and protections.

We have made our position clear when it comes to ending violence and discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people. In May 2020, on the 30th anniversary of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, Dr. Natalia Kanem, the UNFPA Executive Director at the time, announced a new feature in our global directory, which allows LGBTQIA+ colleagues who do not identify as either male or female to self-identify with a third-gender prefix option. More recently, in a public statement, Dr. Kanem expressed her deep concern about attempts in parts of the world to criminalize same-sex relationships, exposing millions of people to the risk of arrest, imprisonment or even death. 

As part of our DEI work, we make sure to raise awareness in all our offices and to hold open conversations about the needs of LGBTQIA+ colleagues in order to forge allyship and support.
 

UNFPA has long worked to bring attention to the discrimination faced by LGBTQIA+ people, developing initiatives, particularly in the area of HIV, to support the rights of LGBTQIA+ people to equal and non-stigmatizing access to high-quality sexual and reproductive health services. 

At the same time, UNFPA promotes gender equality, recognizing that everyone is affected by rigid sex roles and discriminatory gender norms and stereotypes stemming from patriarchal norms. Every day, millions of people around the world face discrimination and human rights violations based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics. 

Homophobic and transphobic attitudes remain deeply embedded in many cultures; as a result, LGBTQIA+ people face high risks of stigma, exclusion and violence and are prevented from enjoying their sexual and reproductive health and rights. UNFPA aims to disrupt this violence in all that we do. 

We want all colleagues to feel safe, appreciated and respected, in line with our values. We strive to be a respectful and inclusive workplace and expect all staff to play their part in bringing an end to homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. We leave no one behind. 

In 2024, UNFPA signed the UN Secretariat Strategy on the Protection from Violence and Discrimination of LGBTIQ+ Persons, and stands ready to support UN Member States and other stakeholders in addressing challenges through constitutional, legislative and policy changes, strengthening national institutions, and through education, training and other initiatives. That said, around the world, UNFPA operates within the boundaries and realities of host country conditions. Colleagues seeking career moves are encouraged to consult sources such as Equaldex, government reports, news and other sources for accurate and up-to-date information.

Promoting gender equality is at our core. Externally, our global footprint has always centred on advocating for the rights of women and girls, promoting gender-responsive data collection and supporting initiatives to end discrimination and gender-based violence. Internally, our mission is to mirror this work and establish ourselves as an agency that prioritizes gender equality at all levels. With several female leaders at the helm, we are proud to be recognized as a women-oriented organization. 

Worldwide, women disproportionately face issues related to unequal power dynamics, harassment, sexual exploitation, abuse and bullying. We want to set an example and work to address such issues, which have no place at UNFPA, and to support women as well as people of all genders and gender expressions. “Going beyond the numbers” means addressing the cultural elements that are at the foundation of unequal power dynamics. 

While data show that our organization is equal in terms of female representation (gender parity), including at the leadership level, UNFPA continues to make efforts to understand the lived experiences of female colleagues and to learn from their stories. We provide training to managers and leaders, hold conversations and webinars, and offer coaching and mentoring programmes – all in conjunction with our Women@UNFPA employee resource group.

UNFPA has also met or exceeded all of the standards in the UN System-wide Action Plan on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, which provides a guide for the entire UN system on how to mainstream gender within programmes, human resources policies, evaluations, communications, organizational culture and more. 

In 2023, UNFPA launched Agency, Choice and Access, outlining UNFPA's corporate approach to promoting gender equality and the rights of women and adolescent girls. The strategy supports UNFPA’s goal of achieving sexual and reproductive health and rights in all contexts. 

In 2024, the UNFPA Executive Committee endorsed the UN System-Wide Gender Equality Acceleration Plan. To strengthen our internal accountability structures for advancing gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights, UNFPA established a senior-level accountability mechanism, the Gender Equality and Inclusion Steering Committee. This committee will oversee our gender equality work, analyze the impact of political contexts on our efforts and strategize for future action. Our ultimate goal remains to serve women and girls in all their diversity, worldwide.

UNFPA is undergoing significant organizational changes to adapt to the evolving context in which we operate. The successful implementation of our mandate depends on a healthy organizational culture that supports our programmes, as well as on the way our colleagues deliver our efforts to the 10-year-old girl we serve. In order to ensure her right to a safe and healthy future, UNFPA must adapt to changes and rise to its collective potential so that she is able to achieve hers.

Global demographics are shifting. While our current workforce is ageing, a new generation of talent is entering and bringing fresh skills, tools and expectations. Generation Z includes activists and organizers who infuse UNFPA with energy; by 2030, they will be stepping into management positions.

To attract the brightest talent, we offer a staff competitive remuneration package in line with the International Civil Service Commission standards, as well as a wide range of flexible working arrangements that promote wellness, balance and equity. We also offer staff a comprehensive well-being package that includes policies on part-time employment, time off for lactating parents and parental leave.

UNFPA strives to develop a strong cohort of leaders. Encouraging this development is our collective responsibility. We also encourage our younger colleagues to express themselves, take initiative and speak up whenever the opportunity arises. UNFPA is currently designing a suite of social learning programmes and resources to ensure that the next generation of leaders is strong and diverse.

The Young Innovators Fellowship Programme aims to attract and cultivate young professionals and fresh perspectives. It gives an opportunity to 18 young professionals between the ages of 18 and 26 to join UNFPA with a dedicated focus on providing a youth perspective and driving innovation in UNFPA’s priority areas. These include addressing the unmet need for family planning and ending preventable maternal deaths and violence against women and girls.

At UNFPA we believe in power equity – a shift from "power over" to "power within" a group. 

Intersectionality and respecting each other's journeys and stories is key to DEI. Not only do we celebrate the diversity of our colleagues, but we work to address the challenges they face. Our internal “Not a Single Story” podcast sheds light on our overlapping identities and creates space for those who are often marginalized, providing an opportunity to share struggles and successes.

At UNFPA we cultivate an environment that welcomes open, honest and courageous conversations, so that colleagues have an opportunity to address diversity in a holistic manner. UNFPA will continue to build allyship, support inclusion, encourage expression and celebrate our differences.