This policy paper is focused on diverse groups of socially marginalized women with diverse disabilities. It highlights how the 12 critical areas of concern from the Beijing Platform for Action have progressed or faced continuing entrenched barriers and dealt with new challenges in the 30 years since the United Nations’ Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing.

The focus is specifically on how gender inequality and disability exclusion both compound and create unique concerns for women and girls with disabilities. As they are not homogenous, this paper takes an intersectional approach, identifying the impacts for women and girls with disabilities facing numerous forms of discrimination while having different and multiple types of disabilities. Stereotypes and social and cultural norms are discussed in relation to stigma and discrimination.

The paper also features the voices of diverse women leaders with diverse disabilities, with case studies from various low- and middle-income countries.

The paper was produced as part of the development of the global report on accelerating disability inclusion in a diverse and changing world as well as a set of accompanying documents prepared for the Global Disability Summit 2025. Funding was provided by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany through UNICEF.

The United Nations Inter-Agency Working Group on Gender and Disability Inclusion (UNWGGDI) collected case studies for the Beijing+30 review process, looking at lessons learned and good practices on gender, disability inclusion, and intersectionality. UN Women received a total 32 case studies from six UN entities (UN Women, UNEP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, and UNOPS) and two UN Country Teams represented by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Offices in India and Honduras.

In reflection of the 12 critical areas of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, violence against women and women in power and decision-making were equally the most addressed critical areas in the case studies, while the critical areas around women and the environment as well as the girl child were equally the least addressed.

This knowledge compendium aims to share reflections for UN entities, Member States, policymakers, and civil society organizations. It synthesizes best practices, innovative approaches, and collaborative efforts to enhance sustainable development and human rights for all. By ensuring that the rights and needs of women and girls with disabilities are adequately addressed, this document reinforces the commitment of the UN system and its stakeholders to a more equitable and inclusive future.

The list highlights key recent knowledge products developed by the UN System Coordination Division of UN Women to support the integration of gender considerations into strategic system-wide processes at global, regional, and country levels. It covers topics spanning from gender mainstreaming, UN-SWAP, UNCT-SWAP, Gender Equality Marker, UN Gender Theme Groups, to Disability Inclusion and Intersectionality.

UN Women is fully committed to mainstreaming disability inclusion and intersectionality throughout its work, as laid out in the UN Women Strategic Plan 2022–2025. The goal is to ensure a more systematic approach to ensuring the rights of women and girls with disabilities across UN Women’s areas of work.

Disability, gender, and discrimination are closely interlinked, with one in five women experiencing a disability-related exclusion. To address this, UN Women developed a corporate strategy for the empowerment of women and girls with disabilities built on a multi-pronged approach that includes providing normative guidance, integrated policy advice, operational support, and technical assistance for programme and capacity-development. The approach helps ensure that initiatives are both gender-responsive and inclusive of the rights of persons with disabilities.

This brief overviews UN Women’s approach to disability inclusion and intersectionality.

The UNCT-SWAP Scorecard is a standardized assessment of UN country-level gender mainstreaming practices and performance that is aimed at ensuring accountability of senior managers and improving UNCT performance. 

Are you planning an event and want to ensure it is accessible for all, including persons with disabilities but are unsure about the basic event accessibility guidelines? This document is for you!

Since 15 per cent of the world’s population experience one or another form of disability, ensuring physical and information accessibility is a prerequisite for their effective and meaningful participation in any public event. Everyone who arrives at your event should feel welcome and be able to participate and benefit from the event equally. This document provides guidelines on basic accessibility requirements to help you plan a more inclusive and accessible event.

This brief presents data on the legal barriers that women with disabilities face when accessing economic opportunities in 190 economies. The new data suggest that only one-quarter of economies worldwide explicitly protect and promote the rights of women with disabilities.
 

This brief seeks to explain the status of the implementation of the Gender Equality Marker (GEM) in the UN system (at the entity level, UN Country Team level, and in the inter-agency pooled funds level).

Ces normes et procédures visent à combler certaines lacunes tout en exploitant le potentiel existant, en clarifiant la manière dont les GTG doivent fonctionner dans le contexte des nouveaux cadres et processus, en abordant les difficultés et les opportunités actuelles d’une manière globalement cohérente, dans les contextes nationaux.

This document provides guidance to RCs, UNCTs, individual UN entities and UN staff, GTG chairs and members on standards related to the role, functions and working methods of GTGs.

OHCHR has a mandate to ensure the inclusion of the rights of persons with disabilities in the United Nations system. The webpage provides access to guidance on the human rights-based approach to disability, as well as reporting and activities mandated by the Human Rights Council, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, among others.

The website of the United Nations Programme on Disability/Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SCRPD)has information and resources related to mainstreaming disability and the rights of persons with disabilities in the development agenda, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);the yearly Conference of State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; the United Nations Inter-agency Support Group on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (IASG).

The objective of these Field-specific Enabling Environment Guidelines is to provide tailored guidance for personnel in the field, especially in mission settings, to help increase the representation of women and accelerate efforts to reach parity in the UN system

The Toolkit for UNCT-SWAP Scorecard Assessment and Action Plan Implementation offers a resource for UNCTs to advance GEWE throughout the UNSDCF cycle in line with the minimum standards established by the UNSDG in the UNCT-SWAP Scorecard.

Good practice on implementing UNCT Gender Marker and financial tracking in Kyrgyzstan

The ESCAP Disability Inclusion Policy is developed in line with the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS). The Policy sets out the vision of ESCAP to be a fully disability-inclusive organization.

Demonstrates, among other points, how the GTG in Vietnam supported the application of the UNCT GEM.

The technical notes provide guidance on the 15 performance indicators of the United Nations entity accountability framework and will guide entities to implement and report on the United Nations Disability Strategy (UNDIS).

The Accountability Framework provides guidance on 14 performance indicators to guide United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs) to implement and report on the United Nations Disability Strategy (UNDIS).

The United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS) provides the foundation for sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion through all pillars of the work of the United Nations: peace and security, human rights, and development.The website has information and resources related to UNDIS and its implementation, including guidance on disability inclusive communication, procurement, etc. as well as reports on the implementation of UNDIS.