I understanding about today's lecture Gender refers to the culturally and socially determined differences between men and women, the relationships between them, and their roles in the community at large. But in many societies, women are afforded a lower status than men, leading to a 'denial of rights' such as access to information, adequate nutrition, health services, education, finances, property, reproductive rights, family planning, etc to which they are entitled. Looking at governance structure - whether local or global - is useful as good governance policies (that has accessibility, accountability transparency and efficiency as its four pillars), also ensures that gender equality is built upon.

UNDP’s projects focus on the following objectives to achieve women’s political empowerment:

• Increase the number of women in public office
  
• Enhance women’s leadership by helping to reform electoral processes, change political parties, and strengthen parliaments, judiciaries and the civil service
  
• Strengthen women’s organisations ability to advocate and implement projects that promote women’s rights
  
• Promote judicial reform to ensure equal legal protection to poor women and men
  
• Ensure that essential public services like health and education benefit poor women, men, girls and boys equitably
  
• Promote the ratification, implementation, and reporting on women’s international and regional women’s instruments such as the CEDAW
  
• Reduce gender-based violence