The Gender Park, an autonomous body under the Kerala government, is all set to partner with United Nations (UN) Women to further the cause of women empowerment and function as a South Asia hub for gender equality. The Memorandum of Understanding to formalise the partnership will be signed in the presence of the state's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday.
Gender Park Chief Executive Officer (CEO), PTM Sunish and UN Women Deputy Country Representative, Nishtha Satyam will officially sign the MoU at Cliff House, the Chief Minister's official residence in Thiruvananthapuram on December 21.
State Minister for Health, Social Justice and Women and Child Development KK Shailaja will be present on the occasion along with Biju Prabhakar, Secretary, Social Justice and Women & Child Development.
Minister Shailaja said that the cooperation with UN Women will give a renewed push to the Gender Park's efforts by providing support for activities like research, education and social intervention towards establishing gender equality.
The world body's association marks global recognition of Kerala's decades-long efforts in the field of woman empowerment, she added.
Biju Prabhakar noted that the UN partnership will boost and broaden the novel activities of the state's Women and Child Development department through the 2013-founded Gender Park.
Headquartered in the state capital, it drives various projects and programmes on gender equality in the state including running a gender library, museum and training centres for sustainable entrepreneurial ventures.
The UN Women Multi-Country Office located in Delhi will support Gender Park to develop it into a South Asia hub for gender related activities.
The two parties will set up the Gender Data Centre at the Gender Park’s 24-acre Kozhikode campus that also houses an International Institute for Gender and Development, an official statement said.
The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women or UN Women, established in 2010, works with all strata of society to promote gender equality. Its Delhi chapter comprises India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and the Maldives. The organisation provides advocacy for budget and national planning with a view to empowering women.