IORA has collaborated with UN Women to strengthen research on women’s economic empowerment, and promote the Women’s Empowerment Principles in the region, supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The IORA-UN Women Promoting women’s economic empowerment in the Indian Ocean Rim project was implemented over a period of three years (2018-2021) with the support of the Australian Government and built on an earlier IORA-UN Women-IORA project supported by Australia, which produced a baseline study of women’s economic participation in 2015 and an interactive infographic in 2017. Over 2018-2021 the partnership involved research and capacity building:

Research Outcomes

The project supported substantive research to help fill the gaps concerning women’s economic empowerment in the region: 

• the study on ‘Women’s economic empowerment in fisheries in the blue economy of the Indian Ocean Rim: A baseline report’ is a detailed research report on the status of women’s participation in the fisheries sector, and was launched by Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women, Senator the Hon. Marise Payne, on 17 December 2020. 
• the study on “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Indian Ocean Rim: Progress and Challenges” and interactive infographic provides an update to the 2015 baseline report and explores key gender issues and gaps in the region, and key recommendations to translate women’s economic empowerment commitments in the region to reality. It was launched by Australia’s Senior Official to IORA, Dr Christian Hirst, and IORA Acting Secretary-General Dr Gatot H. Gunawan, on 16 June 2021. 
• the interactive infographic is an innovative and engaging platform, helping to make UN Women’s research findings more accessible and easier to understand for a wider audience in the region and globally