Mbabane – United Nations Development Programme staff in Eswatini attended a two day training session on Gender and Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics as part of efforts to strengthen internal capacity on Diversity, Equality and Inclusion.
The workshop took place on Thursday and Friday at The George Hotel in Mbabane. It was organised under the WeBelongAfrica Project with financial support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Sweden. The sessions were facilitated by TDR Consulting.
Participants included UNDP staff members, Young Key Populations Ambassadors representing the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer community, parents of LGBTQI plus children and officials from the Ministry of Health through the Eswatini National AIDS Programme Key Populations Unit. 
The training focused on deepening understanding of issues affecting sexual and gender minorities and equipping staff with knowledge to integrate diversity and inclusion principles into development programming.
UNDP Resident Representative Mr Henrik Franklin described the workshop as timely as the Country Office prepares to roll out its new Country Programme Document for Eswatini covering 2026 to 2030, alongside the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for the same period. Both frameworks are aligned with the Eswatini National Development Plan for 2024 to 2028.
“This training will help us carry out our development mandate by enabling us to make decisions that uphold our commitment to leaving no one behind,” said Franklin.
