Crosscutting themes – gender and governance – are understood as an additional dimension to development operations with the aim of enhancing program effectiveness and relevance.
Gender equality

For the SDC, gender equality is a transversal theme, a theme cutting across all of the SDC’s development programmes where it is systematically fostered. Indeed, the reduction of discrimination based on gender is at once both a goal of development and a pre-condition for development to take place.

Gender equality is crucial for effectively reducing poverty and improving the economic prospects of partner countries. SECO strives to offer women and men equal opportunities for development.