Oscar Garcia, IOE Director, participated at the UN Women and Innovation Norway’s Commemoration of the International Women’s Day for Strengthening Female Entrepreneurs towards 2030: How to secure financial inclusion and investment in women-owned business? This event  took place under the United Nations Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment on Thursday, 8 March 2018.

Mr Garcia delivered a presentation on the recently concluded Evaluation Synthesis on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment. The report analyzed what were the practices that have delivered transformative and thus relevant gender equality results? To what extent did they challenge existing social norms and the distribution of power and resources between men and women? The Independent Office of Evaluation of IFAD (IOE) conducted an evaluation synthesis to identify gender-transformative practices. It reviewed 57 evaluation reports and 121 practices in 20 different countries. The report identifies practices that have delivered gender equality and women's empowerment results. Particular emphasis was on those practices that are transformative and therefore relevant in the context of the Agenda 2030.

The dynamic programme included remarks from HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, UN Women’s Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Karin Finkelston, Vice President Partnerships, Communications and Outreach, International Finance Corporation, UN women Ambassadors: Rachel Roy, Wade Davis and Nina Ansary and several other notable speakers.