This poses a challenge for some NHRIs. Nevertheless, while not proactively progressing the rights of gender diverse people, NHRIs continue to receive and address LGBTIQ+ related human rights concerns. The GBA has demonstrated that NHRIs are strong in the provision of external specialised activities focused on gender equality. Activities they report cover the full range of NHRI functions and, in many cases, are prioritised and planned according to the specific gender-based issues of the NHRI’s country. Survey respondents were asked to identify one aspect where their NHRI was doing well to progress gender equality. The most prevalent activities were externally facing capacity building gender-based programmes, ensuring equitable participation of women, preventing gender-based discrimination and human rights violations, reporting gender-based issues and making recommendations in national and international forums, and having a gender focal point/divisions within their NHRI. Actions identified by NHRIs to improve their efforts to progress gender equality included: • assigning responsibility to a person/unit which has a senior mandate and is supported by adequate resourcing (including budget), • undertaking a review/audit of their NHRI and developing and delivering a subsequent action plan, • • providing capacity development, making it mandatory and part of staff performance, incorporating gender into all corporate documents and priorities, • mainstreaming a gender perspective across all functions and operations, and • ensuring an organisation-wide approach toward the integration of gender diverse workers. Findings per GBA area By triangulating quantitative and qualitative data across the three methods used for the assessment, the five areas are rated in descending order – with the first being the strongest performance from NHRIs: 1. Structure and decision-making 2. Gender equality in external work 3. Human resource management, policies and procedures 4. Internal gender expertise, capacity 5. Organisation culture and practice An overview of each area is discussed below. Detailed findings are available in Sections 4 – 6. 1. Structure and decision-making Gender Baseline Assessment of NHRIs in the Asia Pacific region – July 2024 7