to be strong practice across NHRIs of providing, and reporting on, activities that focus on gender, there was little evidence of the gender mainstreaming across the work of the NHRI as a whole. Seventeen NHRIs (68%) indicated that they are ‘reasonably able’ or ‘not able’ to progress gender equality and would welcome, or required, capacity development. Six NHRIs indicated that they were not (yet) providing internal gender-based capacity development. The remaining 19 NHRIs undertake internal capacity development as follows: • Online and face-to-face gender specific capacity development activities including support for staff and commissioners to attend external activities, including making gender capacity development activities mandatory. • Support for mainstreaming gender into all NHRI functions and technical areas • Affirmative action opportunities for women • Gender-specific capacity building included in action plans with related budget allocation. • Ensuring gender equality as part of induction and orientation of new staff and interns. • Integrating capacity development intersectionality, into development areas such as gender and climate justice, gender and indigenous rights, gender and human rights defenders. Gender equality in external work Indicators 5.1 A gender lens is used when planning, design and approval processes of external work. 5.2 Gender imbalances are addressed, and gender equality is promoted in the delivery of external work. 5.3 Specific initiatives aimed at promoting gender quality are developed and delivered. 5.4 Monitoring and evaluation processes across mandated functions include, and report on, the gender impact and contribution of initiatives. The document review found evidence of a gender lens being used in the planning, design and approval processes of external work by five (21%) NHRIs. This was reinforced from discussions with interviewees. For these two GBA methods this indicator was rated as the second least achieved. Given that, of survey respondents, while one NHRI indicated that a gender lens is not applied to external work, 76% (19) said that a gender lens is considered most, or all, of the time. Gender equality in external work was the highest rated GBA area. Most NHRIs develop and deliver specific initiatives aimed at promoting gender quality (gender specialisation) and most focus on addressing gender imbalances and promoting gender equality in the delivery of external work. Twenty (80%) survey respondents indicated that they provide specific initiatives aimed at progressing gender equality. Some evidence of gender equality in external work, however, was Gender Baseline Assessment of NHRIs in the Asia Pacific region – July 2024 11