Bangkok awarded Gold on Gender Equality – first city in Asia
Bangkok becomes the first city in Asia-Pacific to earn UNDP Gold certification for gender equality, scoring 94.8% in its final review
Bangkok, Thailand – 24 April 2026. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) was awarded a ‘Gold’ Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions today against a rigorous international certification standard that tests the government’s commitment to gender equality.
With this award, Bangkok becomes the first public institution in Asia and the Pacific to achieve ‘Gold’ certification under the Gender Equality Seal, a flagship global initiative designed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to advance gender equality and close the gender gaps that undermine development progress around the world. The programme is currently being implemented with over 100 institutions in 30 countries.
Governor of Bangkok, Chadchart Sittipunt, emphasized the city’s commitment to institutional change: “Achieving Gold in the UNDP Gender Equality Seal reflects Bangkok’s determination to be a city where systems work for everyone, and where services are responsive, inclusive, and grounded in equity. This is part of our commitment to move beyond policy and deliver real improvements to people’s lives across Bangkok.”
At the beginning of its Gender Seal journey in August 2023, Bangkok met only 8% of the UNDP Seal’s targets. Two years later, in its final evaluation, Bangkok scored an outstanding 94.8%, meeting 38 out of 40 Gender Seal indicators. By working to meet the Seal’s rigorous gender equality indicators – including how gender equality is integrated into budgets and policies, how the city addresses gender-based violence and promotes safety, and how it promotes equality within its own workplace – the Bangkok Metropolitan Area (BMA) shows that real progress on gender equality is possible.
UNDP Administrator, Alexander De Croo, added: “At a time when pressure and backlash against gender equality is growing, Bangkok’s Gold certification is a light in the dark. It is also a signal of our commitment as UNDP to keep making the case for equality – and, with tools like the Gender Seal - to continue to support the champions that want to lead the way.”
Through the Gender Seal journey, BMA has integrated gender considerations into over 200 municipal projects aligned with SDG 5, supported by open sex-disaggregated data to enable more responsive measures. These efforts have led to initiatives such as a free sanitary pad programmes and the BKK Light initiative, which installed over 30,000 LED streetlights based on real-time citizen data to improve urban safety. This is also reflected in the reduced gender wage gap, from 3.1% to 0.9%.
This commitment also includes a strong focus on LGBTQI+ communities. Across the city, 31 BKK Pride Clinics have been established, providing safe and inclusive public health services, particularly for LGBTQI+ individuals, and serving over 8,400 people.
The BMA is also leading gender equality by example. It provides 120-day maternity leave along with access to childcare centres, supporting a better balance between family life and professional growth, and is the first local public institution to allow staff to dress according to their gender identity. The BMA is also challenging glass ceilings and gender norms that limit women’s leadership, achieving near gender parity in leadership, with women making up 43% of the BMA workforce overall and 50% at the executive level.
UNDP Resident Representative in Thailand, Niamh Collier-Smith, underscored the significance of this milestone: “Bangkok has just set a new gender benchmark for cities globally, demonstrating that gender equality is central to how cities govern, deliver services, and build resilience. This is what inclusive, future-ready urban governance looks like in practice.”
Thailand made the headlines on equity and inclusion in January 2025, becoming the first country in South-East Asia to pass a Marriage Equality Act. Bangkok’s Gold UNDP Gender Seal now adds to its reputation as an inclusive destination and a model for others.
UNDP will continue to support the BMA on its gender journey, inspiring a growing community of cities committed to advancing gender equality.
Read more about the UNDP Gender Equality Seal for Development
