WFP has had a strong programmatic focus on gender for
decades. In 2020 it provided additional resources for
disability inclusion in response to the United Nations
Disability Inclusion Strategy. In 2022, as a result of an
expanding focus on diversity, and with the approval of the
three-year Investing in People Critical Corporate
Initiative, WFP created a DEI Unit in the Workplace and
Management Department, with a team of two employees. This
team worked on expanding diversity dimensions beyond
gender, including disability inclusion, anti-racism and
LGBTIQ+ inclusion. The audit assessed the extent to which
WFP has established processes to promote diversity,
achieve equity and create an inclusive workplace culture
for its employees. It focused on work undertaken on four
dimensions of diversity – gender, disability inclusion,
anti-racism and LGBTIQ+ – because these were areas where
the DEI Unit had begun its work. The DEI Unit has the
overall responsibility for inclusion for all WFP employees
throughout the employee life cycle. The Gender, Protection
and Inclusion Unit within the Programme Policy and
Guidance Division is responsible for programmatic aspects
and coordinates disability inclusion and gender, adding to
the complexity of organizational arrangements to manage
DEI issues. Based on the results of the audit, the Office
of Internal Audit reached an overall conclusion of Major
improvement needed,