The International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW Spanish: Instituto Internacional para el Avance y la Capacitación de las Mujeres[1]) was a subsidiary of the United Nations General Assembly.

Since 1983 its main offices were located in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with a focus on the advancement of women through research and training.

[5] In Mexico City, participants decided that it was necessary to have research on issues relating to gender in order to make better policies regarding women throughout the world.

[3] On May 12, 1976, Resolution 1998 (LX) allowed the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to create INSTRAW.

[8] INSTRAW began working on research and training in January 1980 and was accountable to the president of a board of directors, Delphine Tsanga.

[17] Boutros Boutros-Ghali proposed the merger as a way to streamline the activities and improve efficiency in the organizations.

[17] Committees overseeing the proposed merger decided that both INSTRAW and UNIFEM would suffer and individuals at the Fourth World Conference on Women, 1995 supported the different mandates of each separate organization.

[18] Later, further evaluations of the organization also found that keeping INSTRAW independent was important, as it was the only part of the UN that was mandated to provide research and training for women.