E/CN.6/2021/L.3

United Nations

Economic and Social Council

Distr.: Limited
30 March 2021
Original: English

Commission on the Status of Women
Sixty-fifth session
15–26 March 2021
Agenda item 3 (a) (i)Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to
the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly,
entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development andpeace for the twenty-first century”: implementation ofstrategic objectives and action in critical areas of concern andfurther actions and initiatives: priority theme: women’s fulland effective participation and decision-making in public life,
as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving genderequality and the empowerment of all women and girls

Women’s full and effective participation and decision-making
in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, forachieving gender equality and the empowerment of all
women and girls
Agreed conclusions
1.
The Commission on the Status of Women reaffirms the Beijing Declaration andPlatform for Action, 1 the outcome documents of the twenty-third special session of
the General Assembly 2 and the declarations adopted by the Commission on theoccasion of the tenth, fifteenth, twentieth and twenty-fifth anniversaries of the FourthWorld Conference on Women. 3
2.
The Commission reiterates that the Convention on the Elimination of All Formsof Discrimination against Women 4 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, 5__________________

Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4 –15 September 1995 (United
Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution I, annexes I and II.
2
General Assembly resolution S-23/2, annex, and resolution S-23/3, annex.
3
See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2005, Supplement No. 7 andcorrigendum (E/2005/27 and E/2005/27/Corr.1), chap. I, sect. A; ibid., 2010, Supplement No. 7
and corrigendum (E/2010/27 and E/2010/27/Corr.1), chap. I, sect. A; ibid., 2015, Supplement No. 7(E/2015/27), chap. I, sect. C, resolution 59/1; and ibid., 2020, Supplement No. 7 (E/2020/27),
chap. I, sect. A.
4
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1249, No. 20378.
5
Ibid., vol. 1577, No. 27531.
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and the Optional Protocols thereto, 6 as well as other relevant conventions and treaties,
such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 7 theInternational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 8 the Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities 9 and the International Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Racial Discrimination 10 provide an international legal framework and acomprehensive set of measures for realizing gender equality and the empowerment of
all women and girls and the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights andfundamental freedoms by all women and girls, throughout their life course.
3.
The Commission reaffirms that the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
and the outcome documents of its reviews, and the outcomes of relevant major United
Nations conferences and summits and the follow-up to those conferences andsummits, have laid a solid foundation for sustainable development and that the full,
effective and accelerated implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for
Action will make a crucial contribution to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development 11 and to achieving gender equality and the empowermentof all women and girls.
4.
The Commission recalls the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on thetwenty-fifth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in New
York on 1 October 2020, which demonstrated commitment to the full and accelerated
implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome
documents of its reviews.
5.
The Commission reaffirms the commitments to gender equality and theempowerment of all women and girls made at relevant United Nations summits andconferences, including the International Conference on Population and Development
and its Programme of Action 12 and the outcome documents of its reviews. It
recognizes that the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway, 13 theSendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, 14 the Addis Ababa Action
Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, 15 the
New Urban Agenda 16 and the World Summit for Social Development contribute, interalia, to women’s full and effective participation and decision-making in public life
and the elimination of violence. The Commission also reaffirms the Paris
Agreement, 17 adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change. 18
6.
The Commission recognizes the importance of relevant International Labour
Organization standards related to the realization of women’s right to work and rights
at work which are critical for women’s full and effective participation and decisionmaking in public life and the elimination of violence, and recalls the decent work
agenda of the International Labour Organization and the International Labour__________________

Ibid., vol. 2131, No. 20378; and vols. 2171 and 2173, No. 27531; and resolution 66/138, annex.
See General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
8
Ibid.
9
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2515, No. 44910.
10
Ibid., vol. 660, No. 9464.
11
General Assembly resolution 70/1.
12
Report of the International Conference on Population and Developme nt, Cairo, 5–13 September
1994 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.95.XIII.18), chap. I, resolution 1, annex.
13
General Assembly resolution 69/15, annex.
14
General Assembly resolution 69/283, annex II.
15
General Assembly resolution 69/313, annex.
16
General Assembly resolution 71/256, annex.
17
See FCCC/CP/2015/10/Add.1, decision 1/CP.21, annex.
18
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1771, No. 30822.
6
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Organization Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and notes
the importance of their effective implementation.
7.
The Commission recalls the Declaration on the Right to Development 19 and the
New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants. 20
8.
The Commission also recalls that 2020 marked the twentieth anniversary of theestablishment of the women and peace and security agenda, and reaffirms that thefull, equal and meaningful participation of women in all stages of peace processes is
one of the essential factors for the maintenance and promotion of international peaceand security.
9.
The Commission emphasizes the mutually reinforcing relationship among
achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, and the full,
effective and accelerated implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for
Action and the gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. It acknowledges that gender equality and the empowerment of womenand girls and women’s full, equal, effective and meaningful participation anddecision-making in public life as well as the elimination of violence are essential forachieving sustainable development, promoting peaceful, just and inclusive societies,
enhancing sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and productivity,
ending poverty in all its forms and dimensions everywhere and ensuring the well being of all. It recognizes that women and girls play a vital role as agents forsustainable development.
10. The Commission acknowledges the important role played by regional
conventions, instruments and initiatives in their respective regions and countries, andtheir follow-up mechanisms, in the achievement of gender equality and theempowerment of all women and girls, including through women’s full and effective
participation and decision-making in public life and the elimination of violence.
11. The Commission reaffirms that the promotion and protection of, and respect for,the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all women and girls, including theright to development, which are universal, indivisible, interdependent andinterrelated, are crucial for the full and equal participation of women and girls insociety and for women’s economic empowerment and should be mainstreamed into
all policies and programmes, including those aimed at the eradication of poverty andthe reduction of social exclusion. It also reaffirms the need to take measures to ensurethat every person is entitled to participate in, contribute to and enjoy economic, social,
cultural and political development, and that equal attention and urgent consideration
should be given to the promotion, protection and full realization of civil, political,
economic, social and cultural rights.
12. The Commission reiterates that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
needs to be implemented in a comprehensive manner, reflecting its universal,
integrated and indivisible nature, taking into account different national realities,
capacities and levels of development and respecting each country’s policy space andleadership while remaining consistent with relevant international rules andcommitments, including by developing cohesive sustainable development strategies
to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The
Commission affirms that Governments have the primary responsibility for the followup to and review of the 2030 Agenda at the national, regional and global levels withregard to progress made.

__________________
1920

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General Assembly resolution 41/128.
General Assembly resolution 71/1.
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13. The Commission remains deeply concerned that all women and girls, especiallyin developing countries, including small island developing States, and particularly
those in vulnerable situations, are often disproportionately affected by the adverse
impacts of climate change, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, extreme
weather events and natural disasters and other environmental issues, such as landdegradation, desertification, deforestation, sand and dust storms, persistent drought,
floods, sea level rise, coastal erosion and ocean acidification, including
disproportionate exposure to risk and increased loss of life and livelihoods, andreiterates its deep concern over the challenges posed by climate change to theachievement of sustainable development and poverty eradication. It recalls that theparties to the Paris Agreement acknowledged that they should, when taking action toaddress climate change, respect, promote and consider gender equality, theempowerment of women and girls and intergenerational equity and, in this context,
also recalls the adoption of the second gender action plan by the Conference of theParties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at its
twenty-fifth session. 21
14. The Commission reaffirms the need to promote women’s full and effective
participation and leadership in decision-making on the mitigation of and adaptation
to climate change, recognizing women’s and girls’ important role as agents of change,
as well as to mainstream a gender perspective in the design, management, resourcing
and implementation of climate change, environmental, disaster risk reduction andbiodiversity policies, plans and programmes, ensuring that they are disability inclusive, and to strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacities of women and girls
to respond to and recover from the adverse impacts of climate change, environmental
degradation, biodiversity loss, extreme weather events and natural disasters and otherenvironmental issues. It acknowledges the necessity, for the full benefit of every
person, including women and girls, of present and future generations having accessto an environment adequate to their health and well-being, and the critical importanceof ensuring such access for the empowerment of women and girls, sustainable
development and the resilience of communities.
15. The Commission recognizes that gender inequality continues to be reflected in
imbalances of power between women and men in all spheres of society and that, while
there has been progress in the number of women elected or appointed to decision making bodies, administrative posts and other public bodies and commissions, andtemporary special measures, including quotas, have substantially contributed toincreasing women’s representation in national and local legislatures, progress towards
gender balance is not sufficient. It also recognizes the need to significantly accelerate
the pace of progress towards ensuring women’s full, equal and meaningful
participation and leadership at all levels of decision-making in executive, legislativeand judicial branches of government and the public sector.
16. The Commission also recognizes the need to implement international, regionaland national commitments and obligations aimed at achieving gender equality,
including through temporary special measures, as appropriate, and create an enabling
environment to promote women’s full and effective participation and decision making in public life and strengthen the voice, agency and leadership of women andgirls.
17. The Commission emphasizes that all people have the right to take part in thegovernment of their country, directly or through freely chosen representatives, andthat women have the right to vote in all elections and public refere ndums and standfor election to all publicly elected bodies.
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See FCCC/CP/2019/13/Add.1, decision 3/CP.25.
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18. The Commission also emphasizes that the full and equal representation of
women and men at all levels of decision-making in executive, legislative and judicial
branches of government and the public sector and in all spheres of life is needed topromote peaceful, just, inclusive and sustainable societies. It notes that women’s
participation and leadership are needed in the formulation and implementation of
government policies and regulations in order to reflect women’s and girls’ specificneeds. It recognizes that temporary special measures and increased political will areneeded to accelerate the pace towards achieving gender balance at all levels ofgovernment.
19. The Commission underlines that it is necessary to address gender inequality as
well as discrimination and that, when women are not included in decision-making,policy outcomes are likely to be ineffective, or harmful, and may lead to the violationof the human rights of women and girls. It further recognizes that not all women andgirls enjoy full and equal representation and participation, and expresses concern thatthey may be discriminated against on the basis of race, colour, sex, age, language,
religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, disability
or other status.
20. The Commission acknowledges that women’s full and effective participationand decision-making in public life as well as leadership can help to support theirempowerment in other sectors, including the arts, culture, sports, the media,
education, religion, the private sector and finance. It further recognizes that sports
and the arts in particular have the power to change perceptions, prejudices andbehaviours and challenge social norms perpetrating gender inequality anddiscrimination against women and girls, break down racial and political barriers andare important enablers of sustainable development and the achievement of genderequality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
21. The Commission recognizes the need to enhance women’s full, equal andmeaningful participation in advisory and decision-making bodies of political parties
and, as appropriate, civil society organizations. It also recognizes that the private
sector, through gender-sensitive policies and programmes to support women’s
participation and leadership, can contribute to the promotion and protection of humanrights and fundamental freedoms.
22. The Commission recognizes that young women are particularly underrepresented
in public life and disproportionately excluded from consultations on issues that affectthem, despite being involved in activities that call for broader change and address,
inter alia, structural inequalities, climate change and poverty. It a lso recognizes thatearly exposure to women leaders as role models, as well as to legislative andpolicymaking spaces, motivates young women and girls, broadens networks andstrengthens their opportunities to become fully engaged citizens. It further recognizes
that measures are needed to enable young women and girls to successfully grow into
leadership positions in public and private spheres by ensuring their full and equal
access to education, technology and skills development, leadership and mentorshipprogrammes, increased technical and financial support, and protection from violenceand discrimination.
23. The Commission strongly condemns all forms of violence against women andgirls, which is rooted in historical and structural inequalities and unequal power
relations between men and women. It reiterates that violence against women and girls
in all its forms and manifestations, in public and private spheres, including sexual andgender-based violence, such as sexual harassment, domestic violence, gender-related
killings, including femicide, and harmful practices, such as child, early and forced
marriage and female genital mutilation, are pervasive, underrecognized andunderreported, particularly at the community level. It expresses deep conce rn that
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women and girls may be particularly vulnerable to violence because ofmultidimensional poverty and limited or lack of access to justice, effective legal
remedies and services, including protection, rehabilitation, reintegration, and tohealth-care services. It re-emphasizes that violence against women and girls is a major
impediment to the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of womenand girls and that it violates and impairs or nullifies their full enjoyment of all humanrights and fundamental freedoms.
24. The Commission emphasizes that the promotion of full and equal participationand leadership of women in public life and the elimination of all forms of violenceagainst women and girls are interconnected. It expresses concern that violence against
women politicians, voters, candidates, election administrators, judges and membersof local, grass-roots and women’s organizations in public life is common. It
recognizes that all forms of violence and discrimination, including in digital contexts,
prevent women from exercising their equal right to participate in all spheres of public
life, and emphasizes that their participation is essential to improving the work of
public institutions and strengthening policy outcomes.
25. The Commission stresses the importance of investing in women’s and girls’
development and of strengthening their participation in order to break the cycle ofgender inequality, discrimination, violence and poverty and to realize sustainable
development, peace and human rights. It recognizes that accelerated efforts are
required to develop, review and strengthen policies and allocate adequate financial
and human resources, in order to address the structural and underlying causes of all
forms of violence.
26. The Commission recognizes that sexual harassment impedes the achievement ofgender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, as well as women’s
participation and decision-making in public life. It stresses that sexual harassment inprivate and public spaces, including in educational institutions and the workplace, as
well as in digital contexts, leads to a hostile environment.
27. The Commission also recognizes that the growing impact of violence against
women and girls in digital contexts, especially on social media, and the lack ofpreventive measures and remedies underline the need for action by Member States inpartnership with other stakeholders. It recalls that emerging forms of violence, suchas cyberstalking, cyberbullying and privacy violations, are affecting a highpercentage of women and girls and compromising, inter alia, their health, emotional
and psychological well-being and safety.
28. The Commission acknowledges the need to address the effects of armed conflictand post-conflict situations on women and girls, including victims and survivors of
sexual violence.
29. The Commission expresses its concern that certain aspects of mobility andtransportation, including inaccessible platforms, overcrowded carriages and poorly lit
stops, can create barriers for women and girls and can expose them to violence,
including attacks, harassment and other threats to their safety, limiting their ability tomove freely and safely in the public sphere.
30. The Commission acknowledges the importance of combating trafficking inpersons in order to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women andgirls, and in this regard stresses the importance of the full and effective
implementation of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in
Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations

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Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, 22 as well as of the United Nations
Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons. 23
31. The Commission expresses concern that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
pandemic is having a disproportionate impact on women and girls and is deepening
pre-existing inequalities that perpetuate multiple and intersecting forms of
discrimination, as well as racism, stigmatization and xenophobia, and that it has
further exacerbated vulnerabilities in their social and economic situations, including
their access to essential health-care services and access to education, especially ofgirls who have been particularly at risk of dropping out of and not returning toschools, as well as their safety, well-being and livelihood. It further expresses deep
concern over the increased demand for unpaid care and domestic work and thereported surge of all forms of violence, including sexual and gender-based violence,
during confinement, as well as harmful practices, such as, child, early and forced
marriage and female genital mutilation. It further expresses deep concern that these
disproportionate impacts compound existing obstacles to women’s full and effective
participation and decision-making in public life.
32. The Commission emphasizes the critical role that women have played andcontinue to play in COVID-19 pandemic response efforts as well as in economic
recovery and growth. It recalls that women are the vast majority of front -line healthand social workers and that they are significantly engaged in the delivery of essential
and public services, recognizes the need to ensure their access to decent work, justand favourable work conditions, including living wages, equal pay for work of equalvalue and universal access to social protection supported by national strategies,
policies, action plans and adequate resources, and further emphasizes that it isnecessary to strengthen the full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership ofwomen, including women with disabilities, in all stages of COVID-19 response andrecovery. The Commission recognizes that the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic
requires a global response based on solidarity and renewed multilateral cooperationand sustainable and inclusive recovery strategies to reduce risks of future shocks andthat all national responses are implemented with full respect for human rights. It
expresses deep concern that, despite international agreements, initiatives and generaldeclarations, there is an uneven distribution of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide.
33. The Commission recognizes that progress in achieving gender equality and theempowerment of all women and girls, and the full enjoyment of their human rights,
has been held back owing to the persistence of historical and structural unequal power
relations between women and men, poverty, inequalities and disadvantages in accessto, ownership of and control over resources, growing gaps in equality of opportunityand limited access to social protection systems and public services, including
universal health-care services and education, gender-based violence, discriminatory
laws and policies, negative social norms and gender stereotypes and the unequal
sharing of unpaid care and domestic work. It stresses the urgency of eliminating thosestructural barriers in order to realize gender equality and the empowerment of all
women and girls, which translate into their full and effective participation anddecision-making in public life.
34. The Commission expresses concern that persisting structural barriers arecompounding existing obstacles to women’s full and effective participation anddecision-making in public life and the elimination of violence. It notes that the current
pace of progress is too slow and that expediting progress is crucial to achieving the
Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
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United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2237, No. 39574.
General Assembly resolution 64/293.
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35. The Commission acknowledges that multiple and intersecting forms of
discrimination and marginalization are obstacles to women’s full and effective
participation and decision-making in public life as well as to the elimination ofviolence. It respects and values the diversity of situations and conditions of womenand girls and recognizes that some women face particular barriers to theirempowerment. It also stresses that, while all women and girls have the same humanrights, women and girls in different contexts have particular needs and priorities,
requiring appropriate responses.
36. The Commission recognizes the right of women and girls with disabilities tofull, meaningful and effective participation and inclusion in society, and that womenand girls with disabilities should have the opportunity to be actively involved in all
aspects of public, political, economic, cultural, social and family life, on an equalbasis with all others.
37. The Commission also recognizes that indigenous women and girls, regardlessof age, often face violence and higher rates of poverty, limited access to health -careservices, information and communications technology, infrastructure, financial
services, education and employment for women, as well as discrimination andexclusion of women from public life and decision-making, including in relation tocommunal and traditional indigenous lands and use of their natural resources, while
also recognizing their cultural, social, economic, political and environmental
contributions, including their contributions to climate change mitigation andadaptation.
38. The Commission further recognizes the important role and contribution of rural
women in the eradication of poverty and in enhancing sustainable agricultural andrural development, as well as sustainable fisheries. It highlights the importance ofensuring that the perspectives of all rural women and girls are taken into account andthat women, and girls as appropriate, fully and equally participate in the design,
implementation, follow-up and evaluation of policies and activities that affect theirlivelihoods, well-being and resilience.
39. The Commission recognizes the positive contribution of migrant women andgirls and their potential to foster inclusive growth and sustainable development intheir countries of origin, transit and destination; underlines the value and dignity of
migrant women’s labour, in all sectors, including in care and domestic work;
encourages appropriate steps to ensure their full, equal and meaningful part icipationin the development of local solutions and opportunities, as well as efforts to improve
public perceptions of migrants and migration and to address the special situation andvulnerability of migrant women and girls, particularly migrant women empl oyed in
the informal economy and in less skilled work, to abuse and exploitation, underlining
in this regard the obligation of States to protect, respect and fulfil the human rights
of all migrants.
40. The Commission also recognizes that women’s full and effective participationin public life depends on enabling factors such as economic independence and fulland equal access to quality education, training, decent work and equal pay for workof equal value, universal health coverage, prioritizing the availa bility, accessibility
and acceptability of health services, social protection, including for those innon-standard or informal employment and self-employment, sustainableinfrastructure and public services, affordable and quality care services, as well as the
reduction, recognition and redistribution of unpaid care and domestic work. It further
recognizes the need to promote social inclusion in domestic policies and to promoteand enforce non-discriminatory laws.
41. The Commission further recognizes the potential benefits of new forms of
information and communications technology and artificial intelligence that enable the
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participation of women and girls in public life, while more attention needs to be paid
to the impacts of such technology on all women and girls. It also recognizes that
digital platforms can become public spaces in which new strategies to influence
policy and politics are forged and where women and girls can exercise their right toparticipate fully and effectively in public life. It notes that new technologicaldevelopments can also perpetuate existing patterns of inequality and discrimination,
including in the algorithms used in artificial intelligence-based solutions. It also notes
the importance of promoting equal access to information and communications
technology and to the Internet for all women and girls, increasing women’s access todigital technologies to enhance their productivity and mobility in the labour market,
working towards closing digital divides, including the gender digital divide, ensuringthat programmes, services and infrastructure are adaptable and suited to tackle
different technological barriers, including literacy, and targeting science, technology
and innovation strategies to reduce inequalities and promote the empowerment of all
women and girls and women’s full and effective participation in public life.
42. The Commission reaffirms the right to education for all women and girls, andstresses that equal access to inclusive, equitable and high-quality education
significantly contributes to the achievement of gender equality and the empowermentof all women and girls by providing them with opportunities, knowledge, capacity,
aptitudes, skills, ethical values and understanding to enable women’s full andeffective participation in public life. It recognizes that, despite gains in providing
access to education, girls are still more likely than boys to remain excluded fromeducation and that gender-specific barriers to girls’ equal enjoyment of their right toeducation include the feminization of poverty, child labour undertaken by girls, child,early and forced marriage, female genital mutilation, early and repeated pregnancies,
all forms of gender-based violence, including sexual violence and harassment on theway to and from and at school, and bullying and cyberbullying in their technologymediated environment, the lack of safe and adequate sanitation facilities, including
for menstrual hygiene management, the disproportionate share of unpaid care anddomestic work performed by girls, and gender stereotypes and negative social norms
that lead families and communities to place less value on the education of girls thanthat of boys, which may influence the parents’ decision on allowing girls to attend
school.
43. The Commission remains deeply concerned by the persistence of high female
illiteracy rates and gender-stereotyped roles of women and men, which inhibit
women’s equal participation in employment, leading to occupational segregation,
including the widespread underrepresentation of women and girls in many fields ofscience and technology, which represents a loss of talent and perspectives, hinders
economic development and women’s economic empowerment and can contribute to
the gender pay gap.
44. The Commission underlines the importance of leveraging education, including
digital competencies, science, technology, engineering and mathematics andinformation and communications technologies, bolstering key dimensions such as
creativity, entrepreneurship, critical thinking and soft skills, strengthening adequate
access to education, training and skill development opportunities for women and girls
and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.
45. The Commission reaffirms the right of every human being to the enjoyment of
the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, without distinction of
any kind, and recognizes that its full realization is vital for women’s and girls’ lives
and well-being and for their ability to participate in public and private life, and that
it is crucial for achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. It
recognizes that targeting and eliminating the root causes of gender inequality,

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discrimination, stigma and violence in health-care services, including the unequal andlimited access to public health services, is important for all women and girls.
46. The Commission recognizes that women and girls undertake a disproportionate
share of unpaid care and domestic work and that such uneven distribution of
responsibilities limits women’s ability to participate in decision-making processes
and occupy leadership positions, and poses significant constraints on women’s andgirls’ completion of, or progress in, education and training, on women’s entry andre-entry and advancement in the paid labour market and on their economic
opportunities and entrepreneurial activities. It stresses the need to recognize and adopt
measures to reduce, redistribute and value the disproportionate share of unpaid careand domestic work by promoting the equal sharing of responsibilities between womenand men within the household and by prioritizing, inter alia, sustainableinfrastructure, social protection policies and accessible, affordable and quality social
services, including care services, childcare and maternity, paternity or parental leave.
47. The Commission also recognizes that the sharing of family responsibilities
creates an enabling family environment for women’s economic empowerment in thechanging world of work, which contributes to development, that women and men
make a significant contribution to the welfare of their family, and that, in particular,
women’s contribution to the home, including unpaid care and domestic work, whichis still not adequately recognized, generates human and social capital that is essential
for social and economic development.
48. The Commission acknowledges the benefit of implementing family-oriented
policies aimed at, inter alia, achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all
women and girls, the full participation and decision-making of women in public life,
work-family balance and the self-sufficiency of the family unit, and recognizes theneed to ensure that all social and economic development policies are responsive tothe changing needs and expectations of families in fulfilling their numerous functions
and that the rights, capabilities and responsibilities of all family members arerespected.
49. The Commission notes that universal access to social protection plays a central
role in reducing inequality, eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions andpromoting opportunities for women’s full and effective participation and decision making in public life as well as the elimination of violence. It reiterates that everyone
has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being ofthemselves and their families, including food, clothing, housing and medical care andnecessary social services, and that motherhood and childhood are entitled to special
care and assistance. The Commission, however, is concerned that gaps in coverageremain, especially for women and girls. It recognizes that social protection systems
can make a critical contribution to the fulfilment of human rights for all, in particular
for those who are trapped in poverty and those who are marginalized or in vulnerable
situations and subject to discrimination.
50. The Commission also notes the vital importance of birth registration for therealization of all human rights, including the right to social security, as well as accessto social protection systems, and for participation and decision-making in public life,and expresses concern at the low levels of birth registration among some indigenous
women and girls, women and girls with disabilities, migrant women and girls, womenand girls in rural areas, and women belonging to national or ethnic, religious andlinguistic minorities. It expresses further concern that all persons without birth
registration and citizenship documents may be more vulnerable to marginalization,
exclusion, discrimination, violence, statelessness, exploitation and abuse.
51. The Commission expresses concern that the feminization of poverty persists,and emphasizes that the eradication of poverty in all its forms and dimensions,
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including extreme poverty, is indispensable for women’s economic empowerment,
their full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, theelimination of violence and the achievement of sustainable development. It further
acknowledges the mutually reinforcing links between the achievement of genderequality and the empowerment of all women and girls and the eradication of poverty,
and the need to ensure an adequate standard of living for women and girls throughout
the life course and the importance of supporting countries in their efforts to eradicate
poverty in all its forms and dimensions.
52. The Commission expresses its concern about the continuing significant gender
gaps in labour force participation and leadership, wages, income, pensions and social
protection, and access to and control over financial, economic and productive
resources, as well as occupational segregation, the undervaluation of female dominated industries, unequal working conditions, the limited opportunities forcareer advancement and the overrepresentation of women in informal andnon-standard forms of employment. It also expresses deep concern that women’s
educational gains have yet to translate into equal access to full employment anddecent work, with consequent long-term adverse effects on the development of any
society, and that the persistence of high female illiteracy rates and gender stereotypes
inhibits women’s equal participation in employment.
53. The Commission stresses the need to promote women’s full participation in theformal economy, in particular in economic decision-making, and their equal access tofull and productive employment, decent work and social protection, ensuring thatwomen and men enjoy equal treatment in the workplace, as well as equal pay f orequal work or work of equal value, and access to power and decision-making. It
reaffirms the importance of investing in women in all sectors in the economy,
including by supporting women-led businesses and facilitating the access of women
to finance, training, technology, markets, sustainable and affordable energy andtransport and trade.
54. The Commission reaffirms the importance of significantly increasing
investments to close resource gaps for achieving gender equality and theempowerment of all women and girls through, inter alia, the mobilization of adequate
financial resources from all sources, including domestic and international resource
mobilization and allocation, the full implementation of official development
assistance commitments and combating illicit financial flows, so as to build on
progress achieved and strengthen international cooperation, including North -South,
South-South and triangular cooperation, bearing in mind that South-South cooperation
is not a substitute for, but rather a complement to, North-South cooperation.
55. The Commission recognizes the importance of a conducive external
environment in support of national efforts towards the empowerment of women,
through promoting the control, ownership, management and participation of womenin all sectors and levels, which includes the mobilization of adequate financial
resources, capacity-building and the transfer of technology on mutually agreed terms,
which in turn would enhance the use of enabling technologies to promote women’s
entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
56. The Commission also recognizes the special needs of all women and girls livingin areas affected by humanitarian emergencies and in areas affected by terrorism, andrecognizes that global health threats, the adverse impacts of climate change, more
frequent and intense natural disasters, armed conflicts, violent extremism as and when
conducive to terrorism, and related humanitarian emergencies and the forced
displacement of people threaten to reverse much of the development progress madein recent decades and have particular negative impacts on women and girls, especiallyin developing countries, that need to be duly assessed and addressed. It is deeply
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concerned that women and girls living in these areas face particular barriers in gaining
access to water and sanitation, as well as menstrual hygiene management, and thatthey shoulder the main burden of collecting household water and of care
responsibilities, including those arising from waterborne diseases, in many parts of
the world.
57. The Commission further recognizes the important role of women in theprevention and resolution of armed conflicts and in peacebuilding and, in this regard,
stresses the importance of the full, effective and meaningful participation of women,
including by increasing their role in peace processes, as well as in decision-making
in efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security, and reiterates theimportance of engaging men and boys as partners in promoting such participation.
58. The Commission welcomes the major contributions made by civil society,including women’s and community-based organizations, feminist groups, women
human rights defenders, girls’ and youth-led organizations and trade unions, inplacing the interests, needs and visions of women and girls on local, national, regional
and international agendas, including the 2030 Agenda. It recognizes the importanceof having an open, inclusive and transparent engagement with civil society in theimplementation of measures to achieve gender equality and the em powerment of
women and girls.
59. The Commission recognizes that negative social norms and gender stereotypes
can be reinforced by the media, advertising and film industries, and stresses theimportant role the media can play, while ensuring the full, equa l and meaningful
participation of women in media, in the achievement of gender equality and theempowerment of all women and girls, including through non-discriminatory andgender-sensitive coverage.
60. The Commission also recognizes the importance of the full engagement of men
and boys as agents and beneficiaries of change, and as strategic partners and allies in
the promotion of women’s full and effective participation and decision-making inpublic life as well as the elimination of violence and in the achievement of genderequality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
61. The Commission urges governments at all levels and as appropriate, with therelevant entities of the United Nations system and international and regionalorganizations, within their respective mandates and bearing in mind national
priorities, and invites civil society, inter alia, women’s organizations, youth-led
organizations, feminist groups, faith-based organizations, the private sector and,national human rights institutions, where they exist, and other relevant stakeholders,
as applicable, to take the following actions:
Strengthen normative, legal and regulatory frameworks(a) Take action to fully implement existing commitments and obligations withrespect to the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all womenand girls, and the full and equal enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental
freedoms without discrimination of any kind, so as to improve progress towards
women’s full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as wellas the elimination of violence;(b) Consider ratifying or acceding to, as a matter of particular priority, theConvention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and
the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Optional Protocols thereto, limit
the extent of any reservations, formulate any such reservations as precisely and as
narrowly as possible to ensure that no reservations are incompatible with the object
and purpose of the Conventions, review their reservations regularly with a view to
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withdrawing them, withdraw reservations that are contrary to the object and purposeof the relevant Convention and implement the Conventions fully by, inter alia, putting
in place effective national legislation and policies;(c) Consider ratifying and, for those that have done so, implementing thefundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization, and note theimportance of other relevant international labour standards, nam ely the Social
Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102), 24 the Social Protection
Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202), and the Transition from the Informal to theFormal Economy Recommendation, 2015 (No. 204), of the International Labour
Organization, as well as the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), 25 on
decent work for domestic workers, and other relevant standards of the International
Labour Organization;(d) Refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic,
financial or trade measures not in accordance with international law and the Charterof the United Nations that impede the full achievement of economic and social
development, particularly in developing countries;(e) Take measures to achieve women’s equal and meaningful participation andequal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political,
economic, social and cultural life and remove all structural barriers, int er alia, legal,
institutional, economic, social or cultural, that prevent the participation of women andgirls;(f) Review and reform laws and policies that discriminate against women andgirls and hinder women’s equal participation in all aspects of publ ic life, andimplement targeted measures to address, inter alia, all forms of discrimination as well
as violence against women and girls, ensuring women’s and girls’ access to justice
and accountability for violations of their human rights;(g) Enact or strengthen and enforce laws and regulatory frameworks that
ensure equality and eliminate discrimination against women and girls, inter alia, laws
and frameworks that prohibit discrimination based on pregnancy, motherhood, marital
status or age as well as other forms of discrimination;(h) Protect and promote the rights to freedom of association, peacefulassembly and collective bargaining so as to, inter alia, enable all women workers toorganize, join and participate at all levels in unions, workers’ and employers’organizations, cooperatives and business associations, while recognizing that thoselegal entities are created, modified and dissolved in accordance with national law andtaking into account each State’s international legal obligations;(i) Protect and promote the right to freedom of opinion and expression andwomen’s equal rights to engage in political activities, and public life as a whole, toensure women of all ages, without discrimination of any kind, fully, equally andmeaningfully participate at all levels of decision-making and in all sectors, including
through political parties and civil society, and women’s and youth-led organizations,
free from violence and harassment, including bullying or threats;(j) Set specific targets and timelines to achieve gender balance in executive,
legislative and judicial branches of government at all levels and in all areas, including
in commissions, specialized committees and task forces, and achieve these throughrelevant measures, such as affirmative actions, appropriate temporary special__________________
24
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United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 210, No. 2838.
Ibid., vol. 2955, No. 51379.
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measures, inter alia quotas, appointments, training programmes and targeted outreach
to women, including young women and women who are in vulnerable situations;(k) Take all necessary measures to encourage political parties to nominate
equal numbers of women and men as candidates, promote equal leadership in party
structures and mainstream a gender perspective into party programmes;(l) Encourage the implementation of measures and mechanisms, including
appropriate mechanisms to track progress, to achieve the goal of 50/50 gender balanceat all levels of elected positions;(m) Develop and implement policies and programmes, including throughappropriate funding and innovative measures to promote women as leaders,
executives and managers, in all areas, in particular in strategic economic, social andpolitical decision-making positions, with the goal of achieving gender balance at alllevels;(n) Ensure that the perspectives of women, and girls as appropriate, are taken
into account in armed conflict and post-conflict situations and in humanitarian
emergencies and that they effectively and meaningfully participate, on equal terms withmen, in the design, implementation, follow-up and evaluation of policies and activities
related to conflict prevention, peace mediation, peacebuilding and post -conflictreconstruction, as well as take into account the perspective of women and girls whoare internally displaced and who are refugees; and ensure that the human rights of all
women and girls are fully respected and protected in all response, recovery andreconstruction strategies and that appropriate measures are taken to eliminate allforms of violence and discrimination against women and girls in this regard;(o) Strengthen the capacity of national statistical offices and other relevant
government institutions to collect, analyse and disseminate data, disaggregated byincome, sex, age, race, ethnicity, migration status, disability, geographical locationand other characteristics relevant in national contexts, to support the design,
implementation and tracking of policies aimed at improving women’s full andeffective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as to assess laws,
policies, strategies and programmes to prevent and eliminate violence against womenand girls, and enhance partnerships and the mobilization, from all sources, of financial
and technical assistance to enable developing countries to systematically design,collect and ensure access to high-quality, reliable and timely disaggregated data andgender statistics;
Prevent and eliminate violence against women in public life(p) Eliminate, prevent and respond to all forms of violence against women andgirls in public and private spaces, through multisectoral and coordinated approaches
to investigate, prosecute and punish the perpetrators of violence against women andgirls and end impunity, and to provide protection and equal access to appropriate
remedies and redress and to comprehensive social, health and legal services for all
victims and survivors to support their full recovery and reintegration into society,including by providing access to psychosocial support and rehabilitation, and accessto affordable housing and employment, bearing in mind the importance of all womenand girls living free from violence, such as sexual and gender-based violence,
including sexual harassment, domestic violence, and gender-related killings,
including femicide, as well as elder abuse; and address the structural and underlying
causes of violence against women and girls through enhanced prevention measures,
research and strengthened coordination, monitoring and evaluation by, inter alia,
encouraging awareness-raising activities, including through publicizing the societal
and economic costs of violence, and working with local communities;

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E/CN.6/2021/L.3(q) Enact or strengthen and enforce laws and policies to eliminate all forms ofviolence and harassment against women of all ages in the world of work, in public a nd
private spheres, and provide means of effective redress in cases of non -compliance;
ensure safety for women in the workplace; address the multiple consequences ofviolence and harassment, considering that violence against women and girls is an
obstacle to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment; and develop
measures to promote re-entry of victims and survivors of violence into the labour
market;(r) Pursue programmes and strategies to prevent and eliminate harassment inpublic and private spaces, including in digital contexts, inter alia, cyberbullying andcyberstalking, with an emphasis on effective legal, preventive and protective
measures for victims and those who are at risk of harassment;(s) Eliminate harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation and child,early and forced marriage, which may have long-term effects on girls’ and women’s
lives, health and bodies, including increased vulnerability to violence and sexuallytransmitted diseases, and negatively affect opportunities to participate in public life,
and which continue to persist in all regions of the world despite the increase innational, regional and international efforts, including by empowering all women andgirls, working with local communities to combat negative social norms that condone
such practices and empowering parents and communities to abandon such practices,
confronting family poverty and social exclusion and ensuring that girls and women at
risk or affected by these practices have access to social protection and public services,
including education, and health care;(t) Build the capacity of public officials in executive, legislative and judicial
branches of government to adopt enhanced prevention measures to address all formsof violence against women and girls, including in digital contexts, and respond toincidents, enforce judicial and complaints mechanisms and sensitize officials by
ensuring their training on the different and specific needs of women and girls who
have been subjected to violence so that they are not revictimized when seeking justiceand redress;(u) Ensure women’s and girls’ unimpeded access to justice and to effective
legal assistance so that they can make informed decisions regarding, inter alia, legal
proceedings, so that all cases of violence are brought to justice, including the cases
related to victims, and also ensure that all victims have access to just and effective
remedies for the harm that they have suffered, including through the adoption ofnational legislation where necessary;(v) Take measures to create a safe and enabling environment so that womenare protected from all forms of violence and discrimination for engaging in public
life, including in digital contexts, and take practical steps to prevent and address
violence, including by combating impunity and ensuring that those responsible forviolations and abuses are promptly brought to justice;(w) Mainstream a gender perspective in the conceptualization, development
and implementation of digital technologies and related policies and promote theparticipation of women in order to address violence and discrimination against
women and girls in digital contexts, inter alia by encouraging digital technology
companies, including Internet service providers, to respect standards and implementtransparent and accessible reporting mechanisms;
Strengthen gender-responsive institutional reforms(x) Take measures to achieve gender balance in leadership positions indecision-making bodies at all levels, develop transformative approaches and changes
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in institutional structures and practices, and use the gender mainstreaming strategy toaccelerate the implementation of legislation and public and fiscal policies, including
through gender-responsive budgeting for the achievement of gender equality and theempowerment of all women and girls;(y) Ensure that the perspectives of all women and girls are taken into account,that women, and girls as appropriate, fully and equally participate in the design,
implementation, follow-up and evaluation of policies and activities that affect theirlivelihoods, well-being and resilience, and that women and their organizations, andgirl- and youth-led organizations, are fully, safely and actively able to participate in
the decision-making process, policies and institutions at all levels;(z) Strengthen the capacity of national machineries for gender equality andthe empowerment of all women and girls, by providing sufficient allocation offinancial, technical and human resources, to enable them to effectively carry out theirmandates;(aa) Take account of the specific needs of women and girls in COVID-19
response and recovery efforts, and increase women’s leadership in those efforts,
including through promoting gender balance in task forces, standing committees andother decision-making bodies, as well as promote the participation of members of
women’s organizations in decision-making bodies and processes, as appropriate;(bb) Develop COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery plans that promotesustainable development and drive transformative change towards inclusive and justsocieties by, inter alia, targeting women and girls, underlining that economic
response, including poverty eradication measures, social assistance and protectio n,
and fiscal and stimulus packages should be equally accessible to all, and specificallyaddress the care sector, with measures taken to reduce and redistribute women’s andgirls’ disproportionate share of unpaid care and domestic work, ensure equal pay f orwork of equal value for women, including in the public health sector, as well as takeaction to promote women’s entrepreneurship and strengthen women’s participationand leadership in economic activity;(cc) Take appropriate measures to create a safe, enabling and violence-freeworking environment for women, especially front-line workers, and address women’s
and girls’ specific physical and mental health needs and provide them withpsychological and psychosocial support; provide appropriate personal protective
equipment, essential hygiene and sanitation items, as well as access to safe andaffordable drinking water; and ensure universal and equal global access totherapeutics, medicines and vaccines, as well as health technologies and products toface COVID-19, recognizing the role of extensive immunization against COVID -19
as a global public good for health;(dd) Call on the United Nations system to continue to mainstream a gender
perspective into its policies and programmes, including those addressing COVID-19
response and recovery;(ee) Integrate a gender perspective into the design, implementation, monitoringand evaluation of national policies, climate change mitigation and adaptation
programmes, needs assessment, forecast and early warning systems, and response andrecovery plans on disaster risk management, biodiversity loss, environmental
degradation and pollution, especially in developing countries, and recognize the fulland effective participation of women in decision-making at all levels, in particular on
strategies and policies related to the impacts of climate change, while also noting theimportance of the ongoing discussions regarding the post-2020 global biodiversity
framework to be adopted at the fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to
the Convention on Biological Diversity;
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E/CN.6/2021/L.3(ff) Support the resilience and adaptive capacities of women and girls to
respond to and recover from the adverse impacts of climate change, natural disasters
and extreme weather events, through the provision of essential infrastructure andservices, social protection and decent work for women as well as appropriate
financing, including public and private climate finance, capacity-building,technology, humanitarian relief and disaster preparedness to avert, minimize andaddress loss and damage associated with the adverse impacts of climate change; andfurther increase the gender-responsiveness of climate finance with a view tostrengthening the capacity of women;(gg) Strengthen the effectiveness and accountability of institutions at all levels
to promote gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, as well as
ensure equal access to justice and public services;
Increase the availability of high-quality financing in support of women’s
participation in public life(hh) Create conducive conditions for women’s candidacies by ensuring equal
access to campaign finances, as appropriate, as well as equal access to the media,
training programmes, subsidies for childcare, early childhood education and care forother dependants;(ii) Urge developed countries to fully implement their respective
commitments, including the target of 0.7 per cent of their gross national income for
official development assistance to developing countries and the target of 0.15 to 0.20
per cent of their gross national income for official development assistance to least
developed countries, and encourage developing countries to build on the progressachieved in ensuring that official development assistance is used effective ly to help
meet development goals and achieve gender equality;(jj) Strengthen international and regional cooperation, including North-South,
South-South and triangular cooperation, bearing in mind that South-South
cooperation is not a substitute for, but rather a complement to, North-South
cooperation, and invite all States to enhance South-South and triangular cooperation
focusing on shared development priorities, with the involvement of all relevant
multiple stakeholders in government, civil society and the private sector, while notingthat national ownership and leadership in this regard are indispensable for theachievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls and for
improving their lives and well-being;
Strengthen women’s voice and leave no one behind in public life(kk) Provide capacity-building and training to enable women and girls todevelop capacities, skills and expertise to participate in public life and exercise
leadership;(ll) Implement measures to address violence and higher rates of poverty facedby rural women and girls and ensure their access to quality education, public health,including health-care services, justice, water and sanitation and other resources,
information and communications technology, infrastructure, as well as access of rural
women to financial services, economic resources and opportunities, decent work,social protection, sustainable and time- and labour-saving infrastructure andtechnology, and land, to promote their full and effective participation and decisionmaking in public life;(mm) Promote and protect the rights of older women by ensuring their equal
access to social, legal and financial services, infrastructure, health care, social

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protection and economic resources and their full and equal participation in decisionmaking;(nn) Ensure the full and effective participation and decision-making of womenof African descent in all aspects of society, including political, economic, social andcultural, recognizing the significant contribution of women and girls of African
descent to the development of societies, and bearing in mind the programme ofactivities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African
Descent (2015–2024);(oo) Strengthen efforts to empower women and girls with disabilities andenhance their participation and promote leadership in society through taking measures
to address all barriers that prevent or restrict the full and equal participation andinclusion of women and girls with disabilities in all spheres of life, including throughthe creation of enabling programmes, community outreach, mentoring and capacity building programmes, and ensure their access, on an equal basis with others, toeconomic and financial resources and disability-inclusive and accessible social
infrastructure, transportation, justice mechanisms and services, in particular in
relation to health and education, as well as productive employment and decent work
for women with disabilities, including in government and the public sector, the private
sector and civil society, and by ensuring that the priorities and rights of women andgirls with disabilities are fully incorporated into policies and programmes and thatthey are closely consulted and actively involved in decision-making processes;(pp) Promote and protect the rights of indigenous women and girls byaddressing the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and barriers they
face, including violence, ensuring access to quality and inclusive education, he althcare, public services, economic resources, including land and natural resources, andwomen’s access to decent work, to ensure their empowerment and full and effective
participation in decision-making processes at all levels and in all areas and eliminate
structural and legal barriers to their full, equal and effective participation in political,
economic, social and cultural life, while respecting and protecting their traditional
and ancestral knowledge and recognizing the distinct and important role of indigenous
women and girls in sustainable development and noting in that regard the importancefor indigenous women and girls of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights ofIndigenous Peoples; 26(qq) Adopt national gender-responsive migration policies and legislation, inline with relevant obligations under international law, to: protect the human rights ofall migrant women and girls, regardless of migration status; recognize the skills andeducation of women migrant workers to promote their economic empowerment in all
sectors and, as appropriate, facilitate their productive employment, decent work andintegration into the labour force, including in the fields of education and science andtechnology; recognize the importance of protecting labour rights and a safe
environment for women migrant workers and those in precarious employment,
including preventing and addressing abuse and exploitation, protecting women
migrant workers in all sectors and promoting labour mobility; protect migrant womenand girls against all forms of violence, exploitation and abuse, ensuring access tojustice to file complaints about rights violations; and take steps to ensure the full,equal and meaningful participation of migrant women in all matters that affect them,in accordance with national legislation;(rr) Promote the active and meaningful participation of women and girls living
with, at risk of or affected by HIV and AIDS on matters that affect their lives, andeliminate discrimination and violence against them, as well as the caregivers of__________________
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General Assembly resolution 61/295, annex.
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persons living with HIV and AIDS, and take into account their vulnerability to stigma,
discrimination, poverty and marginalization from their families and communities
when implementing programmes and measures which encourage the equal sharing of
caring responsibilities;(ss) Support the important role of civil society actors in promoting andprotecting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all women; take steps toprotect such actors, including women human rights defenders, and to integrate agender perspective into the creation of a safe and enabling environment for the
defence of human rights and to prevent violations and abuses against them in rural
areas, inter alia, threats, harassment and violence, in particular on issues relating tolabour rights, the environment, land and natural resources; and combat impunity bytaking steps to ensure that violations or abuses are promptly and impartiallyinvestigated and that those responsible are held accountable;(tt) Fully engage men and boys as agents and beneficiaries of change, and as
strategic partners and allies in: promoting women’s and girls’ access to social
protection systems, public services and sustainable infrastructure; eliminating all
forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls, in both public andprivate spheres, by understanding and addressing the root causes of gender inequality,
such as unequal power relations, gender stereotypes and practices that perpetuate
discrimination against women and girls; designing and implementing national
policies and programmes that address the roles and responsibilities of men and boys,
including the equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men in care anddomestic work; ensuring the enforcement of child support laws; and transforming,with the aim of eliminating, negative social norms that condone violence against
women and girls and attitudes by which women and girls are regarded as subordinate
to men and boys;
Address root causes of gender inequality and eliminate barriers to women’s fulland equal participation(uu) Design and implement more effective measures aimed at eradicating
poverty faced by women and girls and improving their living conditions to promote
the realization of their full potential, and enable women’s advancement and thei r
equal participation in decision-making, including through labour policies, public
services and social protection programmes;(vv) Ensure women’s economic empowerment and their right to work andrights at work, including by enhancing their full and productive employment anddecent work, and access to productive and financial resources, in order to facilitate
their full and equal participation in the labour market and decision-making, andensure their access to leadership positions in the public and private sectors;(ww) Eliminate occupational segregation by addressing structural barriers,
encourage women’s participation in the labour market, especially in emerging fields
and growing economic sectors, such as science, technology, engineering andmathematics as well as information and communications technology, and recognize
the value of sectors that have large numbers of women workers; and provide social
protection, ensure equal treatment in the workplace, support the transition frominformal to formal work in all sectors and promote equal pay for work of equal value
and women’s access to credit and entrepreneurship as well as financial inclusion andfinancial and digital literacy for women and girls;(xx) Mainstream a gender perspective when designing, implementing andmonitoring public policies in the planning and use of safe public spaces, public
services and sustainable urban and rural infrastructure, including public
transportation systems, promote the mobility, safety and empowerment of women and21-04183

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girls, and ensure access to safe and affordable drinking water and adequate andequitable sanitation and hygiene for all women and girls, as well as for menstrual
hygiene management, including for hygiene facilities and services in public andprivate spaces, which enable women’s full and effective participation in public life;(yy) Take all appropriate measures to recognize, reduce and redistributewomen’s and girls’ disproportionate share of unpaid care and domestic work bypromoting the reconciliation of work and family life, the equal sharing of
responsibilities between women and men and men’s equitable sharing of
responsibilities with respect to care and household work, including as fathers andcaregivers, through flexibility in working arrangements, without reductions in labourand social protections, support for breastfeeding mothers, the provision of
infrastructure, technology and public services, such as water and sanitation,
renewable energy, transport and information and communications technology, and theimplementation and promotion of legislation and policies such as maternity, paternity,
parental and other leave schemes, as well as accessible, affordable and quality social
services, including childcare and care facilities for children and other depe ndants,take steps to measure the value of this work in order to determine its contribution to
the national economy, and challenge gender stereotypes and negative social norms inorder to create an enabling environment for women’s empowerment;(zz) Enable the recruitment and retention of women in public life and decisionmaking by setting up support systems and adopting measures to support work-familybalance; ensure that pregnant women and mothers with infants and young children
can continue participating in public life and decision-making through policies thatallow them to remain in the workplace safely, including by guaranteeing access tomaternity protection and adequate social protection benefits, emphasizing men’s
responsibilities as fathers and caregivers as a means of enabling women to increase
their participation in the labour market and decision-making in public life;(aaa) Take concrete measures to realize the right to the enjoyment of thehighest attainable standards of physical and mental health for all women and girls;
and ensure the availability, accessibility and acceptability of quality health -careservices to address all communicable and non-communicable diseases, including
through universally accessible primary health care and support services and social
protection mechanisms;(bbb) Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health andreproductive rights, in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International
Conference on Population and Development 27 and the Beijing Platform for Action andthe outcome documents of their review conferences, including universal access tosexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning,
information and education and the integration of reproductive health into national
strategies and programmes, and recognizing that the human rights of women include
their right to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on all matters related
to their sexuality, including sexual and reproductive health, free of coerci on,
discrimination and violence, as a contribution to the achievement of gender equality
and the empowerment of women and the realization of their human rights;(ccc) Promote and respect the right to education for women and girls
throughout the life course and at all levels, especially for those who have been left
furthest behind, and address gender disparities, including by investing in public
education systems and infrastructure, eliminating discriminatory laws and practices,
providing universal access to inclusive, equal and non-discriminatory quality__________________
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Report of the International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, 5 –13 September
1994 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.95.XIII.18), chap. I, resolution 1, annex.
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education, including free and compulsory primary and secondary education,
promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all, eliminating female illiteracy andpromoting financial and digital literacy, ensuring that women and girls have equal
access to leadership training, career development, scholarships and fellowships;
strive to ensure the completion of early childhood, primary and secondary educationand expand vocational and technical education for all women and girls, and foster, as
appropriate, intercultural and multilingual education for all; and address negativesocial norms and gender stereotypes in education systems;(ddd) Adopt positive actions to build women’s and girls’ leadership skills andinfluence, and support women and girls in diversifying their educational andoccupational choices in emerging fields, such as science, technology, engineering andmathematics and information and communications technology; and mainstream agender perspective in science and technology, academia, research institutions andresearch funding agencies;(eee) Adopt measures to ensure girls’ path to full and effective participation in
public life, in a manner consistent with their evolving capacities and that develop s
their full potential, through access to education, and ensure their safety including inand out of school, and an environment free from discrimination, violence, bullying
and harassment in school, inter alia, by improving sustainable, safe, accessible an daffordable transportation and infrastructure;(fff) Develop policies and programmes with the support, where appropriate, ofinternational organizations, civil society and non-governmental organizations, giving
priority to formal, informal and non-formal education programmes, including
scientifically accurate and age-appropriate comprehensive education that is relevant
to cultural contexts and that provides adolescent girls and boys and young women andmen in and out of school, consistent with their evolving capacities, and withappropriate direction and guidance from parents and legal guardians and with the bestinterests of the child as their basic concern, with information on sexual andreproductive health and HIV prevention, gender equality and women’s empowerment,
human rights, physical, psychological and pubertal development and power in
relationships between women and men, to enable them to build self-esteem and foster
informed decision-making, communication and risk reduction skills and to develop
respectful relationships, in full partnership with young persons, parents, legal
guardians, caregivers, educators and health-care providers, in order to, inter alia,
enable them to protect themselves from HIV infection and other risks;(ggg) Provide catch-up and literacy education for those who did not receive
formal education and special initiatives for keeping girls in school through post-primaryeducation, including those who are already married or pregnant, to promote their
participation in public life, including by ensuring that pregnant adolescents and young
mothers, as well as single mothers, can continue and complete their education, and in
this regard, design, implement and, where applicable, revise educational policies toallow them to remain in and return to school, providing them with access to healthcare and social services and support, including childcare and breastfeeding facilities
and crèches, and to education programmes with accessible locations, flexible
schedules and distance education, including e-learning, and bearing in mind theimportant role and responsibilities of and challenges faced by fathers, including
young fathers, in this regard;(hhh) Increase access of women and girls to digital technologies, including bypromoting equal, safe and affordable access to information and communications
technologies and to the Internet; enhance digital literacy, improve digital cooperationand harness the potential of technology and innovation to improve women’s and girls’
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development divide and the digital divide, including the gender digital divide; andexplore appropriate ways to address any potential negative impact of newtechnologies on gender equality;(iii) Take effective measures to clear the substantial digital divides and data
inequalities that exist within and among countries and regions, and between
developed and all developing countries, recognizing that many developing countries
lack affordable access to information and communications technologies, which is an
impediment to the achievement of the full potential of women and girls;(jjj) Promote women’s participation in public life, including in politicalprocesses, by providing fair and balanced media coverage of women and men
candidates, covering women’s participation in political organizations and ensuring
coverage of their activities; and develop strategies to eliminate gender stereotypes inall spheres of life and foster the positive portrayal of women as leaders and decision
makers at all levels and in all areas.
62. The Commission recognizes its primary role for the follow-up to the Beijing
Declaration and Platform for Action, in which its work is grounded, and stresses that
it is critical to address and integrate gender equality and the empowerment of all
women and girls throughout national, regional and global reviews of theimplementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to ensure
synergies between the follow-up to the Beijing Platform for Action and the genderresponsive follow-up to the 2030 Agenda.
63. The Commission calls upon the United Nations system entities, within theirrespective mandates, and other relevant international financial institutions and multistakeholder platforms to support Member States, upon their request, in their efforts
to ensure women’s full and effective participation and decision-making in public life,
as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and theempowerment of all women and girls.
64. The Commission calls upon the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality andthe Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) to continue to play a central role inpromoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls and insupporting Governments and national women’s machineries, upon their request, incoordinating the United Nations system and in mobilizing civil society, the private
sector, employers’ organizations and trade unions, and other relevant stakeholders, at
all levels, in support of the full, effective and accelerated implementation of the
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the gender-responsive
implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including women's
full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as theelimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all
women and girls.

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