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G77 Remains Committed to Gender Empowerment

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 23 2017 - As the United Nations continued its two-week long sessions focusing on the rights of women and gender empowerment, the Group of 77 said it remains “deeply concerned” that overall progress for women and girls remains unbalanced.

“Inequalities remain in labor force participation and leadership, wages and income, pensions, social norms and conditions of work,” Ambassador Horacio Sevilla, Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations, told the 61st annual sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the primary inter-governmental body on women’s rights.

Speaking on behalf of the G77, joined by China, he told delegates that women continue to be vulnerable in terms of access to basic healthcare and education; lack social protection and other services essential for maintaining economic livelihood and self-sufficiency and supporting their ability to generate income and to thrive, particularly women in rural areas.

The Group of 77 remains fully committed to gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, he declared.

The theme of this year’s session was titled “Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty_First Century.” The sessions, which began March 13, concluded on Friday March 24.

Ambassador Horacio Sevilla said the Group welcomes progress made by women and girls in many fields around the world.

However, poverty, inequality, violence and discrimination linger in the world’s current affairs, particularly affecting women and girls living in countries affected by conflict and living under colonial administration and foreign occupation, unilateral coercive measures or unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with International Law and the Charter of the United Nations.

“We express our appreciation for the submission of the Secretary-General’s report on “The situation of, and assistance to, Palestinian Women”, and the Group is pleased to put forward for consideration of all Member States a draft resolution on this important issue.”

The Group of 77, joined by China, also affirmed that an environment that maintains world peace and promotes and protects human rights, democracy and the peaceful settlement of disputes — in accordance with the principles of non-threat or use of force against territorial integrity or political independence and of respect for sovereignty as set forth in the UN Charter– is an important factor for the advancement of women.

Ambassador Horacio Sevilla said the current 61th Session of the CSW presented a renewed opportunity to address many of these gender-related issues.

Women’s economic independence remains vital to their role as full and equal partners for development. The Group recognizes that progress requires the full and equal integration of women into the economy, in particular into economic decision-making processes.

Having in mind that the feminization of poverty persists, the Group emphasized that the eradication of poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is an indispensable requirement for women’s economic empowerment.

The Group also acknowledged the important contribution of migrant women, and recognizes that impediments to accessing employment, vocational training, housing, schooling, technology, health services and social services, as well as other public services, contribute to the vulnerability of migrants, in particular women and girls.

 
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